That is just sad. It's really out-of-line for them to tell you how to live your life. There are so many bad ways to be spending money/time; they should be supportive of your hobby. I would kindly write them a letter saying all this, including of course, cute pics of the snakes w/ the kids, in pics that show they're harmness. So many people think that every snake out there is a rattler or a viper.