CLAN TAKE-HOME MESSAGES

1. Animals actively contribute to the construction of contemporary families: relational + affective
2. The animal is contributing to the child's development as a unique individual within the family dynamic; the same applies to other family members
   
3. Responsibility as an educational goal versus what happens in practice (reduced or non-existent participation of children in animal-related tasks; participation is very limited by a busy schedule)
4. Animals (indirectly) educate children as “adults (responsible) in the making,” since child-animal relationships create a universe that does not seem to be immediately or directly linked to school and “schooling.” And parents' values and educational goals in relation to animals do not translate into skills directly geared toward school.
5. Children's experiences do not always coincide with the (family) imagination surrounding companion animals: species, breeds, individuals.
6. Just as the “families we live with” are different from the “families we live in,” the animals children live with are different from those they have lived with (or live with) (imagined). This can lead to conflicts and challenges.
   • means that the dimension of the imaginary must be addressed, since it is fundamental to framing and shaping everyday practices with animals.
   • It also means that family memories and past experiences with animals should be analyzed, as they shape the family's imagination and choices.
     
7. Photographing the animal was a way to get the children to pay attention to pets and reflect on their relationships with them

   • This extends to the family's relationships with animals: children's reports are inclusive, as they encompass many different types of personal ties: extended family, friends, schoolmates, neighbors
     Children's visual narratives about the lives of animals show that sharing space is crucial, as family dynamics are marked by common spaces and activities (kitchen, dining table, bedroom and bed, living room and sofa, etc.)