It is that time of the school year once again when the teacher brings up the topic that I dread more than any other, pets.
My children understand they must always wash their hands after touching a cat or a dog because mom is allergic. They understand that when they ride a horse they have to change their clothes and take a shower because mom is allergic. However, it is still disappointing not to have a pet. Luckily they are resilient.
One car ride they decided to broach the topic. “Mom can we have a cat to catch mice?” My oldest, a kindergartner at the time, asked.
“No, cats and dogs make me allergic.”
“How do they do that?” demands his preschool-aged brother, Gavan.
“When I breathe around them my eyes water and I sneeze really hard” I attempt to explain.
“And you can’t stop breathing…..” The preschooler replies as though that might be the better solution.
“Sometimes my eyes water and I sneeze too”, My oldest, Kael, responds that he too is allergic. “I am allergic to breathing pepper.”
“What else are you allergic to?” I wonder, this being the first I have heard of his pepper allergy and hoping to change the topic from pets.
“I don’t know everything, just pepper and dirt so far”
He tried again a few minutes later. “What other animals are you allergic to mom?”
“Horses, cows, sheep….just about anything that has hair.”
“Can we have a bird” he tries
“No, birds have to live inside and are noisy, and stinky.”
“What if it lived outside?”
“That would be fine.”
“Mom, are you allergic to ducks?” Kael asks.
“I don’t think so”
“Can we have a duck?”
I really see no problem with my children having an outside duck. “Where would you keep a duck?” I ask.
“I can build a small dog house with dad”
Knowing their dad will veto this plan I decide to play along. “What will you name it?”
“Jack” Gavan insists. He wanted to name his little sister Jack so this comes as no surprise.
“What would you do with a duck?” I continue
“Just the normal things like take it for walks and feed it bread” Kael explained.
This seemed reasonable since the ducks we tossed bread crumbs to in the park walked and ate bread.
I figured I might as well bring up the other thing ducks were renowned for. “Some people eat ducks.”
“Why would they do that?” Gavan demanded horrified, such fear has left him as we have since had discussions on why we eat chickens but not people.
“Because they must think ducks taste good.” I answer.
“Oh” Kael said disapointed.
It wasn’t until the next week when I was volunteering at Kael’s school that I understood what all the fuss about a pet was about. I walked in to see a wall sized poster titled “My Pets” prominently displayed in the classroom. Beside each child’s name was a list of that child’s pets. There were dogs, cats, horses, lizards, snakes, birds, fish, gerbils, and bunnies. But the one that caught my eye was the worm listed beside my son’s name.
I asked him about his pet after school that day. He took a box down from on top of the refrigerator and showed me a shriveled little creature that was at one time a worm. My heart ached, and I looked at my earnest little guy who seemed more confused than distraught over his pet’s fate. That was the day we decided a fish would be a good pet.
He has had three fish since then. Our last fish he gave to his Grandma when we moved across the country four months ago. However, since it is pet time at school we will go fish shopping .
My children understand they must always wash their hands after touching a cat or a dog because mom is allergic. They understand that when they ride a horse they have to change their clothes and take a shower because mom is allergic. However, it is still disappointing not to have a pet. Luckily they are resilient.
One car ride they decided to broach the topic. “Mom can we have a cat to catch mice?” My oldest, a kindergartner at the time, asked.
“No, cats and dogs make me allergic.”
“How do they do that?” demands his preschool-aged brother, Gavan.
“When I breathe around them my eyes water and I sneeze really hard” I attempt to explain.
“And you can’t stop breathing…..” The preschooler replies as though that might be the better solution.
“Sometimes my eyes water and I sneeze too”, My oldest, Kael, responds that he too is allergic. “I am allergic to breathing pepper.”
“What else are you allergic to?” I wonder, this being the first I have heard of his pepper allergy and hoping to change the topic from pets.
“I don’t know everything, just pepper and dirt so far”
He tried again a few minutes later. “What other animals are you allergic to mom?”
“Horses, cows, sheep….just about anything that has hair.”
“Can we have a bird” he tries
“No, birds have to live inside and are noisy, and stinky.”
“What if it lived outside?”
“That would be fine.”
“Mom, are you allergic to ducks?” Kael asks.
“I don’t think so”
“Can we have a duck?”
I really see no problem with my children having an outside duck. “Where would you keep a duck?” I ask.
“I can build a small dog house with dad”
Knowing their dad will veto this plan I decide to play along. “What will you name it?”
“Jack” Gavan insists. He wanted to name his little sister Jack so this comes as no surprise.
“What would you do with a duck?” I continue
“Just the normal things like take it for walks and feed it bread” Kael explained.
This seemed reasonable since the ducks we tossed bread crumbs to in the park walked and ate bread.
I figured I might as well bring up the other thing ducks were renowned for. “Some people eat ducks.”
“Why would they do that?” Gavan demanded horrified, such fear has left him as we have since had discussions on why we eat chickens but not people.
“Because they must think ducks taste good.” I answer.
“Oh” Kael said disapointed.
It wasn’t until the next week when I was volunteering at Kael’s school that I understood what all the fuss about a pet was about. I walked in to see a wall sized poster titled “My Pets” prominently displayed in the classroom. Beside each child’s name was a list of that child’s pets. There were dogs, cats, horses, lizards, snakes, birds, fish, gerbils, and bunnies. But the one that caught my eye was the worm listed beside my son’s name.
I asked him about his pet after school that day. He took a box down from on top of the refrigerator and showed me a shriveled little creature that was at one time a worm. My heart ached, and I looked at my earnest little guy who seemed more confused than distraught over his pet’s fate. That was the day we decided a fish would be a good pet.
He has had three fish since then. Our last fish he gave to his Grandma when we moved across the country four months ago. However, since it is pet time at school we will go fish shopping .
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