Already banned from grandchildren

[Karengallant]

Thanks to all of you! She's not returning my calls yet, but i feel more confident! So I will hope she changes her mind.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Yes, a definite over-reaction from your daughter. As a mother and grandmother, I know you want to protect your children from every threat but it's impossible to do so and still live a normal life. To do so would require that you never allow your child to ride in a vehicle, take a bath, ride a bike, play ball, play outside [bees, snakes, and pollen], have any pet [even dogs and cats can carry salmonella and certainly other diseases, such as rabies], eat eggs or any meats.

I would think it better that she focus on proper hygiene. I have grandchildren and we have a rule that - after gathering eggs or doing anything "chicken" associated - we must wash our hands with warm soapy water for "two Happy Birthdays" worth. We scrub for the amount of time it takes us to sing Happy Birthday twice. My grandchildren are ages 6 and 2 so it's also a fun time as we put in the name of the person who will have the next birthday as we scrub and sing.

If she's concerned about you coming into her house with shoe contamination, buy a new pair of shoes and leave them at her house. When you arrive, leave your shoes on the porch and wear the other shoes in her house. That way she knows that no chicken dirt enters via shoes.

If she's concerned about YOU being a salmonella carrier, she needs to also look at herself and anyone else who has contact with the children. Any human who consumes eggs or chicken - no matter where they were grown or purchased - have the possibility of being infected.

With proper hygiene, the odds of her healthy children contracting salmonella are small. Even if they did, it is easily diagnosed and is treatable.

I sure hope she comes to a level-head about this. Good luck!

 

[Blooie]

Maybe this little story will help. Two of my grandchildren, 8 year old Katie and 2 year old Kendra live across the street from us. Our grandson Evan, also 8, lives two blocks down. They decided on their own that Kendra should get to see the chicks first because she was the littlest and because there are so many things she doesn't get to do. Kendra has Spina Bifida and a couple of other health issues. So that was their plan - let the chicks get settlled and then come over on Saturday to let Kendra see them.

Chicks were arriving on a Thursday. Kendra was in her 4th or 5 casting series. She had two casts on each leg, hip to toe; there were plaster casts and over that there were fiberglass ones. She was supposed to be getting them taken off on Monday, with the possibility of some corrective surgery on her legs when the casts were removed. Her mom and I were a little concerned because of the upcoming surgery. If there was any possibility that any little germ might hitchhike into the OR we wanted to know. Jen called the doctor's office at Salt Lake Shriner's hospital, where Kendra had her Monday appointment scheduled, and the nurse said that it would probably be a good idea for her to stay away from the chicks. Evan and Katie spent time with the chicks while Kendra sat at home with her mom.

But then the doctor himself called Jenny back. He said, "Let that baby see and hold those chicks! I'm sure she'll be washed up well before she comes in and again pre-op. so no worries!" So despite the possibility of surgery in a couple of days and her other health issues, Kendra finally met the chicks.

A prominent surgeon had no problem with a little one being around the chicks, even though that baby has serious health issues. So I hope that if a little soap and water and a little squirt of hand sanitizer satisfied his rigid cleanliness standards, that might ease your daughter's concerns.


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[Karengallant]

Thank you Mtn Laurel and Blooie! I feel better about my choices. My daughter however, is trying to figure out how she wants to decontaminate me.

 

[Karengallant]

Also, the shoe idea is great!

 

[Blooie]

Thank you Mtn Laurel and Blooie! I feel better about my choices. My daughter however, is trying to figure out how she wants to decontaminate me.

You are so welcome. I had also wanted to commend you for your devotion to your brother, but i spaced it. It isn't easy being the sibling of someone with special needs. To do so with joy and not with resentment is a gift. Katie and Evan are that way with Kendra. Kendra was the youngest child that Denver Children's Hospital had ever fitted for a wheelchair. She was 9 months old the first time and she loved it instantly. Now at 2 she knows how to operate it herself. But on nice days Evan will walk over to the kids' house and take Kendra and Katie with him to the post office to get their mail. They'll put in a CD and dance with Kendra, holding on to the handle of her chair and moving it in time to the music. Evan and Katie are tougher on Kendra than we grownups are -- they don't let her get by with anything! And they include her in most of the things they do. By 7 years old, Katie was assisting her mom or me in Kendra's 5 daily catherizations and now she helps with Kendra's nightly enema - otherwise known as ""Booty Duty." Evan naturally doesn't help with those procedures, but if Jen is busy she can ask Evan and Katie to run thru Kendra's Physical therapy routines and the do a great job.

I hope that spirit of compassion and responsibility that you show to your brother is instilled as strongly in Katie and Evan. I think it will, given the fact that they decided all on their own to let Kendra see the chicks first. We need a few million of you doing the tough stuff. I'm proud to "meet" you!

 

[Karengallant]

Thanks for the welcome! Everyone is so helpful and positive! How wonderful to see the compassion those young children have already learned, Blooie! You obviously did a good job raising your children and they in turn are passing that gift on. I raised my children , but some days I feel it's harder "raising" my brother and that I'm not doing such a great job. Maybe it's that sibling thing you were talking about Blooie.

 

[Blooie]

Thanks for the welcome! Everyone is so helpful and positive! How wonderful to see the compassion those young children have already learned, Blooie! You obviously did a good job raising your children and they in turn are passing that gift on. I raised my children , but some days I feel it's harder "raising" my brother and that I'm not doing such a great job. Maybe it's that sibling thing you were talking about Blooie.

I love to brag them up - what they are learning with Kendra will stand them in good grace forever. They will be able to look directly into the face of someone in a chair instead of either seeing just the chair or looking past as if that person wasn't even there. They will hold the door open for someone out of kindness, not condescension. Here are the three of my little grandjoys, taken at Christmas. And they will take care of each other for life. The only thing that exasperates Evan is when folks at school refer to the girls as his "sisters", because of the strong resemblance they have. "They are my COUSINS!" he will inform the misinformed! LOL

 

[Karengallant]

What cuties, Blooie! I definitely see the resemblance to each other!
Lost one chick. Gary(my brother) is sure it's his fault and the rest will die too. I told him baby chicks are fragile and they don't all make it past the baby stage. Is that right? We are going to replace that chick for him. And my hubby and I continue to supervise, so I don't think it was anything he did.
Daughter still angry at me re: chicks. Very hurtful. When she and her siblings were growing up we had African frogs, turtles, lizards. Birds. Guinea pigs, cats, dogs, and mice. Guess it's a miracle she survived.

 

[Blooie]

What cuties, Blooie! I definitely see the resemblance to each other!
Lost one chick. Gary(my brother) is sure it's his fault and the rest will die too. I told him baby chicks are fragile and they don't all make it past the baby stage. Is that right? We are going to replace that chick for him. And my hubby and I continue to supervise, so I don't think it was anything he did.
Daughter still angry at me re: chicks. Very hurtful. When she and her siblings were growing up we had African frogs, turtles, lizards. Birds. Guinea pigs, cats, dogs, and mice. Guess it's a miracle she survived.

That's absolutely right. There isn't an expert in chicken world who has not lost a chick. I'm sorry that Gary thinks he did something wrong - but that strong sense of responsibility says a lot about his character.
Your daughter should meet my daughter - Terri has ducks. Lots of ducks. She started with two - Chester and Emma. Then a rock dove flew into her window and was hurt, so she brought him in, named him Napoleon because of the way he held his injured wing, and nursed him back to health. Annie, the other rock dove, was found in her yard and Terri had no idea what was wrong, but she was also rescued. Then Chester and Emma hatched out 10 (or 12, I can never remember) ducklings last year. This year they hatched out 10 more. Every single one of those birds lives IN HER HOUSE! Yep, inside! She has dog crates, and when she claps her hands they go inside their crates, she takes them outside for a swim and some playtime, and when it's time to bring them back in she does the hand thing and they go back into their crates and inside. The little ones live in her downstairs area, but Chester and Emma, the first two, and Annie and Nappy the rock doves live upstairs with Terri and her SO. Nappy and Chester are best buddies - they sit on the arm of the easy chair, watch TV and eat popcorn with Terri's fiance. And all is well at her house.
They are building an enclosure (they may have it done by now) for the all of the past two years' worth of ducklings and they will live outside starting this year. But Nappy, Annie, Chester and Emma will stay inside.


Chester and Nappy watching TV



Chester and Emma enjoying snack time.


Last year's hatch


Emma and her new babies from this year.