Good or very bad idea?

[jaybott]

Good Queston but bad idea ! But its great to have someone so young into reptiles so early

[davem2018]

Thanks for the opinions. Well I decided against it and looks like ill go for the rubber snake idea

[KathyM]

I think you made the right choice not to do it. By 15 months my middle son was climbing out of his cot (and was exceptionally quiet the night he flooded his bedroom and brought the kitchen ceiling down a bit later!). I would also worry about the unlikely but possible escape of even a slim bodied snake around a toddler shut in his room on a night. Besides that, at his age a visual fascination doesn't really equal a genuine interest in the hobby. I am also a believer in boundaries for kids, I'm not sure I would be pandering to this "He'll only fall asleep in front of a viv" or "We can't have him cry" mentality but I am not criticising as we all make our own choices as parents.

As a side note I think a HV would have a field day on it. I remember well the lectures I got on owning a cat as two of my kids had allergies and the other was a special care baby with a history of respiratory distress. Don't you know all cats will chew a baby's milky face to shreds or smother them in their sleep lol. She was practically evangelical about me risking my kids because they had allergies and demanded that I rehomed all my pets without any evidence either was allergic to cats or the dog. I didn't comply as I wanted to be sure, but even after they were proven not to be allergic to any animal on the allergy test (or the extras I asked them to test for to be safe) she insisted it was bad parenting to have any pets around them. A snake in a bedroom would've likely got me reported to social services.

[NickBenger]

Originally Posted by KathyM

As a side note I think a HV would have a field day on it. I remember well the lectures I got on owning a cat as two of my kids had allergies and the other was a special care baby with a history of respiratory distress. Don't you know all cats will chew a baby's milky face to shreds or smother them in their sleep lol. She was practically evangelical about me risking my kids because they had allergies and demanded that I rehomed all my pets without any evidence either was allergic to cats or the dog. I didn't comply as I wanted to be sure, but even after they were proven not to be allergic to any animal on the allergy test (or the extras I asked them to test for to be safe) she insisted it was bad parenting to have any pets around them. A snake in a bedroom would've likely got me reported to social services.

There are actually studies suggesting that children brought up around dogs are at a reduced risk of developing allergies and asthma.

Research Shows How Household Dogs Protect Against Asthma, Infection | ucsf.edu

[KathyM]

Yep there was evidence 15 yrs ago when we had all this off the HV but she was evangelical about it. Even after the allergy testing she went on and on about pets being lethal and how only selfish parents wait for allergy testing results and don't just sell all their pets on her say so.

[stark]

I think a child produces enough poop for one room.. wouldnt want to add more bums...

Personally I dont like the idea of a small child being left alone in a room with any reptiles without an adult present and would opt for the empty viv, fake snake option.

Tom