Hobby tainted

This is such a weird thread.
what ON EARTH is this hobby??? If the op would just fess up we could give a sensible answer …

I'm with your kids. I don't think anyone should restart a hobby involving animals that they have previously got bored of and then given them all away.

I actually can't believe the amount of people here supporting the OP! Is it because some people seem them as "just fish"? Bet it would be different if it was dogs!

You think getting, using and giving away live animals when you get bored is nice behaviour?

Well maybe she shouldn't use live animals and give them away when she gets bored then! No wonder her family are fed up.

If it was, like, knitting I'd say tell them to shove the knitting needles up their arse but I do think this might be one of those hobbies where it's best if it's a family decision. It is quite big and equipmenty! My uncle kept prizewinning koi for years and it completely took over the garden.

😁

That's not brilliant, that's shocking!! You buy fish to look after, then take them back to the pet shop when you get fed up with them? They are live creatures, that's awful!

Oh I see. We have a swallows aquatics near us that just take the fish back. We have had big tanks and with all the water changes etc I could not continue when we got to the end of the last cycle and we had kids. Beautiful but time consuming. Thats why I love rage rooms and smashing China and roller derby as my hobbies now

I don’t think the hobby is one I’d encourage OP to return to.

Its fish but the problem is the op gets bored of them, loses interst & gives them away on Gumtree or back to the pet shop to swap them for more exciting ones.

And having heard this lots of posters (rightly) agree with the dh & kids that this is perhaps not an ideal 'hobby' for op as they are living creatures who deserve better lives...

It’s fish and OP loses interest and gives them away on Gumtree or returns them to the shop then gets more when her interest piques again, etc etc.

it hurts when they gang up on you and that they wre enjoying baiting you. especially as no support from DH and him joining in. best way to deal with bullies is to point out to them they are bullying you and that its not nice. say you've completely spoiled my hobby and is it that all you want me to to do is cook , care and clean for you and have no life. that they enjoyed it acting like a feeding pack is horrid. maybe a hobby that takes you away for an hour like yoga . you need time away. bin that hobby til they ask you why you're not doing it and remind them they spoiled it for you. big hug really big hug.

I only said trains because they did. If they love and look after their live animals then thats cool. Is it homing pigeons as they do take up a lot of time? Worth it though.

This. Ignore the detractors !

its not trains, its live animals

It's really odd to see how many people are so keen to enforce the MN -'women are always right'
-you go girl
-your house, your roolz
-you're the parent not them
-you're entitled to have your fun!!
And clearly DGAF that this is live creatures op is picking up and getting rid of as per whim.. but hey 'as long as ops happy'...

You just enjoy your trains. They are jealous. I would shut down conversation about it now.if anyone mentions it or questions it then say i don't interfere with your hobby of xyz (insert relevant hobby for example rage room smashing China collectable shards or antique quill collecting) and if they don't have a hobby they need one.

Whichever parent listens to their kids opinions about stuff that has zero to do with them is really no parent. Tell them to shut it.

Your DH was also an AH.

Do you hobby and F them all. You dont need their permission.

Hope you have fun.

Even non-dramatic people can have moments where they are more vulnerable.

I was all for you having as much right to pursue your hobbies as any other member of the family, but you are talking about picking up and dropping living creatures.

I agree with your family, if you can't commit to stick with your fish for their lifespan, you shouldn't get them.

I assume OP hasn’t been back since people raised the issue of animal cruelty?

That’s such a lovely hobby and you sound very knowledgeable, don’t let your family put you off!
We have a tank my son wanted a good few years ago, a biorb, and have 5 fish that have lasted so well. I loved them so much I bought another biorb and got a betta for myself but I don’t think it should have been in with the rough stones of a biorb as I think it’s fin got damaged and he died although I’m not sure. I would go to the tank and talk to
nim and he always came over to me! Reading this thread I’m now tempted to start a tank off again with sand this time and get another betta!

It’s a bit rent-a-pet, OP. I wouldn’t be happy with someone I live with unilaterally getting a pet and sneaking it into the house under the guise of a hobby, let alone doing it multiple times and returning and swapping the pets like it’s a Netflix DVD-by-post.

This is an odd one, and I think it’s hard to comment without having been there to really hear the tone and also having been there over the years as your interest waxed and waned.

I do feel as though this is not so much a hobby as having a pet/ pets and should be seen as such.

If you look at it that way, you can see why your teens disapprove of you dipping in and out, exchanging the pets etc It’s not a very kind way to care for a pet.

There’s also something slightly excruciating about having to listen to someone’s special interest when they are into it, then they go off it, then they pick it up again and expect you to feign interest. I can see where they’re coming from tbh.