What
kid doesn’t want a pet? For the last half-year or so Marina asked us for a
puppy, and soon initiated her lobbying and PR campaigns to try to make it
happen. (I blame YouTube cute-puppy videographers
for this.)
At first, she cajoled, played cutesy, promised spotless good
behavior, an end to the Blitzkrieg against her sister, and superior studying
habits. When that strategy didn’t work, she
went negative: petulant, with guilt trips galore. I guess she thought
this formula might catapult her to becoming a puppy owner.
We
thought she might outgrow the puppy thing, as though it was a stage of young
girlhood. We spoke of responsibilities like walking, cleaning, and many years of
commitment to a pet. We visited a dog shelter so she could see the reality up
close. We maintained “no way” message discipline, implemented further
diversionary tactics, and refused to budge. Yet M. was undeterred in her
mission.
As
parents, Naomi and were united in the theory that pets are great and dogs are
truly best friends. Naomi had both dogs
and cats as pets when she was a kid. We both believe it is major commitment to
keep a dog properly. But we also value our mobility and freedom to frolic more
than positives a dog or cat brings to a family.
Still,
I began to feel a bit guilty. And the C-word popped into my head.
Compromise.
A
word oft explained and promoted during our daughters’ quarrels.
I
offered a concession. I had a rat when I was a kid. Why not propose a similar
middle-way with my Rising Daughters™? Given our Maginot Line of “No” to owning a
dog or cat, Marina recognized this might be her best bet and she was soon on
board.
The
chain reaction was that Lady E. expertly maneuvered for an approval of her own
pet purchase. She ended up buying a fish instead of a hamster (with her own
saved allowance). Several trips to local pet stores resulted in the Rising
Family® adding two new members: “The Hammer” hamster and Aima the Betta fish.
Aima
means love space, according to Elena.
Sure,
the kids had to use their allowance savings to pay for the pets. So our
parental inclination to use this a teaching moment, i.e. appreciation and
understanding of money and purchase discipline, was one factor. Check. Then
there was positive impact of pets on childhood development. Check again.
 |
| "Another photo for your silly blog, Dad? Oh....alright...get it over with." |
Ultimately
it was the right alchemy of compromise and cuteness that brought Hammy and Aima
into our lives.
Ed.
note: Marina choosing “Hammy” was in no way inspired by my own dim memories of the
“Hammy the Hamster” TV show from the early 1980s. Man those creator/narrators
were really smokin’ the weed.
1 comment:
It is good that both animals have a pretty short half-life.
Please do not try to bury them after their inevitable demise during a tropical event!
Mike P.
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