Okay, so, while pregnant with daughter #1 people had lots of opinions about the way we planned on doing things, natural labor and delivery, cloth diapers, ebfing, etc. Basically they all said, "yeah right, you don't know because you haven't had kids, just wait, you'll change your mind". I didn't change my mind so obviously no comments about that stuff now that I'm pregnant with daughter #2.
But one question persists, and I can't understand the rationale behind it. I'm perplexed, stupefied, and just plain annoyed! Can anyone explain this, or has anyone had the same experience?
Question/suggestion/demand: get rid of our dogs, or at least make them live in the backyard (like 100% of the time). WTF?!
We have a lab (100 lbs, not fat) and a ten pound lap dog. They're older dogs too. Completely indoor, lazy, not aggressive, flea & tick free, etc. The only thing they do wrong is steal food.
Guaranteed, if you leave your food unattended, you will come back to find it entirely missing.
Also, he big one sheds twice a year for a couple of weeks , nothing sweeping 12 times a day won't fix. (I jest, more like three times.)
I've always asked, when someone asks, "what are you going to do with the dogs?!" what they mean. It's everything from they'll hurt the baby, to disease, to straight up, "no se, por que...." I don't know, because...
What gives?
Re: Aren't you getting rid of your dogs?!
I had a lot of people concerned about me keeping my dog before I had my first. We have a 75lb pit bull who is the sweetest thing, but she is a pit bull so some people acted like she would go nuts and eat my kid or something. She didn't...she is amazing with kids just like I knew she would be. So no one said anything with my second baby or this time around.
There are lots of benefits to raising your kids with dogs, including some research that it makes kids less likely to suffer from allergies (although my son has terrible seasonal allergies!) They can shove it!
So hard to ignore, but I think your response "what do you mean?" Is great.
You know your family and what works best for you! Although I have no fur babies I understand that they are just as much a part of the family!
I have a friend who has a cat and says she will get rid of him if she gets pregnant. Okay. I guess you didn't really want him as bad as I thought you did?
Pets are family too. You don't just abandon them. At least that's what I think.
Bonus cat picture
And thanks @maureenmce ! He knows it :P
But I have had people warning me about having her around the baby, or letting her in the nursery. My response to them is "do you think I'm stupid?"
I'm a mother (well I am to my cat, going to be to my baby). Do you not think I would do whatever it takes to make sure my baby is both safe and healthy? And I mean both my babies. I'm not going to let my cat smother my child, and I'm not going to let my baby bite or pull on my cat. They are both family and they will learn to live together in a way that is best for both of them. If you think I would let it happen any other way, then maybe you should rethink your own actions and what would cause you to think that I am capable of the same behaviour.
Sorry... I'm really protective of my babies. I have lots of love to give, and everyone who lives here is family deserving of that love. I will not let anyone tell me who I should love more or why, that's for only me to decide.
He STRONGLY disagrees.
But to keep on the topic, when I had my son, everyone went bananas about me keeping my dogs. I have two 100+ lb pit bull mixes (and two bunnies). Great dogs. Protective of the kids and I, but so extremely loyal and loving. They are incredibly gentle with both kids (including my clumsy toddler). So, screw everyone. They're my dogs, my babies, and everyone is happy, healthy, well protected, and loved in our house!
So weird about people thinking cats are dirty, they're fastidious!
And if pitbulls can be around bunnies, I think children are safe.
I see it this way, I know my dogs, I know that in he eight and nine years we've had them, they've never snapped or growled in aggression or fear at a human or another animal (weird sounds outside will get them suspicious). And my toddler is pretty rough with them, they get squished, they get hats and they get tucked in. But they just ignore it, or if it bothers them, they walk away. If anything, I find myself telling my daughter to be cautious of other dogs because not all dogs are as friendly.
Plus the little one always jumps in the shower with me if I don't close the door all the way so he's probably as clean as most humans.
Love to all the fur babies and responsible owners who consider them family.
We also have two cats. I would get the cats declawed if my husband would let me because they do scratch the kids when playing. He says it's cruel to declaw because that's what the shelter told us when we adopted. The vet disagrees and declaws cats all the time. It's never been a mean thing and it's not like a deep scratch, but I know cat scratches can get infected.
My kids don't really like animals and that kind of makes me sad. But I think it's because the big dog knocks them over when they try to play with him and the cats scratch them.
I am a bit gutted no one has asked if we are getting rid of them though as I had the perfect response...
"What do you mean are we getting rid of the dogs? Who would look after the baby when we aren't home??"
Please someone use it for me next time and let me know what the look on their faces was like!! Haha )
I think most animals understand that they need to be gentle with babies as long as expectations are clear from the high ups in the pack and the babies are taught to be gentle and respectful back.
But I guess to each it's own. My lab eats literally everything, esp the walls oh and we rent a small apartment. It's kinda been a long time coming for him but having a baby kinda finalized it!
I'm going to miss them but at the end of the day they just will have to go.