Dealing with kids!!

[Joviella]

My bf came up with the ideal solution to my boys' untidy bedroom and their reluctance to keep it clean......They have wanted a tank in their room for ages,so the deal is.....They tidy up,and keep it tidy from now until Christmas and then we set them up a tank of their very own.
They are very excited by this idea as they can choose their own fish.It also pleases me as I get a tidy bedroom and I know what to buy them for Christmas!!!

 

[Nauplii]

lol, good idea.... now if my parents were that clever then my room would be SOOOO clean

 

[Aussie_Star]

lol...same story my mum put to my before i got my first big 80 gallon, lol but my room is still at mess

 

[overhaul]

dunno how much your boys know about caring for fish, but you could also make them each write you a paper on how they will need to be cared for. Also encourage them to do a little research between now and christmas so they can choose in advance what they want to put in that tank. It would be a great way to reinforce what they learn in school. Just a thought.

 

[Silly me]

black mail..

 

[Red]

Great idea but I bet you'll be the one doing the water changes.

 

[Joviella]

I will be doing the water changes initially,as my boys are only 8 and 5 but they will "help" me and learn how to do them and learn how to take care of the fish too.
They have had fantasy tanks in their heads for a couple of years now.......and they know a fair bit about their choices too.
If they decide not to keep their room clean......I will move the tank into my bedroom!!!!

 

[Narayan]

Great idea but I bet you'll be the one doing the water changes.

Is that reply from experience Red?!

 

[yhbae]

I've learned the "hard" way that it doesn't matter if you got yourself into the hobby or your kids. You are stuck with it, and you will be doing almost all the work... Fortunately, I ended up with more interest than my kids did, so we have no issues but I can't imagine a scenario where adults are not intrerested. My elder one is 7 and she is absolutely not prepared to do any water changes...

Kids get more interested when I introduce new species or a new spawn that they haven't seen before. (They don't even look at the baby platies anymore...)

She does help me to feed them about once a week though when she is hyper happy...

But I have to admit it is still good for them - they learn how fishes grow, how they spawn, and I see pictures they draw at school that talks about this as well - obviously they know about fish far more than any of their friends. I'm happy just seeing those results...

 

[Teelie]

black mail..

I prefer to call it "incentive to do something in exchange for a reward."

 

[bluefire]

good idea, im glad my parents don't do that to me though

 

[C.L.O]

I like to consider it a great learning experience. My kids are 5 and 6 and both have 2 tanks in their rooms. They are learning maths, chemistry (from water testing), biology and respect for living creatures. They help to feed their fish, do waterchanges and my son loves to aquascape his tanks. Some may call it an excuse for me to have more tanks in the house, maybe they are right, but we enjoy it all. ANY excuse for more tanks is a good one :>