taming chickens (any animal)

[melissa41927]

i am an animal person and my father is one also. i am 30 years old, and have never meet an animal that didn't like me. we are queit people. when around animal remain calm make slow small movement so they won't startle. don't look them in the eye and never hit or kick at them. i have a 6 year old daughter that just wants to pick-up and love on any animal. but being quiet and patient is beyond her grasp. i also have a 4 year old son who when he started waking, all the animals would come up to him even if we went to a neighbors house. as he gets more active it seems that the animals can sense he is in a hyperactive phase. they will still come within a few feet of him but then will stop and look then run away. hopfully, he will start to settle down as he gets older. when the kids come out the back door all the animals take off. it is hard to teach kids to respect the animal and that not all animal want or need to be picked up. all of our animal are very tame. when i pull up in the yard, they all come running. we have a lot. can anyone offer suggestion on how to calm down a hyeractive 4 year old?

 

[farmerlor]

I have several kids with fetal alcohol syndrome which is defined by hyperactivity and poor impulse control. I've found that the easiest way to teach them to chill around the animals is to let the animals teach them. Animals don't like kids who are spastic and jumpy so they don't come up to be petted or fed. The child wants the reward of touching and hugging on the animals so they learn to sit or stand quietly to get that reward. Of course they have to shown this over and over again but they eventually get the idea. I have a daughter who can't sit still for five minutes but if it means having a goose sit in her lap she can sit there for an hour.