Do you share this hobby with your son or daughter?

[BPdad]

Hi Folks,

I got into the hobby of herps back in January 2006 mainly because my 8 year old son has been keeping geckos and tree frogs over the past year and recently this past summer with snakes. I decide to join in along side of him back in January and start my first vivarium of Poison Dart Frogs (PDF's). Since then we have had a GREAT time together building vivs, raising Fruit Flies, studying various reptiles and amphibs, etc... Between us we now have PDF's, Geckos, Tree Frogs, Turtles, Salamanders, & Snakes.

This has been great for me as a dad to be able to build a hobby around something my son enjoys. We've shared some fun times together over this hobby.

Has anyone else had the opportunity to do this with their son or daugther?

I posted this topic on the website called www.Dendroboard.com , which is mainly a PDF site. I got some REALLY great stories about moms/dads sharing the hobby with their kid(s), so I thought I'd post it here as well.

Hope to hear from ya all.

[aaajohnson]

Is share it with my Daughter Alyssa. She has done BP presentations ather her elementary and middle shcools for 3 years now, and did a presentation for 4-H this summer (she took overall 1st place for Douglas County). It has been a great way for us to share something and have time to talk without barriers or judgements. Now my son and youngest daugter are starting to get interested also, so who knows maybe someday it could be the family business ....
Neil

[Uncle Festae]

Share the hobby? LOL my 2 year old daughter thinks the snakes are hers, and will argue that fact forever LOL she takes them out of the racks on her own, carries them wherever she wants to "play" with them, then puts them back in their tub LOL...I have another daughter on the way (her due date was 3 days ago late just like her mom ) and when she gets home from the hospital, the first thing Im doing is loading her up with snakes and going picture crazy LOL Kara better watch out for this girl shes taking numbers LMAO

[Slithers]

I dont have any kids, and Im not even married. But when I DO have kids, I will definitely have to share this with them. They will have no choice!!

I think its incredible that you are able to bond with your children in this way. Good for you!

[Sinsation]

It's pretty much a family affair for me and the kids. My hubby has golf I have snakes. He does love the snakes and holds them but my interest is far higher than his.

My oldest daughter is 16 and she started me on snakes in January of 05' then moved to her dad's leaving the snake with me (not her choice but his wife if phobic). When she and my 15 year old came out this last summer you'd of thought the snake was attatched to her. She is an animal lover with hopes of becoming a vet ever since she was very small. her reason to finish her school years with her dad was the FFA program that was not offered where we lived. She has brought her passion to our family and it goes for all four of my girls.
With kids these days I find it great to have a common intrest that brings us together and puts us on the same page if only for a small amount of time each day.
I do have pics in my photo area but darned if Im too blond to figure out how to get them all the right sized and stay thay way while I move them. But feel free if your intrested

[recycling goddess]

well... honestly everyone here likes the snakes, they like to look at them... but all the care and handling and everything is my responsibility.

so sharing my passion... no i don't think so... but appreciating their beauty... yup!

[Uncle Festae]

Here's a pic of my 2 year old, Jenna, with a 585g '06....doing her best Steve Irwin impersonation, you can almost invision her exclaiming "Look at this beauty" ....tonight I will shoot a good video and some pics, of her "doing her thing" LOL

[aaajohnson]

Great picture Chris, she looks totally fascinated!!!!

Neil

[Uncle Festae]

She is Neil, I think I get just as much enjoyment out of watching her with the snakes, as I do from the snakes themselves...shes getting really smart too, she knows which tubs contain "babies" and which tubs contain "big ones", she really likes the big ones...I feel bad sometimes though, because when I make her put one away, she just starts saying, "More! More Daddy, More!"..shes got quite the memory now too LOL, cause I'll tell her, "not right now..tomorrow we can take out more"....then she'll be waking me up at 6am shouting "nakies, Daddy, nakies" at my bedside LOL

[recycling goddess]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh that is just too cute!!!!