To give a 9 year old boy a stick insect as a present (in a jar, not free)

[pingu2209]

From my son as the boy's birthday present.

I really thought the boy would like it, but other mum's looked aghast!

[Patchouli]

What a stupid thing to do!
It'd be great if the mum gave your DS a goldfish in a bag to take home while all the others had goodie bags.

[AnitaManeater]

Urgghhh! My dad brought home a two legged stick insect that nobody wanted to look after for the summer hols (he was a teacher). We thought it was pretty much dead but it still managed to lay eggs. By the end of the summer we had hundreds. And then they escaped the cage. We were finding them in the folds of the curtains, down the side of the sofa, sometimes we would find the cat crunching one up on the carpet. I would never ever EVER let my kids have one!

[Hulababy]

Sorry. I'd have hated it. I am but sure how I'd react in front if you and other parents but we definitely wouldn't have been keeping it.

[Idreamofsunshine]

YABU, terrible idea

[claudedebussy]

lovely idea. LOVE IT

[fluffypillow]

Hmmm strange thing to do............. VERY strange

[SamanthaStormer]

I've got a 9 year old boy, and we have no pets. I'm afraid I'd have been doing my very best to look grateful and not too aghast if he got given that as a present while cursing you under my breath

[ll31]

Yabvu. how could you think that was a good idea?

[PickledInAPearTree]

Rip they SELF IMPREGNATE!

Whaaaaaaaaat?

[gobbledegook1]

It wouldn't bother me but I'm an animal person as is my son, I'd always check first though before buying a living creature though as pets are a huge responsibility.

[ripsishere]

My DD had stick insects. We sent off for the cage and eggs. Of 11 eggs, all hatched, grew and lived. They are spectacularly dull and fragile. Fortunately ours never grew to an age where they could self impregnate and, as they died, I never replaced them with more eggs.
They were all called Twiggy.

[Startail]

Not in winter, schools ate bramble leaves, they were a sod to find in Feb.

[shushpenfold]

Oh good grief - seriously????? Unsure as to why you think a living thing is a good present.....

[Charmingbaker]

Dont be surprised if your DS isn't invited to anyone else's birthday party for a while!

[DoJo]

Yes - YABU for all the reasons given already!

[LynetteScavo]

They breed easily? Oh, now I really want to get some.

I have a big fish tank. What else do I need.

If I go a way for a week, do I need to give them to a babysitter?

[PickledInAPearTree]

They breed and drop down on you?

Shudder!

Op a bad bad bad bad bad bad bad idea without getting prior agreement.

[DrCoconut]

We had 2 initially. We allowed DS1 to get them but we ended up looking after them, well DH did mostly because I don't like insects. They bred like crazy and we ended up with a huge stick insect baby boom. Luckily the local college animal care dept wanted to start an insect section and was looking for some. We rehomed the lot as I knew the problem would repeat if not. Definitely no pets as presents and no more stick insects for us!

[EndoplasmicReticulum]

YANBU. I love stickies. They are not difficult to look after.

[Quenelle]

YABU My cousin had one when we were kids. His parents still have it and cousin is in his 40s now. They live for years. Unless given to someone without the first clue how to look after one. Poor thing.

[OkayHazel]

Giving a pet as a present is one of the most selfish things you can do imho.

[treas]

A stick insect is for six months not just at birthdays - YABU

[MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain]

I gave DS four giant hissing cockroaches for Christmas when he was 6. We debated getting sticks, but after asking around decided that the roaches were actually much easier to look after and less fragile. Also paid out for a proper vivarium for them. It wasn't a decision we took lightly, and I did a lot of research beforehand. As I suspected, whilst DS does love handling them, day to day care is left to muggins - luckily I think they're brilliant! I would go NUTS if someone gave him ANY animal without asking though!

[LynetteScavo]

I would be quite happy if you gave my 9yo one.....but I would have wanted a better habbitat that a jar, so would have bought something bigger, and cursed you that a gift was costing me money. I was going to buy some stick insects for DS...all the ones for sale were being sold as live food for other creatures. They would have been posted to me in a box, apparently.

From Googling stick insects, I also learned that you can clean them in the dishwasher.

I settled for a goldfish.

DS1 then came home from the fair with a goldfish. I wondered what I would have done with it if the tank wasn't already set up.