Oh wow, did not see that coming

[BooBear]

You had to tend to your daughter as she was most important at that moment.
It is aweful that the chick was treated that way, without anyone else helping supervise it was one of those instances where something did go wrong that you had no way of controlling. Don't beat yourself up over it as you could not foresee that this would happen. Hopefully your chick pulls through ok and grows up healthy despite the bad experience.

 

[nanawendy]

I Agree w/ Boo Bear Next time you will respond differently because of this experience and so will each of us who have read this post. We all learn daily... hopefully

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

Quote:
X2

ETA: My Kid is ADHD, OCD and autistic (among other things), and even at 14 sometimes is too "friendly" with the chicks and chickens. Even with the goats. I have to watch him almost every minute.

Perhaps you should just make sure the chicks are locked up when the child comes over, explaining that they aren't toys. And if the child comes over unexpectedly, have them sit quietly somewhere while you lock up the chicks, or tell them it's inconvenient and to come back again at a specific time.

Hope the daughter and chick are doing well. I too would have said to vomit on the grass, but then later regretted it when my chickens started pecking through it!

Sorry. That even made ME a little queasy!

 

[mother o' chicks72]

The other day I walked into the room to find my little brother(4 years old) was holding my 2 week old chick by her beak! I kinda yelled at him and my mom gave him a timeout. also apparently I'm not supposed to yell at him even when he's threatening somethings life. luckily our little baby Calliope is doing okay.

 

[SilkieMomma]

If your little chick is eating, drinking and walking okay I would try not to worry too much. I hope your child is feeling better and shame on that other child for not being nicer to a little chick.

 

[spotstealer]

I hope your daughter and chick are both ok. Being six, its hard to say what te friend was thinking ( a normally well behaved six year old)? Not to be mean and hindsight is always 20/20 (well, almost always). Since you were already outside, why not let her throw up out there? I just had to ask the question. Being a dad, I would have most likely thrown up cleaning up her mess.

 

[FMAFarms]

Wow! I hope your daughter is feeling better. And I hope your little Silkie is, too. As for that child, well... better you than me. You said you had everyone sitting quietly with the chicks, so obviously you'd explained the rules. The boy deliberately chose to disobey them the moment you were distracted. And it wasn't something simple, like "Don't run in the street" or "Don't play ball in the house." Why on earth would we ever have to consider saying "Don't toss my baby chick 30 feet in the air and let it splat on the ground!!!" to anyone of any age? Had any of my sons' friends have pulled a stunt like that, I'd have marched him inside, sat him down, called his mother or father, then tell them -- in the kid's presence -- exactly what that future sociopath did. Lack of regard for rules and authority, lack of care and compassion for a baby animal, lack of respect for you and your property. I'd tell them that you'd be sending them the vet bill and that the boy would be welcomed back only when he was truly remorseful for what he did.

His actions have nothing to do with gender and everything to do with a spoiled child with indulgent parents.

 

[sweeterdeeter42]

Quote:
YEEEEESSSSS. I have been thinking that through this whole thread. Any sign of animal cruelty, no matter how minor it may seem, is a bad sign. Not knowing how to handle them or not knowing what they are doing is wrong is different than purposefully being cruel to animals. "Boys will be boys" is true to a point, I suppose. The majority of them like to explore and get dirty and things like that, but when it becomes violent, there is something wrong, either on the parents part, or the child has behavioral issues. I would think that a 6 year old would know that a baby anything should be treated gently and handled with care.

 

[rarely bored]

LOL!! As a mother of a 6 year old boy, all I'm gonna say is, even though my boy loves animals (checks out library books on them all the time, awwwwws over the pictures) and for the most part has empathy and compassion for the critters and people, there is no way in God's green earth, that I would leave him alone with a chick under the age of two months. He is a boy, they are called boys for a reason, and yes, a boy is a boy! When they do those growth spurts, they don't understand how strong they are, they don't know that a push isn't gentle, this son of mine, thinks the rougher things are the better it is, but if you met him, you would think he was one of the sweeter children you've known. He isn't mean on purpose, he just doesn't get the concept of delicate and breakable. But we are working on it, which is what happens when he handles the chick with supervision at all times. I'm sure in the next 3 years he will finally catch on that chicks need to be handled carefully, and by the time he is 10, I will be able to trust him with more of the duties that I allow my current 10 year old son to do. Shrug. It is called growing up, and it is an honor to help in the process.

 

[suzeqf]

I hope your daughter is better as well as your chickie

6yo's don't really grasp the concept of how fragile things are i also agree it's a good teachable moment