Other Turtle Discussion :: My younger sisters...

[steve]

In any case you need to get your parents involved. If the are the authority in your house, then they should use some discipline. Do they want your turtles to get sick? Will they pay for vet bills? Do they want to be irresponsible pet owners?

[N4784N R4613]

The tank is in are school/family room basement(we are all home schooled). We spend half of the day doing school( usually until 1:00 or 2:00 pm), and then its pretty much empty until around 8:00 pm when we sometimes go and watch tv. So they get around six hours of "alone time". Thats when they do most of there basking.

And there is no way I can fit anything else into my brothers and my small room or thats where the tank would be for sure.

[Shavannah]

I think the turtle book and care involvement are great ideas too. Although... my son (13) and I have an ongoing scare-the-crap-out-of-each-other thing right now, lol. We do the 'hide around the corner and wait' bit. It's quite fun to torment him, and I'm sure he thinks the same way. I don't even remember what started it, lol, but my husband yells at us to stop it. I feel like a kid again...LOL
But with 7 siblings, you might start something you may regret with the sneak and scare uproach. (but it would be fun to watch!)
Good luck, and let us know how it all works out.

[N4784N R4613]

Well they have pretty much dropped the whole scare the turtle bit, but the seven year old just found out that turtles are reptiles. She found an old reptile book in are school room and it just so happen to have a page with a large picture of a older RES's head. She holds it a foot or two away from the tank and both my turtles go to the front and start starring at the picture that is when she pushes it right up to the tank and they both swim like crazy to the back corners of the tank, and try and swim though the glass. And then she laughs.

She has only done this once, so I am hoping she forgets about it. If not I will hide the book somewhere.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

my little sister was pretty bad with my turtles when i first got them.
she would hop up and down yelling "OOOOOHHH TURTLES, CAN I FEED IT? PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

and i would just say no, over and over.she would watch them for a while asking way to many questions and my answer was no.eventually she got bored of them i guess. now she doesnt bother them. i had some feeder fishe's that i fed to my turtle since i have hundreds of them, i gave her two in a tiny fish bowl and bought her fish flakes.

those two little fishes occupy her as well, she has zero intrest in my turtles.

[DanielRES1180]

Wow, have your parents actually gotten rolling with something that will stop this behavior? From what I see it seems like your parents are turning a blind eye.

If they still don't want your sister to cry, they still should be a little hard handed with her, even if she has this acid-reflux problem. If she cries, that's her problem. Sometimes it drives me nuts beyond belief when people are that soft with spoiled children. That's when I see that firsthand.

[N4784N R4613]

Wow, have your parents actually gotten rolling with something that will stop this behavior? From what I see it seems like your parents are turning a blind eye.

If they still don't want your sister to cry, they still should be a little hard handed with her, even if she has this acid-reflux problem. If she cries, that's her problem. Sometimes it drives me nuts beyond belief when people are that soft with spoiled children. That's when I see that firsthand.

"Sigh" I think I am painting a bad picture of my Mom. My Dad passed away about a year and a half ago. My Mom is still not back to the Mom she was when my Dad was alive, but she is doing grate. We have been having some trouble keeping up with the bills. That forced me and my brother to find work(I'm only 15 and I am weedwacking for a landscaper. My brother is 17 and is doing website stuff for a church.). Anyway, the last thing my mom should have to worry about is me bugging her about my turtles. Yes, I have told my Mom three times and she has told my sister to stop, but she just thinks it is a game. So don't say that about my Mom. You have no idea what she is going though right now.

And as for my sister, I don't know how well you read my second post, BUT if she crys to hard the acid really comes up her esophagus and burns the inside walls and if she still crys it can go all the way up and into her windpipe. Thats when the problems really start she can stop breathing, her gag reflexs cause her to throw up, and it will burn the inside of her windpipe(which unlike the esophagus which has a little acid protection the windpipe has no protection). So as you can she if she crys she can, not likely, one in a million chance, die from crying.

[SpotsMama]

Sounds like your family has a lot on its plate right now. You're very brave to be dealing with it like you are and trying to look after your mom too.

It also sounds like you're making some progress in teaching your sisters how to treat the turtles. The best teacher is repetition. If you keep relentlessly repeating the message that we should be kind and gentle to the animals we are responsible for, then the other kids will probably get the message eventually. I think the suggestion to let the 7 year old help with feeding or some other small task is a good one if you think she's grown up enough to do this.

[Shavannah]

I'm very sorry about your Dad. I can't imagine how hard this is on your Mom, and all of you too. You and your brother are doing a great thing helping your Mom and the family out. I know it may not seem like it now, but things will get better. Keep your chin up, and keep guiding those little girls on the right path with your turtles. They will learn eventually, like SpotsMama said. Get creative with them, and don't give up.

[DanielRES1180]

Sorry for your dad and everything your mom is going through right now, I had no idea .

Okay, have you tried to organize your room as good as you can to get just enough space to put the tank in. Maybe you can try putting shelfs on your walls mom and budget permitting or getting rid of junk just gathering dust. You can start out by spreading the word of kindness or teaching your sister how to feed and/or doing small chores (help with cleaning and what not) for the turts as the other guys say. Sooner or later she will catch on.

[Boogerbutt02]

I have been thinking about this... why don't you try ingoring your sister when she does this... she wants the attetion that you are giving her, whether it is good or bad, when she yells at the turtles... if you stop giving her that attetion then maybe she will stop the yelling...