My biggest predator!

[HHandbasket]

I have a 2-year-old grandson who comes with me into the yard to do gardening chores, "chicken chores", etc. He has tried to chase the chickens, and that warranted a timeout and a firm, "Do not chase the chickens." Not a lot of discussion, no falderah, no negotiating (the minute you start negotiating with a child, you have lost all authority as an adult). The timeout means we stop what we're doing (even if it is inconvenient for me... gotta look at the bigger picture here) and go inside, no TV, just a 2-minute timeout. Before we go back out, I remind him, "You cannot chase chickens or ANY animals. Do you understand?" Let me tell you, 2-year-olds are smart. He says he understands, and then we go back out.

This only happened once, and it has gone MUCH better. The only real issue I have now with Junior being out there is that when it comes time to gather the eggs, he wants to hold them--oftentimes close to his person--and does not give them up or put them in the basket. They're "his". That warrants a timeout, too, though, and I remind myself that I'm the adult, and I take the egg from him. If he resists and the egg gets broken, he has to clean it up. Life's simple. Actions, consequences. Kids respond well, esp. when it comes to dealing with animals. While your daughter may be chasing your chickens, it is only her way of expression her exuberance and excitement. Help her find a better way to be excited about the chickens, and it'll improve your quality time with her, too.

I wish I'd had all this wisdom when *I* was a young mother! LOL.... I guess it's being an old gramma and years of learning the hard way that I've gained said wisdom. I also have a lot more patience now that I'm older.

I hope you and your little girl and the chickens all find a way to coexist and have fun!

 

[TheSheriffswife]

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LOL..

Just my opinion, and with all due respect..Children should NEVER be allowed to harrass or antagonize, hurt etc. any animal..(including smaller creatures we don't even consider..bugs, lizards) Children that think it's funny or get some thrill out of hurting or torturing animals never turn out right..TRUST me on that! I have worked with some seriously sick individuals and pretty much all of them have a history of animal abuse..

NOW, before anyone gets upset I am NOT saying what your daughter is doing is anything close to the above!! She obviously is a little girl who needs to understand that we don't hurt or scare animals..I just feel this is the age where you really have to stop this behavior each and every time it happens..

I think the Time Out's are a great idea..Each and every time she makes an inappropriate move you remove her from the animals..
She will eventually set sick of it, never being allowed to have fun with you, and will hopefully learn her lesson..Let her throw tantrums if she must, Just be consistant and don't allow her to bother them in any way..

Again, as others have said it just can't be tolerated and she has to learn to respect all living things and to treat them kindly..
...And if the time-out's don't work..maybe you can try the shock collar?

Good Luck

 

[Judy]

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Well said.
This is the "terrible two's," after all. Mine tried the tantrum thing and found himself behind a closed door until he calmed.

Only thing I'd add is that kids, like animals, benefit a lot more from positive reinforcement than punishment. Trick is to get her to handle the chicken gently or even just watch it without aggression. I like time outs a lot better than a slap -- followed by a short lecture of course.

As a kid what I dreaded most was the lectures. I learned to listen just to avoid hearing it again.

 

[AinaWGSD]

They sure do try our patience, don't they? One of the best bits of advice I've read on dealing with children and being patient is to take a few seconds out to calm down. Saying, "what are you, 2?" either out loud or in your head gives you a few seconds to calm down just a little and also remind yourself that she is, after all, only 2 years old and doesn't reason things the way you do. At her age, she isn't trying to harass the animals and probably isn't trying to be mean. She just doesn't understand yet how to appropriately express herself. It's our job as parents to teach them, with patience and most importantly consistency, what is and is not appropriate. I agree, children should never ever be allowed to harass or scare an animal, especially at such a young age. But at the same time, you have to remember that she doesn't yet understand empathy or necessarily how her actions affect the chickens. At this age, your best bet is to reward good behavior and immediately provide consequences for the bad behavior (my preference is to remove her from the chickens until she calms down, but if spanking is your preferred method then that can work too as long as it is immediate and consistent) every single time.

On the subject of spanking vs not spanking, neither will work if you aren't consistent with it. The problem I have with spanking isn't the act itself, but rather the fact that it is often (not always) done in anger, even by the most caring of parents, and because of that it is not usually consistent from one punishment to the next. I was spanked as a child, and it certainly didn't scar me. But it was always my dad that I remember doing the spanking. I don't remember my mom ever spanking us because once we were out of diapers she didn't. We had just as much respect for our mom as we did for our dad (and not because we were afraid she'd tell Dad when he got home, since he was in the Navy and was often out of the country for months at a time). And the worst offenses (like the time we got caught shoplifting) were not punished by spanking but with grounding and lectures.

 

[7L Farm]

I never once spanked my son he is grown now & has a son & doing quite well as an adult.I would tell your little girl that there's no way the chickens will ever accept her if she keeps hitting or scaring the chickens. Let her know that their defenseless unlike a dog that can bite you or even a cat that can scratch you. The only defense a chicken has is to run if their threatened . Let her know that she needs to slow way down when shes around the chickens. Let your little girl give them treats but again tell her that chickens are skiddish because they have no way to defend themselves.

 

[The Tinman]

This is why kids are put on all kinds of drugs today like riddlen and told to go stand in the corner. Back in the day a good swat cured everything. Hyperactivity,SWAT, calm right down,Attention Deficit Disorder, SWAT, well now I have your attention. If I knew I would get mind altering meds if I miss behaved I would have been doped up until my 3 year of marriage. Who are you?
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[Diamond Wire Farms]

A BIG Rooster usually stops chicken chasing very quickly. My giant Cochins make a fuss and remind my nieces that chickens are more than stuffed animals. All the while there is piece of mind that I am not going to end up with shreds of toddler, because they are huge and can barely get off the ground.

 

[Countrywife]

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[HorseFeatherz NV]

RUN, chickens, RUN


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What a face

 

[Pidgey104]

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Agree. But Thats why I have a tom turkey in the barn.

He don't any small kids get into the barn they come running out screaming LOL