(no subject)

[azurelunatic]

Say you have a five year old. Your five year old is visiting a place where they have a [gerbil, mouse, small rat, parakeet] and wants to play with it. Your kid has no experience with this kind of critter. The people of the place take the critter out and allow your kid to hold it.

[Poll #29548]

Why this survey? Here's the scoop.

http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=votania&itemid=17566

Comments

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

I would:
1. Take the critter myself
2. Show the kid how to pet/touch it without hurting it
3. THEN gently hand it to the kid while explaining how to best hold it without hurting it

Unless I know the people in question will do 2 and 3 themselves, in which case I omit step 1 and let them handle 2&3.

[azurelunatic]

Without exception, all of the people who have responded so far sound to be the sort of person I'd trust kids and critters around.

I don't like That Woman, not at all.

Re:

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

I don't either, and I haven't even met her. Anyone who will turn their back on a frightened child needs to be strung up and horsewhipped.

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

Good god. That's so awful for the kid... ugh.

We do let kids play with the ferrets, if there is an adult in the room with them at all times. We pick up the ferret, hold it ourselves, encourage gentle petting on the head, put the ferret down, and make sure someone who knows the ferret stays in the room.

[azurelunatic]

She'd earned my dislike before, and will not be able to redeem herself from this.

[azurelunatic]

Yes.

...The only at all comparable experience I've ever had was having a very ill chick die in my hand. I was petting her and letting her spend her illness with someone who cared about her, but even that wasn't enough, and she died in my hand. That was sad enough.

Nephew's getting lots of hugs and understanding.

Now perhaps there will be a concrete reason rather than "Mommy isn't comfortable" to keep him the hell away from that ... ... ...

yeah.