Parent Issues with BTS

[Leigh]

I built mine from plywood for £20 and a w/e work, the tube and the time clocks were the dearest part.

[kman1247]

YES!!!! i just got the ok from MOM but only if my dad says yes. My dads away right now so i'm preparing for the biggest stand of the year. THIS COULD BE IT!!!and if not thhen it's time for plan b which is wait for my b day on dec 9th but im hoping he'll say yes when he comes hom. WISH ME LUCK!!!!

[Tyler]

YES!!!! i just got the ok from MOM but only if my dad says yes. My dads away right now so i'm preparing for the biggest stand of the year. THIS COULD BE IT!!!and if not thhen it's time for plan b which is wait for my b day on dec 9th but im hoping he'll say yes when he comes hom. WISH ME LUCK!!!!

Good luck! Good job working on mom while dad was away

[Fatal_S]

Make sure there's nothing dirty or not done for your dad to complain about when he gets home! If the house looks good, perents tend to be in a better mood. A good meal also helps.

[kman1247]

wel, he got home that night and was tired as hell. he was barely awake and i didn't want him to say no on reflex, so i didn't do it but i will do it tomight

[Fatal_S]

Good choice! You seem to be pretty good at working your parents, why'd you even need to ask for help?

[Zach]

YES!!!! i just got the ok from MOM but only if my dad says yes. My dads away right now so i'm preparing for the biggest stand of the year. THIS COULD BE IT!!!and if not thhen it's time for plan b which is wait for my b day on dec 9th but im hoping he'll say yes when he comes hom. WISH ME LUCK!!!!

Good luck! Good job working on mom while dad was away

The biggest stand of the year I like that.

Make sure there's nothing dirty or not done for your dad to complain about when he gets home! If the house looks good, perents tend to be in a better mood. A good meal also helps.

Always thinkin...

[Leigh]

You need to have cold beer in the fridge, that'd work for me hee heee.

[kman1247]

Drum Roll PLZ...

I...Kris have now got the OFFICIAL o.k from my dad.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!FINALLY i have to ait a month but i am now for sure going to get a BTS. No appluase needed but i'm gonna do it anyways !!!

[Zach]

You need to have cold beer in the fridge, that'd work for me hee heee.

[Fatal_S]

Whoot! Go Kris! I knew you could do it ^.^

[kman1247]

i'm so happy i can hardly stand it but ya, listen if anyone else has problems with their parents USE THIS TOPIC. there are some really good advice here.

[NomadOfTheHills]

Should have just broken out the chloroform.

[brunetteoctober]

yeah!! i know how hard it is sometimes to get your parents on board. the only reason my mom let me was because i told her the reptile show was coming up and i could get one for less. my mom was always a sucker for a deal. congrats again!!

[Fatal_S]

My mom admitted today that she loves my collection, because it gives her something interesting to talk about. It's like telling people your daughter is a pilot, cept this time it's that she's got a snake and 3 lizards in the house. She likes the reactions a lot. She had as much fun with me showing them off today to the trick-or-treaters as I did! She even petted them a little bit, and held the container with Wocket in it when he crapped all over me. A big step for her! Whoot!

[Zach]

I'm surprised no parents freaked and made their kids quickly leave without getting their candy...

[Fatal_S]

We had some people jump away and get a friend to get their candy, but alf the time no one noticed the snake/lizard was real until I was halfway done handing out the candy. I think it's also a huge novelty around here, as we truly don't seem to have people who walk their lizards or anything over here. Next year I hope to have a few large Ts along with more skinks to show off. I think spiders have an even worse rep than snakes. Too bad it's so cold, otherwise I'd be wandering around with them on halloween, not just at the door. We actually got snow I like it better in the warmer months where I can wander with them, and kids get more than a minute to interact.

Oh, and on-topic: Remember than you can easily re-use the above mentioned parent-pleasing tips. I've used these many, many times, got what I wanted (eventually), and I can still use them again. In fact I'll soon be getting a T because I used the tips ^.^ They just keep on working.

[kman1247]

alright... turns out,m that was the first step but how do i get my dad to let me take him/her out of his/her cage? he already doesn't like it so how could i convince him? also heasked me a question wat r u going to DO with it and since i don't have on, i don't know. Whats your guys advice on these 2 things?

[NomadOfTheHills]

You have to ask to take it out?

Do with it?

Learn from it, take care of it, practice responsibility by taking care of it.

[Fatal_S]

alright... turns out,m that was the first step but how do i get my dad to let me take him/her out of his/her cage? he already doesn't like it so how could i convince him? also heasked me a question wat r u going to DO with it and since i don't have on, i don't know. Whats your guys advice on these 2 things?

First, explain to your dad that a reptile is a pet that you can handle, and that BTS are good reptiles for beginners to handle because of their overall disposition. Also explain that time outside the tank is good for them, as they like to wander and explore. Have a skink-proof area you can have it wander in, so your dad doesn't have to worry about it excaping (my moms fear).

If you're planning to house it in your own room, you can probably take it out whenever you'd like to. In this case make sure to tell your dad about the interesting things it's doing (shedding, it ran away with the snail, it tried to eat my zipper, etc) to keep them interested. Taking it outside to meet other people, and generally just taking good care of it will show that it's not some horrible creature to be feared.

If it's going to be housed in the living room, just seeing it wander and explore the tank may intrest your parents. My mom loves to watch the skinks, and will ask questions about what it's doing and why. Keep your parents involved, so they get used to it. Don't force interaction with them, but ask occasionally if they'd like to pet it, or feel the tongue. Often, curiousity will kick in and help you out big time. Let them watch you interact with it, this really seems to help.

As for what you're going to do with it, tell them about how it likes to explore, or how getting natural sunlight is really good for it. Explain what you'll feed it, how you'll feed it, treats and such. Parents may act grossed out about eating the snail or worms, but often they'll get curious again and watch if it's around. Just make sure you have it on a towel or you clean up the area after eating or it going pee/poo. You can tell them how it can explore the counter while you do dishes, or sit with you while you watch TV. Many skinks actually enjoy watching TV (a good fact to tell them).

I don't know where you're planning to get your skink from, but because of how nervous your family seems about it, you NEED to get a pre-friendly skink. First impressions are huge, and while you can write off the first few days to being nervous, if you have a skink that isn't friendly or generally tame, you are not going to have a good time, and your parents will not be impressed with it. I strongly suggest contacting a breeder from the site and asking for a fairly tame skink. You will appreciate this later on, as will your parents. They will be much more willing to touch or watch a skink that isn't hissing at them or running off. If you get one that can just sit quietly, or calmly explore, all will be better.

If you are getting a skink from a pet store, handle it a few times first. Even if the price is good, a skink that doesn't handle well will not be good in your situation. Plus you run the risk of getting a sick lizard, which means vets, which means bills, which makes your parents very unhappy. Once again I strongly suggest a breeder, and make sure they know you need a friendly skink. They may have one that they can take a month to work with first, calming it down a lot, or one already tame. You may have to wait a bit longer if they're taming it, but it will be worth it to have it arrive and just quietly explore the tank or be picked up without a fight.

When you get your skink, give it several days to settle in, then handle it a few times without your parents there, allowing you time to get the hang of it, so you can impress your parents later. I know this is a lot to think about, but thinking now could save you a lot of hassle later, and getting a good skink will leave your parents more open to future endevours

EDIT: I forgot to say, but I think you're doing an amazing job so far in researching and getting ready for your skink! I wish more pet owners were like you ^.^