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I want a CornSnake

Should children be aloud to keep snakes

  • Yes, it's educational

    Votes: 37 51.4%

  • Depends

    Votes: 21 29.2%

  • Only if both parents agree

    Votes: 13 18.1%

  • No Ways !!!

    Votes: 1 1.4%
  • Total voters
    72
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francois

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I really want a CornSnake. I first decided I want one about 2 weeks ago, when one of my friends got one. But the only problem is mother won't allow it 'cause she HATES snakes! But I love them. My father dosen't mind and it's not the money, it's just my mother can't stand snakes. I even said I would keep it in the outside-room but still "no ways".

Please can someone give me some advice on how to convince my mom!

francois
 
Highly qualified to answer this one(at last)

Man, i was in the exact same position you are when i was about 12. My mom hated snakes. My dad didnt like them. My grandmother found some snake eggs. I wanted to keep them. Mom said absolutely not. Dad said they couldnt come in the house. They stayed in the garage. After a few weeks, the eggs actually hatched, and I had four beautiful young black rat snakes. I new absolutely nothing about snakes. After a few days, some show and tell, and many pictures, I let the snakes go. However, in that short time, and in the next few monthes of wanting to know more, my mom went to not liking snakes, and dad went to thinking they were neat. Now im 22. I have five snakes. At one time during high school, I had about fifty different reptiles in my room. I eventually realized i couldnt handle that, and did some trimming on the collection. By the time I hit college, my mom and sister fed my snakes while i was away, and enjoyed it. My dad has bought me a couple of snakes. The thing is, you have to be responsible with them.. Take advantage of people's curiousity to get them to better understand snakes. Understand that others might not like them, and be careful not to make that fear worse, but to help them realize they shouldnt be afraid. Thats my 222 cents worth. Thanks.. Next lecture on parents and snakes at 4 pm.
 
Yep. I remember- when I was young my mom hated all reptiles. My dad got me an iguana when I was 9. My mom refused to let it in the house.

I got iguana about fifteen years later for my son. Now, ten years after that I have bought my first snake.

Sorry to say there is probably not much you can do to change your mothers mind. Do some research- gove your mom some info to read- build a strong case and take it slow and easy- maybe she will give you a chance.

Good luck

Read this (link)
As a matter of fact read all the articles on her site.
 
Well..my situation was kind of similar to that. My mom hates snakes and thinks they are disgusting, slimy, dirty, evil creatures. My dad didn't really care either way but he pretty much said, "If your mom says no, then I say no too." My brother also hates snakes but he couldn't care less since he's at college most of the time.
Eventually I struck up a kind of deal with my mom. For one school quarter, I slaved away, doing dishes, folding laundry, keeping my room immaculate, studying like the dickens, cleaning up after my bird, practicing piano 2 hours a day, not watching tv, etc. AND I got all A+'s in school except in Math (I got an A-) that quarter. Well, she really couldn't complain so my brother drove me to Westchester and I picked out my lovely snake and bought everything else (including 100 pinkie mice) and came home.
One small detail that my mom didn't really realize was that snakes eat mice. She thought there was some type of special snake food or something, I don't know. Well, if there is one thing she hates more than a snake, it's a mouse. Anyway, I finally convinced her that no "germs" would be able to escape through 3 layers of plastic bags all encased in a plastic tupperware container and she puts up with it to this day. She still refuses to watch a feeding (She goes into her room and locks the door) but my dad thinks it's really cool and my brother actually fed him once.
Well while I was rambling here I see kellum has created a much more useful (and concise) post than I, so definitely follow that link and read everything. I found it AFTER I'd already slaved away.
Good luck convincing your mom! Corn snakes really do make great pets.
 
And now a word from a MOM on the subject.....

First of all, I have to say that as a parent I think that you are being quite responsible by researching corn snakes before you run out and buy a pet that you or your family is not prepared to dela with.

We Moms are a difficult bunch, but nothing gets to us like the appearance of responsibility in our kids....so use this to your advantage. Show her that you are responsible for other for household chores and other pets, show her this forum, assure her that you will minimize any risk that the snake could escape its cage/tank/terrarium. But most of all, make sure that she knows that you will NEVER try to scare her with it. Trust me, she is probably more afraid of that than anything else. A very long time ago my Mom was the same way, and even though to this day she will not hold one of my snakes, she has come a long way toward accepting the fact that they can be kept cleanly and safely.
 
Well I live with my parents and they know that I love snakes... the only problem was that they dont want any snakes because like you... my mom hates hates snakes! and even worse is the mice that they eat! but for the last 4 months Ive kept 8 corns and 1 burmese python in my room thats in the basement... what mom doesnt know wont hurt her!!! but of course I would say to ask your parents first... it would be alot easier if you found out now you werent aloud to have one then to wait and get one and then be told you have to get rid of it... oh and by the way my parents know about them now! I guess the bigger the electricity bill gave me off! oh well alls good in fun and war... Good luck convincing them too!!!
 
Information is power

I was in the same position as your Mother. I did NOT like snakes, mostly because they scared me and I didn't like"slimmy,sneaky" creatures. :rolleyes:My son has been in love with them since birth I think. BUT I had told him that he could have a snake when he was 12,seemed a long way off when he was 3, and he still wanted one and hadn't forgotten! So I started researching snakes and the more I learned about them the less afraid and the more fasinated I became. The one MAJOR problem that I had with a pet snake was feeding it adorable little mice. Once I learned that you can feed frozen mice, and that it is good for the snake, I felt alot better. Maybe your Mom just needs some good info. and a little patients.
I would not advise you to get one without permission! If my son did that I would make him give it away! A pet is not truely enjoyable unless EVERYONE in the family is comfortable with it.
Today we picked up our baby and I am as excited as my son is!!
I'm even thinking of getting one of my own!!!

:D Hope it works out for you,
Colleen
 
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my dads about the coolest parent in the world....in fact he was the 1 who thought up the idea of getting a snake, and then he paid for her!! granted i hav to pay 4 the next 1 i get, but still....
 
I think that its not EXACTLY educational but it makes you happy when they are happy like any living thing. As far as convincing your Mum i'm lucky but honestly if you do persuade her then she'll be facinated at first.
ERJ
 
My mom is more bothered by the mice than she is by the snake. She hates that I defrost them in the kitchen. Before I tell this story, its important to realize that I'm a strict vegetarian. I have serious problems being around butchered meat. Frozen mice are different. Also my dad is an absurdly educated scientist and professor of biology. She trusts him when it comes to things like this...

Me: (Standing by the sink, poking the pinky in the bowl until it thaws)
Mom: (Also in the kitchen)
Dad: In his office.

Mom: "That's absolutely disgusting!"
Me: "Not.... really.... Its not like they're wild mice."
Mom: "I can't even begin to express how unsanitary it is. At least do it in the bathroom sink."
Me: "I really don't see a point."
Mom: "Bob! How unsanitary do you think it is to thaw mice in the household dishes?"
Dad: (Walks in to the kitchen, grins at me, and wryly says....) "And what makes this that different from raw chicken?"
Mom: (Eats her words).

****

I haven't heard a complaint from her since!
 
BLAST.
sorry. I didn't intend to bump it. I must have clicked one of the 'similar threads' and not realized that it wasn't a current one.
 
It sounds to me like your getting a corn because your mate has one get one becuse you wont one. But...if this is not the case.
Take it slow convince her they are clean and not slimy,, She'll come round, maybe take her to a pet shop and show her how harmless they and there so small when you first get one, My Mum didn't like the idea at first my dad was up for it, but when i got him back home my Mum watched a feeding and has liked it ever since.
 
lol. yeah. my dad is actually more scared than my mom is. but my cousin had that same problem. He started by getting a pet mouse, and when his mom got used to that he went to petstore, bought a ball. he snuck it into his room and waited till his mom noticed. and by then he couldn return it. she was mad but it worked. now he has about four snakes and a monitor.
lol, actually my mom is more scared of the nice than the snake
 
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