BobsScrappySister Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 How did you/do you teach your kids about respecting the aquarium? I've been kicking around the idea of setting up a 10 or 20 gallon in my boys' room (they're only 2 years old), but I'm afraid that no matter what stand I use, they'll find a way to "quime" up to it and end up getting a blast from breaking the heater, or worse yet, break the glass! As it is, I'm just sick about having to sell my 90, and 60s, and 45s, ... you get the picture; like the rest of you, I'm sure, these damned things have me addicted, and it's hard to feature parting with everything! :cry: Yet I can't help but think that the safest thing to do is just to have NO aquariums until they're much older. How have you handled it? And have any of you had your child break the glass of a full aquarium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Prawn Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 I think the best way would be to teach them the value of animal life. But it also depends how old they are. When I was a kid, I had more sympathy for animals, and was more shocked hearing about animals being hurt than humans being hurt. That was just my natural reaction. But I've had some experience teaching other kids (my niece and nephew) that it's wrong to harm animals. I have a sort of, "tough love" "brutal" method, in that when my niece threw her hamster up into the air as hard as she good, I tried to explain that "all animals are important, even more important than all your toys, what's your favourite toy?", so she showed me her favourite toy, a sort of video game kids laptop thing, so I took it, "what would you do if I threw your toy in the air as high as I can?", "no don't, I love it!", I threw it up as high as I could, and after it returned from space, crashed into the group smashing into pieces, which my niece than ran up to me and hugged me crying, "did that hurt your feelings?", "yes", "does it make you sad?", "yes", to which I replied, "well, everytime someone harms an animal, I feel just like you do right now. Do you understand now how important it is not to hurt animals?", "yes, I'm sorry, I'm sorry uncle", and she's to this day (4 years later) had nothing but the utmost respect for all living things. She even cried a few months ago when her pet budgie died (of parasites) only a few days after getting it, and called me to ask me how to save sick animals. Oh, and yes, I went out and bought her the computer video game thingy that very same day. Some people may think I am too harse, but in my opinion, you've got to find a way to seriously make them relate to what you're saying. When I was a kid, I never listened, and that's how my Dad taught me stuff :-) I figured my method would be a lot more effective than her stoner dad's method of spanking her and yelling. Boy am I glad he's gone! Good luck, though. For me, teaching kids to respect animals is one of the most important things in the world. I hate hate hate seeing kids at Petland mistreating the animals in the open containers, dropping them from too high, slamming on their houses to scare them out, flicking them to make them move etc. Another successful method I've heard of, is to get the kid a pet of its own, and chances are, if they understand what death is, they'll be pretty sad and understand the concept when it dies. Also, if you use MY method, try not to cry when your niece, nephew, son or daughter starts crying. ;-) -Hideo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOSStile Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 (edited) I wonder if you were to attach a piece of lexan to the front of your 90, the glass is what 3/8 inch which is hard to break anyway. Now would the lexan keep the glass from shattering if they threw their toys at it? Put a canopy with child proof features on it, not that they would be able to lift a canopy whose lid is 4 feet off the ground anyway. As far as teaching 2 year olds to respect animals and not intentionally or unintentionally hurt them, I don't think you would get the message through, to any lasting degree at that age. I think it would be easier to plan for the worst they could do and prevent them from doing it. Edited March 13, 2006 by HOSStile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vapor Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 At such a young age I don't know if I would trust putting an aquarium in thier room. Setting one up elseware out of thier reach and making them a part of taking care of it is a good idea in my oppinion. Have them help feed the fish and help clean the tank. Little pails to help with water changes, things like that. Some of it may sink in faster than you think. Just be careful though as they will become addicted just like you and then you will be putting a 180 gallon in thier room instead of a 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishBrain Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 (edited) I used a tank to potty train my oldest. She was allowd to feed the fish if she used the potty. There is a 10G tank on her dresser. My Youngest is almost 2 and he doesn't touch the tanks to much. I mean he touches the large ones on the outside so I have finger prints to clean all the time but thats ok. He used to go into the one in the kitchen that is real low, kind of tried catching them with his hands and things. A couple little taps on the hand and he stops. He IS a bugger but he doesn't go inside them. Setup a couple, watch the kids and before you know it they wont be interested in them anymore. GL Edited March 14, 2006 by Canadbis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOSStile Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 I used a tank to potty train my oldest. She was allowd to feed the fish if she used the potty. There is a 10G tank on her dresser. My Youngest is almost 2 and he doesn't touch the tanks to much. I mean he touches the large ones on the outside so I have finger prints to clean all the time but thats ok. He used to go into the one in the kitchen that is real low, kind of tried catching them with his hands and things. A couple little taps on the hand and he stops. He IS a bugger but he doesn't go inside them. Setup a couple, watch the kids and before you know it they wont be interested in them anymore. GL Boy talk about some gruesome water changes, and I thought 10 inch pleco poop was bad. Truly a "Fish" family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanker Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Tanks in kid's rooms, generally speaking, are trouble. Kids are curious, kids are mischevious... and kids can be as dumb as bricks. As for them disrespecting the rest of the tanks, there is something to be said towards the merits of a good solid swat on the behind... something I feel is missing in most children's upbringing, these days. Sure, try other methods first (praise for good, rewards, etc, time-outs, whatever else Oprah says is the 'new thing' this week) but too many parents are scared to show the child who is the adult, anymore. A little off track, but I feel it's relavent. Sorry to hijack... carry on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toirtis Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Not sure of an answer.....my daughter just took to it naturally....she only needed to be told once what not to mess with, and was excellent at minding herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wandj Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 (edited) It's a 2 way street. The animals need just as much protection from kids as kids need protection from animals. A kid could fall in an inappropriately placed tank and drown. And, the animals could suffer a miserable death. Here is a true story. My mom told me they had goldfish as kids. The goldfish were found dead one morning with little human teeth marks in them. Apparantly my aunt got hungry or something. And mom got me goldfish as a kid too. They only seemed to last a couple of weeks. I thought it was strange for their "tank" to be an ice cream pail, no filter, no air stone, etc. But what did I know? Shame on mommy. Edited March 14, 2006 by wandj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9outfit Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 For starters, I definitely would not put a tank in a 2 year old's room; you have no control over what's happening when you're not there. I would set up a tank in an easily supervised area, and make the kids understand that they may look, but don't touch. Period. Enforce as necessary. Supervised assistance when cleaning tanks and feeding would be acceptable, but that's it. Otherwise, it's off limits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAlberta Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 You could try out feeder fish in a five gallon tank? At least you won't have to worry about the kind pulling a plugged in heater out of the water See where things go from there I don't know a whole lot about kids ....... just my two cents worth Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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