Unless u want to teach your kids responsibility (which almost never ends up working) I'd steer clear.

If u already have kids, what's the point if teaching responsibility isn't the goal? You're already capable of taking care of something and getting some companionship from it just from having and rearing kids.

If you must have a pet get a cat. Get a gecko or a snake. Anything lower maintenance basically. Why complicate your life when there is so much more to do and on which to spend finite resources that is of more worth to your soul and to those of others around you?