I was looking into bat houses....
Jun. 6th, 2006 12:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
conuly
Because I like bats (and hummingbirds, but they can get feeders instead of houses....) and it reminded me of something that upset me last time I took Ana to the zoo.
I go to the zoo with Ana, and head straight towards the fish. We stare at the fish a while. We admire the eel. Then we go look at the bats, and the bugs, and the snakes, and the various adorable mammals.
It's great fun. Ana has no fear of these things when they're safely behind glass. (I'm working on reducing her fear of bugs outside of glass, but it's a bit of a struggle. She's fascinated when I show her how completely unafraid I am to have insects crawling all up and down my flesh, but, unfortunately, most insects are not so unafraid as I am, and refuse to participate in this valuable learning experience.)
If she develops such a fear, it certainly won't be from me. It may, however, be from the other adults at the zoo.
God! Why would you go to the zoo just to teach your kids that bats are scary, bugs are icky, and the only fish worth noticing are those in popular movies? WHY????
And if you hold any of those views, why do you specifically go look at the animals you're scared of? Don't you think it's a little rude to walk up to them in their clearly labelled little alcove and start screaming your silly little heads off?
And, while we're on the subject, can you read the damn signs before shooting your fool mouths off about the animals? The little bird isn't the baby peacock. It's a starling. It snuck in there uninvited to eat the food. One would really think that was obvious by the fact that it keeps hopping in and out between the bars. The big bird down there? That's not a duck. It looks nothing like a duck. It doesn't sound like a duck. It ain't a damn duck. It's a goose. You know, the other part of the "duck duck goose" equation? Saved the city of Rome? Ringing any bells?
Read the signs.
Stop being silly.
Grow up.
And please - stop trying frantically to undo all my good work with my nieces. They don't need to have your phobias, thanks very much.
I go to the zoo with Ana, and head straight towards the fish. We stare at the fish a while. We admire the eel. Then we go look at the bats, and the bugs, and the snakes, and the various adorable mammals.
It's great fun. Ana has no fear of these things when they're safely behind glass. (I'm working on reducing her fear of bugs outside of glass, but it's a bit of a struggle. She's fascinated when I show her how completely unafraid I am to have insects crawling all up and down my flesh, but, unfortunately, most insects are not so unafraid as I am, and refuse to participate in this valuable learning experience.)
If she develops such a fear, it certainly won't be from me. It may, however, be from the other adults at the zoo.
God! Why would you go to the zoo just to teach your kids that bats are scary, bugs are icky, and the only fish worth noticing are those in popular movies? WHY????
And if you hold any of those views, why do you specifically go look at the animals you're scared of? Don't you think it's a little rude to walk up to them in their clearly labelled little alcove and start screaming your silly little heads off?
And, while we're on the subject, can you read the damn signs before shooting your fool mouths off about the animals? The little bird isn't the baby peacock. It's a starling. It snuck in there uninvited to eat the food. One would really think that was obvious by the fact that it keeps hopping in and out between the bars. The big bird down there? That's not a duck. It looks nothing like a duck. It doesn't sound like a duck. It ain't a damn duck. It's a goose. You know, the other part of the "duck duck goose" equation? Saved the city of Rome? Ringing any bells?
Read the signs.
Stop being silly.
Grow up.
And please - stop trying frantically to undo all my good work with my nieces. They don't need to have your phobias, thanks very much.
