For Megans 8th birthday she wanted a pet so I gave in after lots of naggin and added two guinea pigs to the family. Nice new des res, two up two down with fancy removable clean up tray. So they settled in well much to the torment of our youngest farm collie, who try as she might could not chew all the way into this new hutch but yesterday she managed to tip the hutch over!
We only found one guinea pig and spent the rest of the night and a few trips in the dark back to the hutch to see if Ginny has come out of hiding from the 7ft hedge that runs around our garden. Never been seen, no sounds of movement and no squeeking.................................we will never know what happened to Ginny, maybe its best that way.
It is very important for children to have pets, they learn lots but most important they learn about death at a young age, morbid I know but to deal with this when they are young will condition them for other sad times.
On a farm, births and deaths as as certain as the rain, and my children were well aware of this from the minuet they can walk. One childminder once had to deal with the view in front of our window of a field of cows giving each other piggy backs, on telling our girls what was happening she was quickly corrected "Don't be silly Lorna, the bulls putting babies in that cows tummy!"................bless their little lace socks! With lambing happening each and every year the girls also used this in their imaginary play, giving birth to your dolly at age three was a common occurrence under our dining room table, when I say three I am sure Katie was still in nappies and Debbie was giving the orders "push Katie push". LOL.(Oh how to embarrass your daughters in blog land but then again it could be worse I could post of facebook!)
Yes living on a farm is good fun when your a small child but devastating when your a teen and have no transport off the farm when all your mates are playing on the streets in town, as a parent I have to disagree with the teen, to shelter you child from "hanging about the streets" for as long as you can is a good thing because they all grow up far too fast and as a teen, they are very much under pressure to fit in with the crowd and follow the leaders............ I just want to have them play with their dolls under the table again!
Time to move, I'm off to town to hang about the streets and see if I can find some exciting trouble today. The bakers and butcher and then the bank, yes it's going to be an exciting day for me.* rolls eyes*
Hope you have fun too.
Karen
10 comments:
Hi Karen...sorry about your recent "loss"...I have to tell you, I so enjoy reading your posts...and love Sugar Nellie stamps...lovge, love, LOVE them!! Have a fun day...Pat Frank
Awww bless, poor guinea pigs, and I hope your little one gets over the loss quickly.
My girls are well used to death ... we have a killer cat who regularly brings in mice, shrews, birds, in various states of death or near death .. .they are very balaise at it all.
I caught my older daughter at 22 months breast feeding her baby, "Just like Mummy"!!!
Hugs
Cathy xx
Pets bring love and heartache. My best to all of you for a less stressful day than it sounds like it will be!!!
All you say is very sound but it's hard when the little ones are confronted with it. Life does go on & it's a much better lesson learnt earlier rather than later.
Much love to you all.
Paula (PEP)
http://pepcraftchallexp.blogspot.com/
Thank you for finding sending some humour my way. It helped brighten my day. Sorry for your loss.
Hugs
Tanya
Aw - such a sad thing! Yes - animals are fabulous at teaching children about death etc. My son still gets sad but is very accepting of it all!
Rx
Aw, very sorry about Ginny! I hope your daughter is doing okay! Too funny about the dining room table labour!! Life on a farm definitely provides some unique experiences that city life doesn't! lol :)
Oh dear, it is probably best left unknown what happened to Ginny...although our rabbit went missing for a week then turned back up sitting by his empty cage waiting to get in!!
I agree with your "hanging about the streets" view. We live in a little village where there are no streets to hang about! I like it that way!
Love Reading your posts!
Lynne x x
So sorry to hear about the guinea pig, I'm sure little Megan felt heartbroken.
We've always had pets, I think it's a great way for children to learn many things from the responsibility of feeding and caring for the pet, to the sadness and acceptance of death.
That said, it was me who cried for weeks when we had to have our old cat put to sleep!
But the rest of your post had me laughing out loud! From cows giving each other piggy backs - it took me a couple of minutes to work it out - to Katie giving birth to her dolly! You had me in stitches reading this.
Hope you had a fun day hanging round the streets.
Love Elaine xx
Hugs for the wee one a sad loss. Karen i totally agree with you about teens they get so "streetwise" too quickly these days we have an advantage being on an island that they are sheltered somewhat too. lol at the girls under the table love it. :D Hugs Ali x
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