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Teaching kids about handling

ArvadaLanee

ArvadaLanee

New member
I am looking for some advice on teaching my 8 year old twin boys about how to handle our new snake. Nightmare the snake is just a 3 month old baby, and this is our first healthy snake, so we will all be learning together. I want to let them hold him as soon as possible, but I don't want them to drop him, or hurt him. I was thinking about putting him in the critter carrier and then letting them place a hand in there for him to crawl over, but he is quick, and quite the climber, so I am afraid he will just shoot up and out. Then I considered drying out the bathtub, making sure it's plugged and having one boy sit down it there and hold him close to their lap, so if he does get away, he won't get very far. I don't know how fast he will move out in the open, so I'm paranoid now. I haven't held him myself yet. He has been here over a week, and he ate Monday night. I was going to try holding him tonight, but he is still digesting, so I obviously will wait. I just feel bad having to tell the boys, yes, he is your pet, but only Mommy can hold him right now. They have been great about being patient, but I know they would like to hold him soon. They are very gentle kids, and I know they would never squeeze, or pinch, or anything like that. It's just escape I worry about. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks everyone. :)
 
I always recommend to people that have children to have the child sit on the floor in an open area (make sure there are no floor vents or anything like that nearby) to handle the snake. Baby corn snakes are definitely fast, but if you can easily grab one that has taken off. I also tell people that if you feel like the snake is about to fall or get away, you can grasp it fairly firmly. Snakes don't want to fall, so most of the time, as long as there isn't any place they can reach, they will stay in your hands.

I would also recommend that you have your kids wear short sleeves because snakes love to go up sleeves and it can be a pain to carefully get them out.

It would probably be best if you handled the snake a few times before your kids get to, so you can get comfortable with holding it.
 
I will be handling him myself once he finishes digesting his mouse, only for a short period of time, like 10 minutes or less. I am certainly going to be sure I can handle him myself before starting with the boys. I'm probably making a big deal out of nothing, but since our first snake died, I now question every little thing we do. I'm sure I'll get over that in time.
 
Another thought: Maybe have the first contacts between boys and snake be with you holding the snake and having them put a hand on your hand/arm where the snake can crawl over their hand (back onto your arm) or maybe with you both doing the hand over hand walk with the snake)
 
I like that idea. I think I will use that. I like the idea of the snake, the boys, and I all learning together, and becoming more comfortable with each other, and bonding. I keep picturing the boys and snake together in pictures, and then in new pictures years later, all growing up together. How cute would that be? Maybe I should do a photo of them together holding the snake every 3 months or so, and make a special album. :)
 
I made a rule with my daughter she is not allowed to take out the snake without telling me or me being in the room until we have more experience. She is also not allowed to get the snake out with her friends- no friends allowed to handle it unless I'm with them.

My daughter has always been pretty good with animals and I remind her how to gently handle the snake, not grip too hard and not to try and pull it out of anything. She's been doing pretty well so far.
 
I gave my boys similar rules. For now, Nightmare lives in my room, which is off limits to my boys without permission any way. I told them that if they ever want the snake to live in their room, they have to prove to me that they can follow the rules, and be good pet parents. They also have a kitten, (well, she's pretty big now at 7 months old) that they help take care of. They scoop litter boxes, and refill food and water dishes. They really are very sweet boys.
 
Alli got her first corn when she was 7, and we had similar rules-no taking the snake out without an adult around, etc. At 10, she can take her snakes out when she wishes, but if there are friends over, the snakes only come out with an adult there and with permission from friends' parents (some adults really freak out over the idea of their child holding a snake themselves, but are OK if one of us holds the snake for their child to see).

We have a corn and a BP and the big difference I tell kids (and adults) when holding a corn is that the tail has a mind of it's own, and if there's an escape route the tail can slip into, it will. That also applies to things like belt loops, purse straps, etc-the tail will slip in, and the snake can end up twisted through the object before you ever realize that it's happening. The BP tends to move headward only, so he's a little easier to predict.
 
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