My boy sounds like his Daddy sounded about 8 years ago. I don't care for dogs in general and absolutely did NOT want a dog. Ben is more stubborn than me so we ended up with a perfectly nice dog named Kirby who was NOT the duck hunting dog Ben had expected. And just like the stereotype of nearly every kid that gets a dog and promises to take care of it all by himself, he completely lost interest in his furry friend and I ended up with nearly all the dog-walking, poop-scooping and dog feeding because I was more considerate of the dog's basic needs. Oh, and I was also more likely to run across the evidence of a dog left too long in a house alone. Still, I did grow fond of our furry friend over time and I was sorry when he died. But I don't miss having a minefield in the backyard or the late night forays in the snow to find a dog that's run off or the vet bills.
But recently Sam has been repeatedly requesting we get a dog. He promises to take care of the dog "I'm not too little!" he says but of course I know better. I'm having a very hard time trying explain why we aren't getting a dog since I don't think the response "No way in hell!" will go very far with him. I very much don't want a dog mostly because I know that it would end up being my responsibility and I absolutely don't want that responsibility.
Ben would be open to getting a dog particularly since he knows I'll end up doing all the work and he believes a kid should have a dog.
Maybe I should point out that the time I spend taking care of the dog will be time I won't be able to spend doing things with him. Is that cruel?
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4 comments:
That's not cruel, but it won't be effective, either.
Just hang tough. You can do it!
Not what you want to hear, but I think every kid should have a dog, if at all possible. We have two, and they annoy the hell out of me much of the time, and yes, I got stuck with 95% of the work, but it's worth it. I think a dog is so great for teaching a kid compassion and responsibility. Not to mention the unconditional doggy love when you're having a bad day.
I don't really mind the walking and the poop-scooping that much. I DO mind when they get into the garbage and then get explosively sick all over . . . .
I got custody of the dog for the summer, and i'm absolutely thrilled. Its hard to see how old she's gotten in a year and a half, but i look forward to our walk every night when i get home from work...she's the only one who really cares how my day went. Knowing she's sleeping beside the bed makes me feel a little bit less lonely.
So Phyllis and Elisa, you're both working on the guilt factor to a certain extent, eh? My problem is that I still don't want a dog!
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