Children & Tarantulas

[greeneyedelle]

More of a personal question today: For those of you who have kids, how do they feel about your tarantula-keeping hobby? If you've been keeping for a long time and your kids were young at the time, how has it impacted them?

My daughter will be 9 in July, and she loves my tarantulas as much as I do. Loves to help me feed them, loves to watch them, loves her Hairy Potter (A. seemanni). I got my first t when she was a toddler, so she's somewhat been raised with them, but I've got a future tarantula keeper due in October, and I'm genuinely curious how to introduce a baby to my collection as opposed to the other way around. I even debated the idea of having some enclosures in a nursery before nixing that because let's just be logical and think of the worst case scenarios. But my infestation is kept up high on shelves and in the basement where there is zero chance of unsupervised interaction, so how do I condition a tot to the t's without traumatizing him? Baby Bjorn-ing while feeding seems like an unnecessary risk to take for both parties lol

 

[The Spider House]

I have 4 daughters. One showed a passi g interest for a while, the other 3, nothing!

I keep telling them that the 245 Ts in the garage is their inheritance but that still makes no difference.

They accept my hobby but alas, as kids succumb to peer pressure and talk about things that are not deemed to be "notmal" in today's society. They lose interest through fear of being alienated.

 

[vancwa]

I would keep the baby away from the T's due to the floating setae. Baby skin is delicate I would assume.

 

[jc55]

My son and daughter took an interest in the hobby and they both loved going to the shows with me but were both teenagers when i started in the hobby.

 

[greeneyedelle]

They accept my hobby but alas, as kids succumb to peer pressure and talk about things that are not deemed to be "notmal" in today's society. They lose interest through fear of being alienated.

That's one area I got lucky with my daughter. She embraces her weirdness entirely, and the confidence with which she carries it draws people to her despite the fact that she proudly loves tarantulas. Then again, everyone is confident in elementary school: Middle school is another story.

I would keep the baby away from the T's due to the floating setae. Baby skin is delicate I would assume.

Oooooooooooh valid point!

 

[scooter1685]

I decided to wait until my kids were old enough to walk and talk before I showed them my spider pets. By then they had been taught that there are times we don't touch the dogs, like when they're eating, and I figured that would help them understand that we don't touch the spiders.

Until they're in first grade, they're only able to see the spiders under very strict guidelines. My wife or I have to be in the room with them, all the enclosures are to remain closed, and only my wife or I can touch the enclosures to move them as needed. One child at a time, no other animals, no toys.

My middle son, who is 6 at the moment, is allowed to stand and watch when we feed. He's still not allowed to touch anything, and he knows not to make loud noises or sudden movements that might cause a nervous spider to bolt. All feeding and maintenance is done inside a large plastic tub, to add one more layer of separation between spider and child, just in case someone bolts.

That's really as far as we've gotten in deciding how to introduce our children to our Ts. Our older kids are much older, almost adults. They like to watch on feeding days from time to time, but don't have any interest in keeping any pets at all. Usually their chores have included cleaning up after the dogs and cats, which is probably why they don't want pets for now.

 

[greeneyedelle]

I decided to wait until my kids were old enough to walk and talk before I showed them my spider pets. By then they had been taught that there are times we don't touch the dogs, like when they're eating, and I figured that would help them understand that we don't touch the spiders.

Until they're in first grade, they're only able to see the spiders under very strict guidelines. My wife or I have to be in the room with them, all the enclosures are to remain closed, and only my wife or I can touch the enclosures to move them as needed. One child at a time, no other animals, no toys.

My middle son, who is 6 at the moment, is allowed to stand and watch when we feed. He's still not allowed to touch anything, and he knows not to make loud noises or sudden movements that might cause a nervous spider to bolt. All feeding and maintenance is done inside a large plastic tub, to add one more layer of separation between spider and child, just in case someone bolts.

That's really as far as we've gotten in deciding how to introduce our children to our Ts. Our older kids are much older, almost adults. They like to watch on feeding days from time to time, but don't have any interest in keeping any pets at all. Usually their chores have included cleaning up after the dogs and cats, which is probably why they don't want pets for now.

That's awesome! Great system, routine, love that. I'd bet that element of "forbidden" makes it that much more interesting, and earning the way up to more interaction with age probably encourages that interest too

 

[cold blood]

I don't have children, but the neighbor does and I do have a nephew...I will start there.

When my nephew was younger, like 6-9, he was all about tarantulas and scorps...talked about them all the time, even wore tarantula shirts....at age 10 he finally got to see my collection and was so overwhelmed he didn't say anything, no questions, no "can I see this or that".....since then he calls them weird creepy crawlies.

My neighbors oldest daughter was all about them when she was young....literally every time it was "can I see the spiders"....she started school and within weeks they went from a serious interest, to gross.

The neighbors have 2 boys as well...both were always interested.....the oldest, once he got to 2nd grade, lost much of the interest. Now only the youngest asks to see them and shows interest.

Its my opinion that kids in general, learn to dislike things like this from their friends, who likely have parents that taught them nothing positive about arachnids other than gross or scary, and from their parents themselves. My nephew for example, went from loving spiders, to sharing his mothers view completely. A dislike of spiders and a fear of them, IMO, is learned behavior that is very hard to overcome for most.

 

[NMTs]

A dislike of spiders and a fear of them, IMO, is learned behavior that is very hard to overcome for most.

Yes, much the same way that an affection for and interest in spiders is learned...

My son, who is 10, is interested in all things nature and wildlife (including our T's), which is certainly a product of the interest and excitement that I have shown in those things. I've been an animal/nature person all my life, and I like to have a little (or a lot) of that in my home when I can. Because it's been there since he was born, and I've taught him about that stuff his whole life, my son is naturally interested and involved (so much so that one of the 4 or 5 things he wants to be when he grows up is a wildlife veterinarian). That might change one day, but I really hope it doesn't.

I'm sure you (OP) will be the same with your new little one and it will just be a part of their life - not something they need to adapt to or that you have to come up with some special strategy to introduce them to.

 

[Matt Man]

my daughter, @ 5 got me into the hobby. That was 13 years ago.

 

[greeneyedelle]

Yes, much the same way that an affection for and interest in spiders is learned...

100% this. I've noticed that most kids who like or keep t's understand that people are afraid of spiders and bugs because that's what they know and that's what they've been shown, and in turn, my daughter recognizes why she herself loves them. In part, because it's something we bond over just the two of us, and because it also gives her a sense of accomplishment, identity and a uniqueness from most other kids her age. Home influence is huge! Thanks for the insight

Its my opinion that kids in general, learn to dislike things like this from their friends, who likely have parents that taught them nothing positive about arachnids other than gross or scary, and from their parents themselves. My nephew for example, went from loving spiders, to sharing his mothers view completely. A dislike of spiders and a fear of them, IMO, is learned behavior that is very hard to overcome for most.

I feel this definitely applies to kids whose sense of self stems from the opinions of others and not from their opinion of themselves. It's hard to combat.

my daughter, @ 5 got me into the hobby. That was 13 years ago.

She does shows and expos now right? I thought I read that on some thread but it might've been someone else. That's wicked

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Both my kids grew up around them.
They're now 9 and 11. My son is the oldest.
Both are still interested but only my daughter is crazy about them. Wears spider shirts, constantly draws them, insists on being involved in their care, brings molts to school in containers to show her classmates...

You won't traumatize anyone.
Kids aren't born with phobias.

 

[Matt Man]

She does shows and expos now right? I thought I read that on some thread but it might've been someone else. That's wicked

yes, we do them together. We became friends with a bunch of the dealers and one started using us for SW US shows. We do about half a dozen a year. She is pretty beloved by the vendor community.

 

[greeneyedelle]

Kids aren't born with phobias.

Back at it again with the bumper stickers!

 

[JonnyTorch]

My tarantulas are my children for now, I'd say they like the bugs I feed them.

 

[Matt Man]

as for introducing the next generation, get the other kid involved. If the new one sees big sis doing it, it will make it easier. She will be 11 when the new one is 2, she can do the feedings and you 2 can watch

 

[Benzen]

A dislike of spiders and a fear of them, IMO, is learned behavior that is very hard to overcome for most.

It's so sad. There's nothing to fear about spiders. These critters are so sensitive and cool. But yeah, i guess when your kids tell their buddies "my daddy keeps spiders as pets" they will say "ewwww so gross and disgusting!" and suddenly your kid adopts this mindset....sadly....

So, we need to try harder educating the ignorant and make them see how awesome and sensitive spiders actually are and that there's really nothing disgusting or dangerous about them.

 

[me and my Ts]

I have a 5 year old cousins who loves to see my pets, every time he comes over he asks if we can feed the tarantulas, I’ve taught him to be quite while “we” feed them. I make him stand to the side where he can still see the tarantula but he’s out of the way. I do let him pick the mealworm or cricket because it keeps him more entertained and he enjoys it more that way and if we feed enough and he’s good I’ll let him drop a cricket in for one of the tarantulas which he loves. He now has an interest in nature and likes to call me and tell me he found a new species of insect when he finds a bug inside his house

 

[starlight_kitsune]

My toddler only gets to look at their cages if I'm carrying him, but so far he likes them well enough. He has a few plastic tarantulas (two are accurateish, the last I just have to accept is a fantasy species lol) and a couple toy scorpions that he likes to play with. I'm not sure yet how his opinions will change once he gets to school age.