I read somewhere once to take baby steps about a pet. If the kid can keep a plant alive for a year, then revisit.
Then keep a fish alive for a year, then revisit.
Then, if they still want a dog, then talk about it.
I read somewhere once to take baby steps about a pet. If the kid can keep a plant alive for a year, then revisit.
Then keep a fish alive for a year, then revisit.
Then, if they still want a dog, then talk about it.
Can you go to parent boot camp by yourself? I would totally check to see if they have online options. Our teen day treatment program went to a half day zoom session every day because of Covid. We are doing all of our outpatient mental health appointments through a video app. All of behavioral/mental healthcare has been forced to get creative and some of these options we are keeping because they work well. I would absolutely call
Mom to:
DS '02
DS '05
Percy--the wild furry child!!! 2022----
Simon--the first King Charles cutie 2009-2022
RIP Andy, the furry first child, 1996-2012
"The task of any religion is not to tell us who we are entitled to hate but to teach us who we are required to love."
I've been under so much stress at the moment that I hadn't even considered asking if sessions were offered virtually at this time.
Unfortunately, getting the time to do things is very difficult - DH seems to believe that spending time with DD is hard. She's 10, can carry on a conversation, and wants to spend time with him. I don't understand what his deal is.
I've been able to get 1 hour here & there for Girl Scout trainings, about which he grumbles and whines, but I need those for me.
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Liz
DD (3/2010)
"Make mistakes! Get messy!" - Miss Frizzle
I was 11 when I got my cat, Shadow, as a kitten. My neighbors' cat had had kittens and I wanted one.
I understood that it was my responsibility to:
- Save money to pay for the initial vet visits (vaxes, spay/neuter, declawing - I know now that this is cruel, but didn't know then)
- Save money to pay for the initial cat food (thought canned was better/found out that dry was actually the way to go)
- Save money to pay for licensing and a collar (not applicable to all towns, but the license was proof of rabies vax)
- Purchase and maintain the litter box (learned that scoopable litter is gross, I hate scooping poop, and litterbox liners are a lifesaver; also developed lifelong loyalty to brown-bottle Lysol Concentrate for getting male cat pee smells out of the litterbox & bathroom)
- Feed/provide clean water for the cat daily (I bought food dishes and everything!)
- Brush/comb cat & check for fleas
- Pay for flea collar & change it regularly
- If necessary, bathe the cat (I know that most people usually don't, but my brother had allergies, so we needed to)
DD can barely keep her room neat. I am pretty sure that this is actually part of her ADHD, and something we need to work on - she gets overwhelmed by saying "clean your room" so I try to break it up into chunks ... we need to laminate a checklist for her so she can record daily/weekly/monthly tasks.
I think trying to get her to take more responsibility for herself is something we can work on.
Last edited by lizzywednesday; 05-29-2020 at 01:44 PM.
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Liz
DD (3/2010)
"Make mistakes! Get messy!" - Miss Frizzle
You guys, I just found my "DH is promising DD a dog" threads and learning my opinion of both his level of buy-in for dog-care and my inability to find the "want to" hasn't changed in 4 years is oddly comforting.
In case you missed them the first go-round, they're here:
Can I Warm Up to the Idea of a Dog? (June 2016)
- and -
Why Am I the Villain If I Don't Want a Dog? (November 2017)
I definitely don't want a dog. Especially not now when we've worked super-hard to get the house cleaned up.
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Liz
DD (3/2010)
"Make mistakes! Get messy!" - Miss Frizzle