Should I get my ds some more guinea pigs I am feeling so awful about this

[crazedupmom]

Hi
I am feeling like the worse mom in the world atm.

Got my ds some guinea pigs some time ago as he had been asking for some.
However once we had them he was not that interested really.

Well because I got fed up of the size of the cage stuck in our living room, the cleaning out of them, also they could be a bit smelly I took the decision to sell them.

My son became quite upset about it and even now a year later he brings it up that I gave his guinea pigs away and sometimes cries.

I feel truly terrible about it I told him that he never that bothered about them anyway.
He says they were still his though.

What should I do should I get him some more.

Feel so guilty and my mom thinks he has me on a guilt trip and its working obviously.

What do you think.

Think you were right to get rid of them FWIW, especially if the cage was in the living room. Your mother is right, he is guilt tripping you

How old is your DS?

He is 7 he made me feel terrible last night.
He brought it up again and was crying the tears were rolling down his face.

I really think he is upset.

He is 7 he made me feel terrible last night.
He brought it up again and was crying the tears were rolling down his face.

I really think he is upset.

He is 7 he made me feel terrible last night.
He brought it up again and was crying the tears were rolling down his face.

I really think he is upset.

I think you were right too. If they were his as he says then he ought to have looked after them and not left it to mum. On the other hand, if a kid has a pet, the parents have to be the back up carers. I'm guessing he was warned the gps would be givven away if he didn't look after them. I don't think you should get him some more atm. Wait till he is a few years older and then see how he feels.

Sorry about posting this 3 times either this site, or my computer, is really playing up.

OTOH, maybe selling the first ones was the wakeup call he needed, and if he had some more, he would understand that he needed to look after them? Maybe you could should agree that he can have some more, if he promises to look after them? I am soft though!

OTOH, maybe selling the first ones was the wakeup call he needed, and if he had some more, he would understand that he needed to look after them? Maybe you could should agree that he can have some more, if he promises to take care of them? I am soft though!

I am soft also.

I cannot help but feel that getting rid of them was not wise.

Maybe he just likes to know his pets are there to see every day and know they are his.

I am worried that he will remember forever that I gave his guinea pigs away.

Oh heck.

Can't the cage go in his bedroom? What about a hamster/mouse/gerbil/rats instead? (smaller, less to feed, smaller cage etc) Or start with a goldfish
If he's 7 now, then he was only six if this was a year ago which is a bit young to take sole responsibility.

Hi
oggsfrog

We already have a hamster, 2 mice, and 5 goldfish.
I got him the hamster to ease my guilt.
However that was probably unwise as he says because I got it it is mine not his even though whenever we went into a pet shop he would be asking to buy one.
I am stupid I know.

He still keeps going on about his guinea pigs.

I didn,t like the idea of the cage in his room in case it got too smelly.

If I did get him some more I would have to do alot of rearranging.

Its expense as well.

I really don't agree with keeping guinea pigs in the house at all I'm afraid. And I do think 7 is too young to take care of animals all the time. Most pets are boring anyway, or become so to children, apart from dogs and cats IMO.

Forget the Guinea Pigs. Pets should be seen as family pets not individual's.
I don't actually like the idea of any animals in cages really, be they indoor or outdoor.
Tbh your ds doesn't sound mature enough to take responsibilty for a pet. He seems to see them as acquisitions rather than living things needing care and attention.
Don't get any more. You have enough already.

Probably a crazy suggestion but what about getting a dog ?

I have 2 guinea pigs and three dogs and find that the guinea pigs are quite a lot of work for very little reward and that in fact my dogs { especially when I just had 2 but have recently had to adopt my mum's dog as she couldn't cope with her } are not loads of work for lots of reward. It obviously depends on your situation and finding the right breed of dog.

dog?

hamsters do not smell if cleaned out reg, I used to keep them before DC.

DD has her rabbit in her bedroom, brought in for the winter, and she doesn't smell because we clean her out every other day.

7 is young to be expected to take full responsibility for a pet. When you get pets for children you do so in the knowledge that you will end up looking after them IMO.

My ds is 5 and has a budgie and two goldfish, and although he feeds them and lets the budgie out and does help with the cleaning of cage/tank, the majority of the cleaning is done by me/dh, and I am the one that spent the hours taming the budgie to the level that ds could handle him.

If you don't like guinea pigs, don't get any more. And if you do get some, keep them outside not in the living room.

Crazed..
"I cannot help but feel that getting rid of them was not wise.

Maybe he just likes to know his pets are there to see every day and know they are his."

Don't feel bad. They were animals, not toys, they can't be there just for him to know they were his.

I'm not being critical
BUT

at age 6, surely you took them on knowing that you would be their sole carer?

Please don't get other animals just because he is sad - sounds like you are already doing ok on the animal front!

My parents only allowed me to get a g-pig at 7 as apparently my mum had always fancied one and realised she would be doing all the work. As you already have other pets I'd let it lie, he'll survive and it might have taught him a valuable lesson.

I agree with purpleduck: if you buy animals for a child still at infants school, then you should do so in the knowledge that they are probably not mature enough to take full responsibility.
And this still applies. If you don't really want these guinea pigs, at least wait until he is old enough to be responsible, say round about 11. (and even then you have to accept that there will be times when he is busy, ill etc).

I agreed to buy dd tropical fish when she was 8 because I was quite happy with the idea of caring for them. Three years later, she has lost interest and totally forgotten that this was her idea, but I have a lovely new hobby.