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I'm not very good with children atall!

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flintstones

flintstones

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My neice comes over every weekend, obviously I'm never here but I am this weekend, I just don't have the patience the dog so much as makes a noise she shouts at him, she prods the piggies alot and she wonders why my piggies run away!. The dog so much picks something up he's getting screamed at :))

Shes only 9, and I know shes just a child I just don't have alot of patience and feel so sorry for the animals especially the dog, she also seems to have an intense liking to Fred who is a nervous wreck unfortunately none of the piggies will play with her, I personally don't know how piggies play?
 
Well - tell her that she needs to win an animal's trust before she they'll allow her to "play" with them and that pordding and shouting simply won't do the trick.

You need to show her how you go about winning a piggy's trust and how you handle (or NOT handle) them properly. I never allow anybody, especially a child, to handle any of my piggies without my supervision.

I'm not that good with children either!
 
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If she's often around your animals when you're not there, it sounds as if you should take the opportunity to teach her how to behave around them now. It sounds as if she's afraid of the dog, and just doesn't know what to do with the pigs.

If you have a moment, perhaps you could put one of your pigs on your own lap and get her to sit next to you and stroke it gently, and explain to her that though guinea pigs are nice to cuddle and great fun to watch going about their business, they can't actually play with people. See if she'll sit and watch the pigs with you, point out their different characters, and she might start to appreciate them on their own terms. Make it clear that she's not to touch them when you're not around.

Then start again with the dog...

If you're not a natural with children, you can't expect her to be a natural with animals (most of us need to be taught both skills).
 
Too True, infairness I don't see her often, this is probably the third time this year and I do feel bad but I just don't know how to act around children! Plus I live in Belfast this is the second time the pigs have been here, so they are new to her too! That is very good advice Sunshine I'm going to try that, you do have a point!
 
Oh, you're away from home, I see what you mean now about not being around when she's there - I thought she was sometimes around when your pigs were there but you weren't. Anyway, you might be able to train up a really good little animal handler if you have the time (if she likes your pigs, she may well start asking her parents for some).
 
Apparently she wants a hamster... rolleyes

Which I think is not a clever idea atall, they bite and it hurts, they aren't really children friendly!

My girlies are very good, and never bite they just sleep on you but shes petrified of them too! I'm going to take an hour today to show her how she can hold them!

Then again I don't want her asking for pigs. I know myself when I got animals when I was younger they were forgot about and left to my parents and I predict a similiar outcome with my neice! :(
 
Well, you can spin her any line you like about what unsuitable pets they are for children, but if she was showing signs of being fascinated to start with, anything you teach her is probably a good thing!

To my mind, children shouldn't have pets to themselves - they need to be involved with family pets that the parents take full responsibility for, but little furries tend to be considered suitable for children to look after alone in a way that cats and dogs rarely are. Our pigs notionally belong to my daughters, but I consider myself to be in charge of their welfare.
 
JoanneG111 said:
Apparently she wants a hamster... rolleyes

Which I think is not a clever idea atall, they bite and it hurts, they aren't really children friendly!

:(
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I'd get her the hamster :(|)
But then that would be cruel to the poor hammy.
Can you tell I am not child friendly. (maybe I was a hamster in a previous life) ha ha. x
 
I'm pretty good with kids/young people (when I'm in that mode...). Nine is definitely old enough to understand not to scream at a dog or poke piggies. Just tell her not to, you owe the animals that.

If you do have the time and want to you have the chance of making a change the one kid at a time way. So many kids have no clue how to behave around animals because they never had a chance to try. A kid at a school I worked at started to cry in disgust when another kid told her milk comes from cows. She was seven...
 
She's a very cheeky, demanding 9 year old, but thats cause she never gets into trouble! Especially at Grannys, thankfully shes playing the computer and me plus the animals are getting peace!
 
Oh Joanne you need more patients lol. I work with 3-7 year old but am a very patient person.

I do know what you mean about children taking a liking to your animals. When my nieces come down i try and distract them from the pigs as they frighten them and they are very loud and get exited. I just tell them they are tired and need to sleep or i give them some lettuce to feed them so the pigs feel more happier when they are around. But i dont let them pick them up, i say only i can do that. Gizmo isnt really bothered by them but Joey is like your Fred he is very shy of other people and in his other home I'm sure he was neglected by the children as they wasnt bothered that he was going and didnt even say goodbye they just carried on watching TV. Maybe Fred had the same experince with children?

I'm very protected over them and i always make sure that they arent put for floortime when the nieces come round!

You should get her a gogo hamster that's what my two nieces have! They had them off Santa but they do use alot of batteries!

:)
 
Joey&Gizmo said:
You should get her a gogo hamster that's what my two nieces have! They had them off Santa but they do use alot of batteries!

:)
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lmao she has one already its apparently going to be friends with the real hamster when she gets it, the mind boggles!

On a brighter note she wouldn't dare pick the piggies up, and pebbles is nice enough to let her pat her, but then again the girlies are use to children so they don't mind.

Anyways she is off home tonight how terrible am I! :))
 
I had a hamster at about that age and it was brilliant. It really taught me lots about animals and care and handling.

It could be the making of her, plus she may have learned to shout at animals from other people.

It does take skill to learn to be around animals and children too.
 
Personally apart from my own i dont really like kids a whole lotrolleyes,I have had a few friends bring rude children over and mopst kids i believe are old enough to understand how to treat an animal,My little girl Ava is almost 4 and has alot of respect for my pets so i expect no different from visitors children.
Just to add my little sister is nine and a respecter and lover of all animals,at one point though when she was 6 she went through a stage of trying to taunt and be mean to mums very old dog and because of his age i knew he would become snappy eventually,he actually snapped at her 3-4 times before she learnt(he had good reason to she was very cruel) and now they are the best of friends, so how she treats your dog can do anything even to the most lovely animal.
One of my friends 7 year old daughter was told to be nice to my pets and home and she wasnt so i asked them to leave,sometimes you have to be harsh to protect your pets,do what you have to do as most kids do and should know better;)
 
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well i am i child

and i wouldt treat amim animals like that, befor i got my piggys myt counsen who was 8 came round and she started grabing the gebils by their tails i maneged to get her off but ever since then they have been nervous of being handled. as a child i can tell you that saying no rarley works so8) show her how to hold him propally and hope she does (i am not shure what you mean by playing with them)
from ella
 
a nine year old should know better!my youngest is nine (until sunday!) and she knows how to behave around animals.most kids who come to my house are kind to animals.my 6yr old niece drives me mad though, she likes the animals but she is so rough and wild, i went mad on her last week when i caught her opening Daisys(hamster)cage and grabbing her.
last year Georgias friend Cara was winding her do up, he is usually a big softie but she obviously pushed him too far and he bit her (he warned her before by growling).loads of others were saying the dog should be put down well i just said to Cara that it served her right and she deserved it!
by the way hamsters are no good for kids they mainly sleep in the day are noisy at night and will bite if they feel like it.
when you move home you could teach her how to look after the piggies providing you have the patience :)
 
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