- Messages
- 127
- Location
- Northern Virginia (USA)
NEW SUGGESTION: Why not try to turn things around alittle. Try 1). make a big deal about Turtle being your nephew's pet BUT offer to kept it at your house so he doesn't have to do all the hard work involved with daily care. Tell him you'll do the feeding, cleaning, and poop picking up, which will leave him free to be able to go to school and play outside w/his friends without worry. Tell him he can visit anytime he wants, he can play with her and hold her as much as he wants when he comes over. Take lots of pictures of her and him together (maybe go so far as to gift him a T-Shirt w/a picute of the two of them on it). You can even offer to bring Turtle to school one day this year (for show & tell) so all his classmates can see her, giving him the opportunity to tell everybody she is "His" pet. To support your case further, also offer to show him how much work it is to disinfect her tank weekly, how important it is to turn on and off her lights AT THE SAME TIME each day, how her water bowl has to be filled and her salad has to be prepared daily. How she needs to be fed daily, soaked daily and how her food needs to be taken out of her tank each night (including the crickets). If this doesn't work and they take her home anyway, then quickly move to plan B.
Try 2). invest in a proper tank and set up complete with heat lamp, seperate UVB tube, reptile carpet, basking logs, hiding spots, tank background, the whole 9 yards! Buy a weeks supply of salad mix and put it into it's own container w/Turtle's name on it (kale, mustard greens, bok choy, green pepper, carrots, zucchini, apples, grapes - whatever she is into). Buy the vitamin and calcium dust, her protein (crickets, worms, whatever including proper "housing" containers for them). Further, buy a owner's manual on beardies (or print one off the net); make sure you include a section on Brumation. Print a food list - complete with color picutes (see diet section on this forum). Hand all this to your nephew with a big Early Merry Christmas smile and tell Mom & Dad that you'd be happy to gift 1/3 of the items if they will repay you for at least 1/3. The remaining 3rd can be reimbursed (or purchased) by Grandma & Grandpa also as a early Christmas gift! FYI - getting Grandma/Grandpa on your side ahead of time always helps too.
When Mom & Dad say no - then you will end up with a happy dragon AND a sweet new set up for your house; problem solved. If they agree, then walk away feeling better that at least Turtle now has the best equipment possible and that you have educated your family to the best of your ability on what a dragon REALLY needs.
Keep in mind, your nephew loves her too and just like anything else, he needs to be taught how and given the opportunity to care for his dragon. If after proper education and equipment is provided, your nephew lets her health decline again, THEN step in by offering to take her back. Waiting it out might result in you coming off as the hero and not as the "you can't do it right police". Faith & trust first, support and understanding after..........guidelines for raising responsible children.
BEST OF LUCK
Cheers
Try 2). invest in a proper tank and set up complete with heat lamp, seperate UVB tube, reptile carpet, basking logs, hiding spots, tank background, the whole 9 yards! Buy a weeks supply of salad mix and put it into it's own container w/Turtle's name on it (kale, mustard greens, bok choy, green pepper, carrots, zucchini, apples, grapes - whatever she is into). Buy the vitamin and calcium dust, her protein (crickets, worms, whatever including proper "housing" containers for them). Further, buy a owner's manual on beardies (or print one off the net); make sure you include a section on Brumation. Print a food list - complete with color picutes (see diet section on this forum). Hand all this to your nephew with a big Early Merry Christmas smile and tell Mom & Dad that you'd be happy to gift 1/3 of the items if they will repay you for at least 1/3. The remaining 3rd can be reimbursed (or purchased) by Grandma & Grandpa also as a early Christmas gift! FYI - getting Grandma/Grandpa on your side ahead of time always helps too.
When Mom & Dad say no - then you will end up with a happy dragon AND a sweet new set up for your house; problem solved. If they agree, then walk away feeling better that at least Turtle now has the best equipment possible and that you have educated your family to the best of your ability on what a dragon REALLY needs.
Keep in mind, your nephew loves her too and just like anything else, he needs to be taught how and given the opportunity to care for his dragon. If after proper education and equipment is provided, your nephew lets her health decline again, THEN step in by offering to take her back. Waiting it out might result in you coming off as the hero and not as the "you can't do it right police". Faith & trust first, support and understanding after..........guidelines for raising responsible children.
BEST OF LUCK
Cheers
