Had kids w/ chins in the house? Need your help.

[dragonflower]

I am pregnant with my first baby, and have 3 chins. They are currently in the living room, but will be moved either upstairs or downstairs when the baby comes. We sweep up the poops every day, but there are still poops.

Every time I talk to my dad, we get in a fight/discussion over getting rid of my girls. He has it stuck in his head that you can not raise babies in the same house as chins. I've tried telling him how the chins won't be in the living room, or even on the same level, where the baby will be crawling around. He still insists you can not raise a healthy baby with chins in the house.

So I need your help. If you have raised a baby with your chins in the house, please take a moment to write a reassuring message to my dad. I will be printing it out and showing him next time I see him.

Thanks!

[Chingal]

I have raise three infants ( now ages 6,7,and 2) with over 100 chins in my home. I vacuum about 3 times a day and the chins have the spare bedroom/den as their room and the door just stays closed unless I am in there. They have never been a problem or caused any problems with my kids. All 3 have eaten chin food and LOVE it..LOL..Good fiber. They have all held loved kissed the chins and even shared their gummi bears with them about 3 years ago ( no ill effects on kids or chins other than I had some rainbow colored white mosaic for a few days).
The onlt concern I ever had was with Stefani since she was born 5 weeks early about the dust affecting her breathing which we just dusted very rarely( once every 10 days for a couple of months) and daddy took her for a drive during dusting time.Now she is 2 and is ABSOLUTELY a normal healthy 2 year old.

[picasso]

Do you live with your dad? If you don't then why are you worried about it? He needs to have respect for you and your decisions. I plan on having kids in a few years and I don't feel the need to rehome my chins.

Good luck! Family issues can be a pain. Believe me, I've had my share of them.

[dondeb562]

I am pregnant with my second child. I did not get chins until my first daughter was close to a year, but we had rats, snakes, lizards ,fish, cats, frogs etc with her. The only thing was that I could not change cat litter and I had to limit the amount of play time with the reptiles because of salmonila (sp?). There should be no problem. My obgyn actually bought a chin off me about 5 months ago and I am sure she would have said something about not being able to have them since she knows that I breed them.
Also chins are vegatarians so it is a different bacteria, not saying you can't get sick from it still.
I know how it is to have someone like that though. My grandma started up with me and I just told her I didn't want to hear it so now she calls my mom and tells her to tell me something. My mom won't though cause she raised me and my brother with a house full of animals too!
Congrats!!

[ForCHINate Chins]

I have an 8 year old daughter, and a 6 month old son (who will be crawling very soon). I have no concerns about having chins in the house, as of now, we have 18 and growing (3 pending adoption). I have a mansion in my living room and the chins throw poop out of it, so I vacuum it up, no big deal. Sometimes I feel like my vacuum is my best friend I use it so much. As for your dad's concerns, your life is yours to live however you feel fit for yourself, he raised you to an adult, now it is time to let go, not to be mean or anything. Also, you don't plan on leaving your baby in the room by itself to crawl around and eat the poop anyway, I am sure, so you'd catch the baby if it got ahold of anything bad first!!

I don't quite understand why he thinks that you can't raise a baby with chins in the house, though. How many people in the world have pets, and they raise children in the house with them. Wouldn't it be worse if you had a dog and the dog pooped in the living room and the baby crawled through it. If you had a dog, would he tell you to keep it outside or locked up in a room by itself? That is unfair to any animal. I have 2 cats and a rabbit besides my chins, and they all are part of my family, and they don't bother the baby at all, in fact, his favorite thing to do is to sit in his walker in front of the chin cage in my living room and watch them play, he laughs and laughs!!!

I hope your dad gets over it, those chins could end up being your baby's favorite thing to watch too, not every kids perfect animal is a dog or a cat!!!!!

[tararosej]

No offense, but your dad needs to get real. I have had chins and kids living in the same house. My 16m old was crawling around on the floor next to the cages and I swept everyday so she could not get the poops or hay. My kids have petted the chins and the older one helps fill bottles and dishes. As long as their hands get washed, what's the harm? We have other pets as well, and I am pregnant right now. I still clean everyone's cages, but I leave my cat's box to be done by my hubby. I am sure my baby at one time or another had a piece of pellet or hay in her mouth- no ill effects! I think some people overreact to animals being in the house with children. I understand since it is your first you may be very protective as well- I went through that, lol! I really hope he doesn't "make" you get rid of your babies!

[JBBinTex]

I didn't have chins when I was pregnant, but I had two cats...and I did clean the litter box. The way I see it, everything has germs/bacteria/etc. on it. I just made sure to wear latex gloves and then washed my hands with anti-bacterial soap after. I think with chins, you would just have to make sure you clean up the stray gifts on a regular basis. If your father keeps giving you a hard time tell him he will have to bring some new clothes (with tags still on so you can verify...maybe even w/the receipt so you know the date of purchase). Then he will have to scrub his whole body with anti-bacterial soap...in yard using the hose. You can never be to careful when it comes to babies...he may be carrying germs...or bacteria. Better yet, tell him to bring along a sterilized hazmat suit. The things he could be carrying on himself could pose a bigger threat than your chinnies (as long as they are properly cleaned up after..which I have no doubt they are). I would just have to be a total smartbutt and stick by my guns. I really would make my dad do all those things if he kept pestering me. Although, after 32 years, he knows I would have him hosing himself off in the yard if he wanted to see his grandchild. Stay strong and try to not let him upset you to much. That is not good for the baby or you.

[foxbite2]

I have an overbearing mother, that hates rodents of any type.. I had my first chin before I had my first child, and my mother gave me the same grief... I just blew her off.. it is my life.. she runs her life... I run mine

[LSerilla]

I have 3 kids and my youngest is 3 and she has always been around chins.

chins are clean, and they only thim they are dirty is when, people dont keep them clean.

so i would tellyour dad not ot worry.

in your area have one of the big breeds talk to him.

best wishes
Laura

[alpayton]

I just have to add that there have been many articles written about the health of children raised in homes where there are animals from the beginning and the health of those children raised in bubbles. It has been proven over and over again that children that go to daycare (where there are many many germs) and those that are raised in homes where there are pets that are leaving germs among other things on the floor, are far more healthy than those children who have parents that won't let them touch dirt without having an antibacterial towel bath afterwards.

http://www.usc.edu/hsc/info/pr/hmm/00-01winter/germs.html

http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/hl/sp/home/alert09192000.jsp

http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/healthy/Pets.htm

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/104_pets.html