Question for snake owners with children...

[EvaS]

My son is great with snakes but one day he accidentally trapped a cornsnakes tail in between himself and the edge of a counter, he never even noticed it..It turned around and bit him.This from a snake that was 5yrs old and never bitten ever.Also my son(7) was good with them and handled snakes often.Accidents happen and some accidents can have devastating consequences.
Ive also seen pics of people who wrap their snakes completely around their necks...Idiots again, it only takes slight pressure on those arteries to make you pass out and your teaching others that its okay to hold a snake that way...

[Lankyrob]

Takes less than a second for an adult to be put unconscious from pressure on the right part of the neck, imagine if that is a child................

[Jenn_06]

just use common sense, my 2 kids 4 and 6 are great with snakes but im always there with them when a snake is out, they know snakes are living things not toys, things can happy with any animal dog, cat, bird or snake.just never leave you kid alone with them and always be right there.

[CanadianEryx]

We really need to be smart with our pets...and our kids. We need to know them--inside and out--in order to really know what is the best for each one. Let's all be safe rather than very sorry--whether the pet or the child is the one you are protecting!

[stephanbakir]

It's also important to note that they each need protecting, I see allot of people who get a snake and once they acquire something new they forget about the other, allot of animals die like this. Just like you shouldn't have kids if you don't plan on being there for the next 18 years, you shouldn't get a snake if you aren't prepared to spend AT LEAST an hour a day with them for the next 10-50 years...

[EvaS]

you shouldn't get a snake if you aren't prepared to spend AT LEAST an hour a day with them for the next 10-50 years...

Personally I think an hour a day is a bit excessive unless I misunderstood you.Most or at least some snakes dont like being handled that much or that often.If I did that with my Blood she would end up sick.I handle her about 2x week for maybe 20 minutes and she is as tame as a corn.Even my boas only get maybe an hour a few times a week but never every day.

[TeaNinja]

Originally Posted by EvaS

Personally I think an hour a day is a bit excessive unless I misunderstood you.Most or at least some snakes dont like being handled that much or that often.If I did that with my Blood she would end up sick.I handle her about 2x week for maybe 20 minutes and she is as tame as a corn.Even my boas only get maybe an hour a few times a week but never every day.

i THINK they meant you have to change water and keep humid and everything.
i agree that you shouldn't hold a snake every day.

[stephanbakir]

What I meant was, If you get any pet, you should be prepared to put at least an hour in, not regularly, but under certain situations, the time might be required... what if your snake gets sick and gets something that will stick with him for the next 2 weeks, you have 2 choices, spend that time and get him back to health or let him die, if you cant put time aside to give the pet or child the best possible care you probably shouldn't be in that situation.
Most snakes like my ball python get held once or twice a week, and they are great with that, unexpected stuff will always come up sometime in your lifetime and you need to be ready to put the time aside.
An example would be, a friend bringing his snake over, no-one knew that it had mites and somehow all of your snakes got them.

[Lankyrob]

We probably spend30 mins to an hour each day with checks, water changes, spot cleaning, misting etc and yes you should be expect to do this every day for the life of the animal with the though as stated that if one of them gets sick then extra time will be needed.

[stephanbakir]

Great quote btw.. "you never know how strong you are - until being strong is your only choice"

[Lankyrob]

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Great quote btw.. "you never know how strong you are - until being strong is your only choice"

Thanks - it is very true. If i think waht i was like before my accident - if i had to consider putting up with what i have to put up with now i wouldnt have thought it possible to cope.

We all have our crosses to bear and personally i think mental attitude has a major effect on how well we cope. Yes we all have days when getting out of bed seems impossible and we have to allow ourselves those days without letting it become the "norm".

In the past a "hard day" would be working 9 hours then going to the gym and swimming, cleaning the house, cooking dinner then going out for a drink.

Now a hard day can be anything from making from bed to the living room or just cooking dinner.

Accepting our limitations, especially when they change minute to minute or day to day is a hard thing to do but very liberating when you achieve it. Setting achievable goals for each day means that you can still "achieve" and feel good about it even if that achievement is only making it to the shop for some milk and a paper.

Anyways, i ramble on!!! Sorry for derailing another thread!!!!

[infernalis]

two posts is hardly a derailment.

back on topic, I couldn't agree more about the time.

Too many people have kids and don't seem to make the time for them.

If you want your teen to stay out of trouble, you better be prepared to keep them entertained yourself, bored teens start trouble.

Take your kids to movies, spend as much time as you can with them, and always screen the other parents if they want to go to a friends house.

a lot of problems can be avoided that way, what if the other parents are drunks or drug users?? do you want them responsible for your children??

[stephanbakir]

Same goes for snakes, if you avoid them like the plague and dont put the time in, yeh, your snake wont "trust" you and will feel fear when you do poke your giant body into his terrarium to change the water.