We Bought a Fish

21 posted on August 21, 2008
POSTED IN: Family

Chloe, my oldest, loves animals. Like, just about any animal. She can’t walk past someone walking a dog without asking if she can pet it. She’s been begging us for a dog, cat, rabbit, hamster – you name it. Instead we bought her a fish.

I know eventually we’re going to have to break down and get some kind of animal for her but for now we’ve got our bases covered. Living upstairs without a backyard wouldn’t be the best for a dog. Lisa’s allergic to cats. And frankly, if the girls were better about keeping their own room clean I might feel better about them keeping a pet’s cage clean. For now she’s happy with her new fish.

How old were you when you got your first pet?
Are we bad parents for not getting her something more than a fish?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 9:08 am and is filed under Family. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

23 Comments

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  1. Visit My Website

    August 21, 2008

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    1 Jason Ruggles said:

    April and I were joking the other day about Chloe and her “dogdar”.

    “Uncle J! There’s a dog over there!! Can I pet it????!!!!”

    “Wha..?? That’s not a dog, that’s a speck on the horizon!”

    But I’m with Chloe (April won’t let me even think about getting a dog). Get her a dog… like a great dane or bull mastif. Something easy to have in small spaces.



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    August 21, 2008

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    2 Nate said:

    i never had a pet growing up. not exactly sure why. maybe finances or maybe i never asked. i was an only child till 9. but then my younger brother got the first pet-a gerbil. i think we went through one or two more gerbils. i ended up taking care of them the most.
    then when i was 16 my parents got a dog…something that i thought would never happen. and when i was about 18 and ready to move out they got a second dog.
    so…i guess i harbor a little bitterness. thanks for letting me talk about it. i feel better. :P
    oh, and i’m not getting a pet for my children. not one that you have to clean up it’s poop. we have enough poop in our house, and enough excitement with 4 kids. did i mention it’s a 3 bedroom apartment? i’m sure they’ll break me one day, but for now, i’m standing firm.



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    August 21, 2008

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    3 Emily Rowe said:

    I had a dog as a kid, I was very young when we got Duke, and my Mom was always a pet lover so we always had a cat or two. I’m with you. We don’t have a pet. My kids would love one, but I have a hard enough time keeping up with things now, so I can’t imagine adding a pet to that list. I will tell you that we are harvesting butterflies this year and that has been awesome. The entire process takes about a month and then you let them go. NICE! NO MESS! The kids are learning and the experience is super cool! Just a thought!

    Emily Rowes last blog post..Some of my pictures- NY and PA



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    August 21, 2008

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    4 Adam said:

    Yes Brad you are a horrible parent. Probably the worst I’ve seen ever.. (just jokes) But Madison always asks for a pet. But we just can’t get one right now. Plus Karen doesn’t care for dogs, cats, anything with fur really. So I think our only option would be to get a fish.

    Although I would love a dog someday.

    Adams last blog post..My Workout..



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    August 21, 2008

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    5 Kayro said:

    Exactly the same thought process we went thru with our firstborn, Brad. But beware the results: a sobbing child standing over the toilet as we conducted more than one watery graveside service for floating-upside down fish!



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    August 21, 2008

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    6 Jason said:

    I was 22 when I got my first dog. My daughter has had 6 fish in the past year, all Beta fish, all 6 rode the porcelain tornado to the river.

    Jasons last blog post..For Laura



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    August 21, 2008

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    7 Patty said:

    I think my first pet was a dog at age 5. After that my family was hooked.

    We had a dog and a cat pretty much from age 5 until I got married and left the house. For a short period of time we had parakeets….but that didn’t last long. I like animals that I can cuddle with and not have to clean cages!!

    They were my entertainment as an only child. I’m sure that made it easier for my parents too.

    You’re not a horrible parent. Seems the norm these days to NOT have a pet, but personally if I had kids, I’d have a pet. It’s great to have that companion and I think it shows kids responsibility. ;-) A fish is a great start! I think it’s responsible of you and Lisa not to get caught up in HAVING to get a dog or cat at this time and then have to shuffle the poor thing around to another home if it didn’t work. It’s better to wait until you’re ready.



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    August 21, 2008

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    8 double a – ron said:

    so, would the name happen to be shark boy?
    and have they fed him milk and cereal yet? ;)



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    August 21, 2008

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    9 Crystal Renaud said:

    i was in middle school before i got a pet. and it as a parakeet. not hard to take care of, really.

    and what the heck… did you steal my fish?
    http://www.pinkhairedgirl.net/wp-content/betta1.jpg

    Crystal Renauds last blog post..You Ask, I’ll Answer: Deux



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    August 21, 2008

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    10 Dad said:

    Get her black lab puppy. She will love it. And so will Emily.



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    August 21, 2008

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    11 Jeff M. Miller said:

    If you’re bad parents for this, then I’m the world’s worst Dad. I HATE our dog, but I love my kids. So, we have a dog.

    When you’re ready to upgrade that pet to a beagle, I’ve got one I’ll stuff in an envelope and mail you.

    I’m just sayin’…



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    August 21, 2008

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    12 Laura Carney said:

    Nah, you’re not a bad parent, unless we are too! We have been huge commitment-phobes about getting a dog…we’d have to be home at certain times to let it out (because, you know, we have such exciting lives)! We’d have to buy it food! There’d be vet bills! We’d just rather have more children…sooo much less work, money, and commitment ;)

    Laura Carneys last blog post..Drama, Drama, Drama…



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    August 21, 2008

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    13 Jared Woodard said:

    I think I was about 7 when I got my first dog,but I lived way out in the boondock’s,so its a diffrent ballgame.

    Pets are good for kid’s,no matter what kind. It teaches them alot of responsibility.

    Jared Woodards last blog post..Around the House



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    August 21, 2008

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    14 Abbey said:

    I was 16…and I love my cat very much!!! She’s awesome =)



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    August 21, 2008

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    15 Steve Murphy said:

    A fish is perfect for her age. She’ll get a little taste of responsibility and that should make her feel very important!

    …and someday, you will have a funeral (flush!) and it will break her heart, as it should… then you get to be superman and comfort her. Enjoy!

    Steve Murphys last blog post..How do you really feel?



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    August 22, 2008

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    16 tam said:

    does the fishy have a name?

    i was 3 when i got my first pet. it was a stray cat. i named it “hodgey”

    my mom tells me today it was premonition that i would marry a “hodge”.

    uh. ok.

    tams last blog post..have you ever?



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    August 22, 2008

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    17 Nick said:

    I have never met a worst parent than you, you should be ashamed – Don’t you know every good parent gives into all of their kids desires. ;)

    I was probably 3 or 4…I considered our dog “my dog” and our rabit “my rabit” whereas they were really the family pet and I had no responsibility of caring for it.

    The only danger with the fish is they are very fragile, they die for no reason at all. We dealt with that when Gavin was around 2. Fortunately, we caught it before he saw it and I was able to go replace the dead fish with an identical one before he even knew a thing! When the next one died, we were not as lucky, but used it as an opportunity to talk about death and going to the “quiet place.”

    Nicks last blog post..The Top Secret Photos



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    August 22, 2008

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    18 Jad said:

    I had tons of fish when I was a kid and finally my parents bought a dog when I was 12. (I was an allergy kid for a long time until I outgrew them) It was a German Sheppard named Jenny. Jenny had a tendency to bite though so Jenny was taken away.

    Jads last blog post..Thursday’s Question: What Annoys You?



  19. Visit My Website

    August 22, 2008

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    19 Rachel said:

    I was 4 when I got my first pet… and it was a fish, too!

    Then we got a bird… and that was huge because I had to clean her cage every Saturday by myself…

    Then, when I graduated college (yes, I had to wait THAT long…) I got Palmer, my dog… and I am glad I had to wait. Dogs are a HUGE responsibility… and kinda expensive… I didn’t believe my parents when they were telling me all those things about dogs when I was little… but, now they can definitely say, “I told you so…”

    Rachels last blog post..Red Velvet.



  20. Visit My Website

    August 22, 2008

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    20 jayme lea said:

    Hey Brad!

    You are great parents so save yourselves for as long as possible on the pet thing. Larry Joe the rabbit is cute, but every time he hears the sweeper, scream, boom, bang, let’s put it this way he has a sensitive stomach and the outcome STINKS. I love the little creature, but it I could change the past he’d be someone else’s pet.

    Kids seldom care for animals like they should. I know this b/c I had 3 pets growing up and according to my mom: Thomas the cat had mange and went to Heaven. Mind you, he was there when I left for school, healthy and w/ all his hair. When I came home he went to see the good Lord????? Abby the Persian Cat had to move out b/c she kept crapping on my sister’s stuff. I gave her extra tuna when she did that :-) Elly the shelty dog, my mom got so tired of her and my dad that she left. So I don’t think I helped out much on the pet thing when I was a kid. If you could see Larry Joe’s cage right now it speaks for itself.

    Stick w/ the fish…. they can be flushed and it’s not against the law.



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    August 23, 2008

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    21 Rachel Rowell said:

    Not at all. I totally agree with you. Our kids had been wanting a pet, so we just started a small 10 gallon aquarium hoping it would curb their urge, while not sending their dad and I over the edge with yet one more thing to take care of and clean up after. Because Lord knows I don’t need anymore of that! :)

    I think you made a wise choice personally.

    Rachel Rowells last blog post..“Healer” Songwriter Scandal



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    August 23, 2008

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    22 Mamirosa & Co. said:

    Awwww… I remember my first pet fish. I killded it… LOL! Not on purpose of course but I forgot to feed it. I wanted a dog so bad but my Mom thought I’d forget to feed it too. Probably a good thing she got me a fish instead, huh? =)

    Our baby is 10 months and we have 2 dogs and a cat. She loves them soooo much! She gets this humongous smile on her face… I guess she got lucky… Now I just have to teach her to be “gentle” when it comes to touching them because she wants to poke their eyes out, stick her fingers up their noses and (other places I won’t mention) AND she tuggs at their ears really hard! Our eldest dog doesn’t mind… (he’s a cocker spaniel mix). He’s pretty mellow but our little chihuahua is a fire cracker. I’ve had to scold him for snapping at her but I try not to keep them in the same room too much. And I always supervise…

    I think it’s better to get them dogs and cats when they get older…. but this is a good step towards responsibility. =)

    May your fishy live long years! LOL

    Mamirosa & Co.s last blog post..{ I can already tell… }



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    October 20, 2008

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    23 Laura Lehman said:

    /Users/lauralehman/Desktop/IMG_0070.jpg

    I think you should buy her a Llama…



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