Parental Problems...

[That_Guy]

Anyone have any decent suggestions as to how to convince a parent into seeing the fact that Pythons are not as dangerous as they think?!
Ive got a mother who was brought up on a farm... The old saying "Only good snakes a dead snake" is fairly burnt into her mind (Seeing as all they ever had on the farm were elapids killing poultry, dogs etc) so i dont blame her for this but id love for her to see my side in that they arent what she thinks...
Only thing stopping me from getting a snake is her... have the money, Got all enclosure, Python, everything else all lined up and ready to purchase.... just she is the only thing between me and my dream...
Her current stance is that i can have one when i move out... and if one miraculously does show up then it will miraculously be missing its head and ill be missing my room...
Need some suggestions on how to charm her into coming to the Dark side... Id try cookies but she bakes better than me! :lol:

Cheers in advance!!

 

[BJC-787]

it took me 3 months to convince my mother to let me have my snakes.
just explain everything to her.
how they are low maintenance, she never has to go near it, if it bites you just have a bit of blood and not much more.

 

[gman78]

Do you have any friends with pythons they could bring over?
All parents are the same till they start to find them cute.
It doesn't take much to change their mind, just a few visits.
Also try taking her in to a pet shop

 

[Colletts]

I KNOW I KNOW!! This one usually works, or it gets them thinking at least. And it'll be even closer to home for her coz she was probably rasied with horses.

Ask her would she prefer you(or a sibling/the family) to get a horse/pony.

Then ask her how many people she might know that have been injured/killed riding horses? (Obviously if this has happen too close to home don't suggest and i'm very sorry if it has)

Tell her that more people die a year from horses/donkeys than people who die in plane crashes, and therefore DEFINATELY from pythons(actually i think it's snakes in general, vens too).

Then ask her would she rather ride a horse and fly in a plane than live with a python. There's a good chance she'd rather do these two so then have fun pointing out to her that snakes, ESPECIALLY a wee little python will cause no harm what so ever to her and the rest of the family. She might come to realise then that you having a python is nowhere near as risky as riding a horse or flying in a plane.

Oh and those statistics are true too, i didn't just make them up.

Good luck

 

[Eriquar]

I have so been there.. Only I am the MUM!!... My son brought home a tiny stimson python january last year.. I was absolutely terrified.... told him to put it in his room.. if it got out..i was gunna kill it !!!

To cut a long story short... He forced me to look at the damn thing.. then to touch it..... eventhough i was having a near heart attack.. I eventually calmed down enough for her to crawl onto my hand.. meanwhile blood pressure ( mine ) is through the roof... Hyperventilating.. everything !!!

Well i just managed to compose myself... ( very close to leaving a puddle on the floor - that was me NOT the snake lol) when the gorgeous stimson baby kissed ( licked) me on the nose... Oh My Goodness.--- At that very moment I fell in love !!!!

Now 18 or so months later... I have 2 pythons of my own.. and am itching to get more.

Just be patient with your Mum.. If I can get over it........ I am damn sure anyone can..

I have this theory that a parent shouldnt let their own fears ruin the chance for their child/children to enrich his/her lives.


Good Luck
( and Mum... get over it........they dont bite........MUCH !!!!! )

 

[Wench]

I couldn't do anything to convince my father to let me get one i tried evvvvvvery single trick.
So I moved out.

and now that im in my "own place" when he comes over he'll look at it, but coz my spotted is really snappy still he wont touch it or nething.

 

[redbellybite]

go buy a rubber python that looks realistic stick it in your enclosure and see how long it takes for her to either scream or chop its head off ...truth be told she probably wouldnt even know you had one in there .........I never enter my 18 girls room ,,,its her own private place..but then my kids dont have to hide reptiles from me

 

[junglepython2]

Nag her for some vens then compromise and settle on the python.

 

[Sturdy]

heh when i was younger like 13 /14 my mother wouldnt let me have a snake... simply becuase it was way to expensive back then an she didnt want to be the one looking after it (fair enough)

how ever now im 20 an i simply said to her
mum im gona get that snake i wanted..

her response was.

you earn your own money now you can spend it how you like.

but mum is both extreamly scared of him an fasinated by him.

ive caught her a few times talking to him?!?

but when ive got him around my sholders or just have him out for cleaning..
she freaks out

 

[mysnakesau]

Find out if your local herp group may be, or could organise an educational talk and try persuade your mum to go along with you. Or local wildlife park where they may have regular talk shows. Listening to these talks and participating in courses has really opened up my eyes to how animals really respond. How the brown snake behaves, the saltwater crocs, etc, its really great learning and so much easier to deal with these animals when you have a bit of education up your sleeve.

 

[mattooty]

My mum was very adament that if a snake ever entered the house that i would have to move out....2 pythons later =D
The first one I bought when she was on holidays, got it settled in and it lived in my room for just over a fortnight when I first took it out. She just glanced at it, rolled her eyes and walked off, only to return 5 minutes later (you could tell she had gone off and started saying, 1.2.3.4.5...) look at it, let it run up her arm and she was in love.

 

[mysnakesau]

That Guy respect your mother. Being brought up the way she was it is very hard to change old ways. Her parents drummed it into her head that snakes are dangerous & you wanting to bring one home is probably making her feel very uncomfortable and torn because she is stopping her son have something he wants. Idoubt she is saying no because she wants to. She is afraid of snakes and its hard to knock that fear out. I am not saying you should forget about it. Your mum needs time to think about it and perhaps be re-educated about them. Maybe get her to go along to a herp meeting with you and get her talking to people about snakes. I know its frustrating on your part but try put yourself in her shoes. If she wanted something that you are afraid of, how would you feel. Give her time. She may come around, just won't happen overnight and you have the rest of your life ahead of you. Just because your dream is being blocked right now, doesn't mean it will never happen.

 

[RB25JET]

my missus had ti feel how pathetic the bite was before she was totally convinced.

 

[Chris1]

she needs to meet a friendly snake,...

i begged for a snake for a good 15 years and was told i could get whatever i wanted when i moved out,..

years later i finally got my first bredli (no longer living @ home)_ and mum still freaked, thought i was totally nuts, till he calmed down a bit and she finally held him,...she was so impressed and now he comes to family bbqs, mum and dad fight over who get to have him on them during lunch and if i dont bring him i get sent home to get him.

mum now totally denies refusing to let me have a snake when i was young.

if you cant get her to appreciate their strength and beauty you'll have to move out.

 

[wokka]

Send her to her room and tell her not to come out until she is ready to be sensible.

 

[redbellybite]

Only thing my mum says to me is .....my god how do you let them do that? You didnt get that from my side of the family.mustve been your fathers!!!

 

[LadySnake]

A lot of our friends and family were freaked out when we said we were looking into buying a snake. My mother in law was brought up in the country with the old 'only good snake is a dead one' mantra, but after a few visits she came to be tolerent and then eventually able to touch them without a problem. I think it will take a bit of time and an introduction to a friendly snake to bring her around.

 

[mysnakesau]

Yeah see, it is possible to teach old dogs new tricks but it obviously takes time. Once you are out in your own place I reckon you mum may very well start to change her thoughts about snakes. Even if she never touches them. My mother-in-law is very fearful of my pythons. She can look at them in their enclosures and has even watched me at a distance when I have had them out but she won't touch them or go near them. I respect that.

 

[That_Guy]

Cheers for the help guys...
Im lookin into a reptile show or something thats close and wil drag her along sometime soon. Hopefully can talk her into it before that happens but hey... will see what happens!!

 

[miley_take]

Ahh, I've wanted a snake for 6 years, and my mum kept saying no (dad wanted one as badly as me but stayed out hehe) but I went to a snake demonstration and was handed a yearling olive python and mum saw me and the snake and how natural I was with it and something changed...I'm now loking forward to getting mine in a month or so (waiting for the breeder to settle into his new house)