Tarantulas and Kids????????

Obtomid

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 13, 2014
Messages
10
ok, what do you guys think about keeping dangerous tarantulas and having your kids or infants in the same house. Is it responsible and wise to take the risk of serious hurting your loved ones? Or is it not?
 

Poec54

Arachnoemperor
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
4,745
'Dangerous' tarantulas??? Around kids...no. Brachypelma and Aphonoplema, yes.
 

Misty Day

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
437
I don't have any children, but if I did I wouldn't risk having t's with more extreme venom or UHs.
 

awiec

Arachnoprince
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
1,325
I don't see it as anymore dangerous than keeping your children with a cat that may scratch them or live in a house with stairs. Ts are not going to do anything unless you stick your hand in their enclosure and "threaten" them. You can do several things to prevent 99% of any issues A) teach said children not to go near the cages and B) keep said Ts in a secure room. There are many members here who have children and Ts safely and even a few that allow their children to help them with the care of the Ts. Correct me if I am wrong but didn't you get rid of your Ts for a cat? That cat could scratch you or pass on ringworm as their paws come in contact with their urine and feces, as oppose to a T that stays in its cage and will not pose an issue unless you open its cage. I grew up on a farm where all sorts of animals could have harmed me but I was taught to respect and not bother the animals...when I was 2. I never had any issues while I lived with said animals and I'm confident that most children will get the idea to not touch the tarantulas if you make it clear why and not use scare tactics.
 

skippydude

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
487
My grandkids love feeding days and I wouldn't hesitate in letting them roll out a sleeping bag in the T room. You shouldn't be shy about teaching the younger generations about tarantula husbandry, the future of the hobby depends on it.
 

laurenkane

Arachnosquire
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
101
My grandkids love feeding days and I wouldn't hesitate in letting them roll out a sleeping bag in the T room. You shouldn't be shy about teaching the younger generations about tarantula husbandry, the future of the hobby depends on it.
Totally agree. I would rather my children be in my T room than with a dog that I did not know. Teach children proper husbandry and respect.
 

XBabysinX

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 30, 2014
Messages
45
I do not yet own a T with severe venom however I hope to and I have four children. A 3 year old, 4 year old, 9 year old and 11 year old and they are not to go in my room (where I keep my a. Avic and b. Smithi) without my husband or myself. The two older ones aren't an issue and my little ones have been taught quite well the dangers of the spiders and they seem to respect them because of it greatly. I have yet to see any of them ever go near the lid of the enclosure. My four year old seems petrified of them yet still mesmerized.
 

Jones0911

Arachnobaron
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
406
ok, what do you guys think about keeping dangerous tarantulas and having your kids or infants in the same house. Is it responsible and wise to take the risk of serious hurting your loved ones? Or is it not?
If a T is dangerous, what are dogs? etc?
 

Ashton

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
184
I have younger siblings and young cousins. For the most part the young'ns don't seem to mess with them and know the T could bite. I do also keep locks on all cages where they aren't visible (for observation of who tries to touch the spider) and still nothing. I worry more about the older people than the young'ns.
 

Mariner1

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 8, 2013
Messages
60
I don't see a problem as long as you educate the children about what they are and how to respect them. My 8 YO niece told me that i did not have enough Ts and should buy more and my 9 YO nephew helped me feed my Ts many different times, not to mention the snakes and scorpions. They both know about molting, shedding, venom v. poison and how to identify a coral snake from a kingsnake and what all the native venomous snakes look like here in Texas.
 

Ashton

Arachnoknight
Joined
Mar 8, 2014
Messages
184
I didn't mention that they do need to be educated. I do tend to let them help me with maintenance when the T is in it's temporary cage until maintenance is done. I let them watch feeding with more potent and more defensive species. At this point I think my brother could be a pretty accurate sexer too; we've looked at many a molt.
 

oooo35980

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
Messages
61
Well, as long as you're confident in your ability to keep your children and your Ts separate, I see no issue. If you aren't confident in your ability to do that you probably shouldn't procreate or keep Ts in the first place, and be sure to throw out all the kitchen knives and anything with an electrical cord.

For most people it's a simple matter of keeping your Tarantulas out of reach and your children supervised, coupled with a large dose of education for little Timmy. A lot like having anything dangerous in the house.
 

dredrickt

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
170
Please, you make it sound as if OW's are just roaming the house looking for kids to bite. Any person with half a brain would lock the door to their T room/wherever their collection or T's are and make sure their kids understand NOT to play with or touch any enclosures.

There are plenty of other things around the house to worry about that are lethal to children, like bleach, cleaners, and knives. But then again, a person with common sense would make sure kids couldn't get to those things...
 

cold blood

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 19, 2014
Messages
13,223
If a T is dangerous, what are dogs? etc?
Man's best friend, of course....drrrrr.;)

I agree though, you can't shield children from every potential danger, and you wouldn't want to. I don't have children, but I have a 4 yr old nephew and several children in the neighborhood, all ask regularly to "see the spiders", and while there is a little trepidation on their part at times, there's also a ton of real interest...interest that in a few years would be gone without taking advantage of that interest before they "learn" to fear them (which most will without prior interaction). I see my t collection as a huge educational opportunity to the children in my life....same for the dog and turtles or most animals for that matter. I think animal interaction is an important thing for children to be around and experience, there's way too many prople that grow up with irrational fears of all types of critters...I couldn't imagine going through life fearing dogs for instance, they're everywhere...as are spiders. T collections shouldn't be that difficult to keep from children either, locking rooms, locking lids, etc.
 

XBabysinX

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 30, 2014
Messages
45
To be completely honest I worry more about my kids hurting my T's then them hurting the kids. I only say that because I worry they will knock into an enclosure and my T's getting crushed as my two youngest are hyper boys but again I say they don't go in that room.
 

Formerphobe

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
2,336
Much depends on the individual child as well as the keeping practices of the adult(s).

FYI: cats don't get or transmit ringworm from walking in the litterpan.
 

Grey

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 17, 2014
Messages
0
IMO, it's in the child's best interest to be given daily knowledge and stimulation while still providing safety and security WIHOUT sheltering the child. I think it's good if proper precautions are taken and knowledge is spread.
 

favrielle

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
0
I see it this way... many things in life come with risks, some more so than others. Just putting your kids in the car to go somewhere is a risk, and I'm sure many more children are injured per year by car accidents than will ever be injured by Ts. But we still load up and drive. Proper safety methods and equipment and a healthy dose of GOOD parenting and education will protect most children, whatever the circumstances.

While I only have NW species so far, I would not worry to have my kids around any of my Ts, even if/when I get OW species. But that's because I am careful to ensure both the safety of my Ts and their enclosures and the obedience and education of my sons when it comes to those Ts.
 

skippydude

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
487
As a parent of 4 very hyper, curious and smart kids(now adults), I'd like to point out that if you make your Tarantulas "Forbidden Fruit" by making your T's and T rooms a no fly zone, your are going to drive them nutz. They will be in your enclosures every time you leave the room, locked or not. Trust me after raising 4 kids and now working on a few grandkids, they are only human and forbidden fruit taste the sweetest ;) Education by first hand experience always works better than abstinence IMO
 

xirxes

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
May 17, 2004
Messages
105
I have a 8 month old, and I keep 4 T's, including a P metallica, who is also about 8 months old.

By the time my infant can reach and manipulate the door handle, all of my T enclosures will have locks on them.

We keep many exotic animals and teach her about their part of the world and the issues they face in the wild, and the potential dangers they pose to humans.

We also have two dogs that are learning to include and tolerate the baby. I do not worry about them, but any reactive behavior is dealt with swiftly.

I will more than likely not handle the T's, and my little one certainly won't until she is willing and able to make the choice for herself.
 
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