Birthday present

[IcyCritic]

Hi everyone, I need opinions on this situation.
so it’s coming up to my sons 6th birthday he wrote a birthday list with family he asked for a pet chicken.
Family are considering this as a present and calling me unreasonable for not wanting this a present,
1 I have a small garden,
2 don’t know the first thing about keeping a pet chicken
3 I’m not wanting to take responsibility for having to look after it.
Family have responded with
You wouldn’t want to put yourself out for your child’s happiness.

Thats actually laughable; suggest they get him the chicken and keep it at their house

This is ridiculous. Of course you don't get a pet chicken if you don't want one 😂 Say it's a clause of your tenancy agreement or you're worried your neighbours will make a noise complaint. I would if my neighbour got chickens 😂

Stand your ground. I don't think it's appropriate 'gifting' animals/pets to someone who is unwilling to take care of them. Realistically your 6 year old isn't going to be the one looking after it, it will fall to you.

Ask them to take him to a farm for a visit to see chickens instead.

Why are your family so blasé about getting him a pet chicken? How many family members are we talking here? Also, you can't just get one pet chicken, it would be horribly depressed.

1 member of the family had suggested it and asked for others opinions and now 2 others have joined in saying I should allow this

Any chance you live in a house with a covenant barring certain breeds of animal keeping ?

So you tell them "No, I won't allow this".

Do you do everything that they say?

It would be cruel to have just one chicken - three would be minimum.

I have a firm no pets as presents rule esp for a child so young. Unless they can look after it mostly independently then the answer is no.

Have you looked at how much space you actually need for 1 chicken( you also couldn't just have 1, that would be lonely)
Do you live in a housing estate? A lot have things on the deeds to say no live stock.

I have said no, and now they are saying I won’t do it for my child’s happiness! Making me feel guilty. I don’t do what they say but they know how to guilt trip me into thinking I’m a bad mother or a bad person if I don’t do certain things.
If I don’t take my children to there house I’m stopping them from seeing the family, I have made a point of they can come to my house when ever they want to but they are always to busy got things to do at home so can’t leave and I have responsibilities and things that I need to do but that doesn’t matter.

I agree and don’t want to be looking after more than I can take on
I work full time along with 2 children looking after chickens is not on my to do list.

i am to I would never gift an animal to anyone unless they asked or wanted it. Even then I still don’t think I would.
A pet is down to its owner.
I live in a row of 5 attached houses with a garage compound on the back, I do believe there are no restrictions but I don’t know that for sure.

Could you buy him a life sized model of a chicken it would sit in the garden no cleaning to do. He could carry it around even take it to bed

They’re being ridiculous. I love chickens but you need the right space. They’re noisy which is not great with near neighbours, and they scratch up the garden. Get him one of these www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Live-Pets-Surprise-Chick/dp/B0BRXZLJX6#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

Great shout
I don’t believe he’s really that interested
he loves cows and has a highland cow teddy but has never been bothered by chicken he just says things randomly
he also asked for a real car for his birthday but the chicken is what stuck and now I’m the bad one

Why don’t they get chickens to keep at their own house if they’re so bothered and then your DS can visit “his” chickens?

Because of course don’t want to look after them just the same as me really but I should for his happiness

I would tell them you’ve checked and you aren’t allowed one where you live a lot of places don’t allow them.

they are hard work. And need to be registered you can’t just get one and stick it in the garden. Also one chicken just wouldn’t be happy you need friends for it.

honestly I’ve kept chicken for years yes they can be lovely, the eggs are amazing, but they are hard work and not cheap to keep.

just say it’s on the deeds of the house - no live stock ( it’s on my deeds too )

Family sound insane. Stop allowing them to guilt-trip you like this — you’re an adult! If DS asked for a horse should you buy him one “for his happiness” too? Madness. Just buy him a toy chicken and be done with it.

When people say it to you, the only reasonable response that shuts them up is "No, I won't do it for my child's happiness". Not many will be able to come up with a counter-argument. The only reason they can make you feel guilty is because you let them. When you own your boundaries and are not scared to say it like it is, you remove all their ammunition.

My sister had chickens and a fox killed them all despite nets, deterrents, etc. Don’t set him up for heartbreak.

My three year old asked for a real bear trap (to keep his baby sister out of his room). I said no to that. Let the family sulk, and be a parent.

They laughed at me and told me I was selfish and a bad parent for not allowing my son to be happy
I get what you are saying and have been in many situations like this and tried all ways of getting round it and it just comes back to self doubt that am I being unreasonable and should I be allowing this

You can't keep a chicken unless it's protected at night from foxes. Insist they also buy a modern chicken house. About £400. Plus timing mechanism for the door if you're not available to lock the door at dusk 365 days a year. That should cool their ardour.

Or they can sponsor a chicken on his behalf.

That's actually so weird of them OP

Are they winding you up?

Id just say you wouldn't be able to give them enough space but happy for any of them to get chickens for DS at their house 😄 with suitable emoji indicating you are NOT wound up