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Severe bug phobia...anyone???
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 61135" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>difficult child 1 was like this with basically all mammals, including the cute ones. From as early as I can remember. </p><p>He was a bit over a year old when I was unloading the kids outside our house one afternoon (instead of in the garage as usual) and the small, white kitten over the road LOOKED at him, and made as if to cross the road ("children! Goody, I can play!"). difficult child 1 was hysterical and climbing up my legs to get away, even though the kitten didn't actually cross. It wouldn't have been more than six weeks old.</p><p></p><p>When he was maybe four, we saw a girl in the street with the cutest, tiny puppy - I think it was a long-haired chihuahua. I wanted her to show easy child, but difficult child 1 scrambled into the back of the car to get away from the pup, which by the way was still in the girl's arms, OUTSIDE the car.</p><p></p><p>At 5, he was in Kindergarten and the class visited a zoo. He spent the entire time clinging to his teacher. She had to keep talking to him and keep him with her, outside the cages and away from the animals. He got a class award "for trying to be brave with the animals at the zoo."</p><p>Interestingly, it was the same zoo where he later worked as a volunteer for 18 months!</p><p></p><p>We despaired for years of ever getting through to difficult child 1. what began to get through was the continual familiarity. We had chooks (poultry) and difficult child 1 was used to watching them scratch around the yard. I would lock the chooks up at night and let them out in the day. If difficult child 1 was home I'd often wait to let them out until he had already had his time outside playing, but as he got used to them he became braver about approaching them.</p><p>Then he and husband would go out really early (way before sunrise) to do research on wild birds - tag and release. At first difficult child 1 helped by writing down the measurements, but soon he was running down to check the mist nets and reporting back on what had been caught. His knowledge increased and his fear decreased.</p><p></p><p>For a long time he was still afraid of animals other than birds, but he actively worked on his fear especially with animals we knew well from the neighbourhood. The dog next door; the 'personality' terrier that lived over the road but 'adopted' the local welfare officer and travelled with him to cases. I would watch difficult child 1 hold out his hand, trembling, to pat a dog. He would kick a ball for a dog and throw a stick for a dog, but if the dog jumped up on him he would be a wreck again.</p><p></p><p>Several times I tried to get a dog, and it just didn't work out. The last one was a dingo (it turned out) who was just too wild in too many ways. Very friendly, very loving, but hated being fenced in and would dig her way out of anywhere. I remember difficult child 1 sitting beside her, his arm around her. He was 8 at the time and he had begun to work on his fear.</p><p></p><p>He has done really well, but not completely overcome it. He's been studying animal care and enjoyed his time at the zoo but still gets spooked by some animal situations. He left the zoo at least partly because of this continuing fear - he had a tumble over the fence of the pig enclosure and the rush of pigs scared him. And he was always scared when it came to feeding the Highland cattle - big hairy things that would rush the wheelbarrow in their eagerness to get the food. </p><p></p><p>I've watched him handle snakes & lizards, birds (many times) and most domestic animals. I remember watching him handle a wombat at the zoo with skill, and it was a delight to see him crooning over the dingo pups and the newborn calf. He's fine with kangaroos. He's hand-fed our brushtail possums that live in our backyard.</p><p></p><p>He's come a very long way.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 61135, member: 1991"] difficult child 1 was like this with basically all mammals, including the cute ones. From as early as I can remember. He was a bit over a year old when I was unloading the kids outside our house one afternoon (instead of in the garage as usual) and the small, white kitten over the road LOOKED at him, and made as if to cross the road ("children! Goody, I can play!"). difficult child 1 was hysterical and climbing up my legs to get away, even though the kitten didn't actually cross. It wouldn't have been more than six weeks old. When he was maybe four, we saw a girl in the street with the cutest, tiny puppy - I think it was a long-haired chihuahua. I wanted her to show easy child, but difficult child 1 scrambled into the back of the car to get away from the pup, which by the way was still in the girl's arms, OUTSIDE the car. At 5, he was in Kindergarten and the class visited a zoo. He spent the entire time clinging to his teacher. She had to keep talking to him and keep him with her, outside the cages and away from the animals. He got a class award "for trying to be brave with the animals at the zoo." Interestingly, it was the same zoo where he later worked as a volunteer for 18 months! We despaired for years of ever getting through to difficult child 1. what began to get through was the continual familiarity. We had chooks (poultry) and difficult child 1 was used to watching them scratch around the yard. I would lock the chooks up at night and let them out in the day. If difficult child 1 was home I'd often wait to let them out until he had already had his time outside playing, but as he got used to them he became braver about approaching them. Then he and husband would go out really early (way before sunrise) to do research on wild birds - tag and release. At first difficult child 1 helped by writing down the measurements, but soon he was running down to check the mist nets and reporting back on what had been caught. His knowledge increased and his fear decreased. For a long time he was still afraid of animals other than birds, but he actively worked on his fear especially with animals we knew well from the neighbourhood. The dog next door; the 'personality' terrier that lived over the road but 'adopted' the local welfare officer and travelled with him to cases. I would watch difficult child 1 hold out his hand, trembling, to pat a dog. He would kick a ball for a dog and throw a stick for a dog, but if the dog jumped up on him he would be a wreck again. Several times I tried to get a dog, and it just didn't work out. The last one was a dingo (it turned out) who was just too wild in too many ways. Very friendly, very loving, but hated being fenced in and would dig her way out of anywhere. I remember difficult child 1 sitting beside her, his arm around her. He was 8 at the time and he had begun to work on his fear. He has done really well, but not completely overcome it. He's been studying animal care and enjoyed his time at the zoo but still gets spooked by some animal situations. He left the zoo at least partly because of this continuing fear - he had a tumble over the fence of the pig enclosure and the rush of pigs scared him. And he was always scared when it came to feeding the Highland cattle - big hairy things that would rush the wheelbarrow in their eagerness to get the food. I've watched him handle snakes & lizards, birds (many times) and most domestic animals. I remember watching him handle a wombat at the zoo with skill, and it was a delight to see him crooning over the dingo pups and the newborn calf. He's fine with kangaroos. He's hand-fed our brushtail possums that live in our backyard. He's come a very long way. Marg [/QUOTE]
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