my snake ate its first rat!

[Longo_2_guns]

I disagree with everything Sightless said. Everything.

Personally, I think it's important for kids to have pets. It teaches them responsibility and caring for other things, and yes life and death.

Though your kids are still young, so when you do start them out with pets get like a dozen identical fish. That way, they don't get super attached to any one of them and they're easy to replace.

 

[Sightless]

Giving kids pets isn't the only way to teach them responsibility and caring for other things, and it certainly isn't the only way to teach them about life and death. I would rather teach them those values through other means.

Haha, just kidding. When my first child is five years old, I'm going to have another child and give it to the first one as a pet.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Giving kids pets isn't the only way to teach them responsibility and caring for other things, and it certainly isn't the only way to teach them about life and death. I would rather teach them those values through other means.

Haha, just kidding. When my first child is five years old, I'm going to have another child and give it to the first one as a pet.

Like what? A plant? A rock? Kids are stupid, so it's hard to teach them anything without having something to actually show them.

 

[Bretimus_v2]

Giving kids pets isn't the only way to teach them responsibility and caring for other things, and it certainly isn't the only way to teach them about life and death.

Exactly, this is why God gave us grandparents.

 

[Sightless]

Kids are stupid, so it's hard to teach them anything without having something to actually show them.

Young kids start off being ego-centric and lacking a lot of empathy, sure. I don't think you should hold it against them, though. I'm not sure how you mean that they're stupid, but they're sure learning a lot more than you are now.

I didn't mean that they shouldn't be shown things. I meant that enough things in the world live and die without you giving kids the possession and control over another animal. Don't you think it's creepy that you're using things like fish just to teach your kids to be more responsible? I didn't address it before, but seriously:

...when you do start them out with pets get like a dozen identical fish. That way, they don't get super attached to any one of them and they're easy to replace.

You don't find anything creepy about that?

For the record, I do think it's a very good, rewarding, and practical thing for people to care about and take care of plants and the environment. I would definitely prefer my children to learn about these lessons through gardening, rather than through pets.

And rocks are wonderful.


EDIT: I realized it sounded weird when I said "possession and control" over things. I think I would avoid passing on the assumption that it's normal for them to own other animals. I admittedly only added in 'control' to emphasize the kind of dominance that sometimes emerges from such a relationship, and certainly a strong control is what they will have over the usual starter-pets, such as fish.