Do you have kids/grandkids who are excited about your hobby?

I have 6 grandchildren from 17 to 6. All boys but a 13 year old girl. My son is now dating a woman with girls 12 and 9 and I hope and pray this relationship is finally "the one" - he's 44 and deserves so much better than life has given him - he'd better not mess this up!

My grandkids enjoy going into the spare bedroom now known as The Fishroom and having a look when they're here, some more than others. The 8 year old always wants to feed them, which I understand. I'm trying to teach him how overfeeding can really make them sick, and not to feed them unless I'm there to show him how. I want to trust him but it's going to take awhile - there's something about an 8 year old that makes you watch closer!! Most just look a couple minutes then go off and do something else... it was fun the first 5 times but now... yawn!

So now the 9 year old girl was here Sunday for the first time, and someone mentioned fish - she couldn't wait to get into that room. She fell in love and I thought she'd be spending the night, she didn't want to leave that room! My 40 gallon is overstocked, heavily planted, and full of incredible things to a child with wide eyes. Different fish, 5 kinds of corydoras (18 total), amano shrimp, rili shrimp, a clown pleco she noticed right away even hiding in his cave, mystery snails, 3 kinds of pest snails. Things I probably take for granted every day, but I got to watch the magic in this child's face. She asked so many good questions, had never seen a mystery snail, loved holding it. I think every time she's around now (my son lives next door), I'll be hearing a tap on the door to ask to see the aquariums! Shrimp interested her and I showed her my new shrimp tank. Now I'm 3/4 through a whole new "scape" and think she's going to like this! She had no idea shrimp could be so colorful or small, not the kind people eat!

I just wonder how many of you have kids in your life who love what you have, what you do. Do you think they will continue the hobby one day? I think it's fun mentoring someone at something you enjoy and they just can't get enough!

 

Hoping that my almost 3 year old will take up the hobby. He helps me out with feeding every now and then but mainly enjoys slapping the glass with his chocolatey hands and scaring the fish. He’s beginning to understand things though so guessing this is just a phase.

Really looking forward to the day when he can do a water change for me - some free labour!

 

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Hoping that my almost 3 year old will take up the hobby. He helps me out with feeding every now and then but mainly enjoys slapping the glass with his chocolatey hands and scaring the fish. He’s beginning to understand things though so guessing this is just a phase.

Really looking forward to the day when he can do a water change for me - some free labour!

Oh yes, that's all a phase of his excitement! I have a 14 year old who loves animals, thought he might be the one to offer to help... nope. His older brother would if I asked, but I won't!
Kids are so fun to watch. It's all new to them and they light up!

 

I have a 4-year old grandson who lives next door. He occasionally wants to help feed the fish, and of course I encourage that, but if you think you have to watch an 8-year old closely imagine with a 4-year old.

I do hope he (and his 6-week old sister) will take more of an interest when he gets older.

 

I’m 15 and I live at home of course, as the oldest of 5 kids. I have a 10 year old sister who really doesn’t care that much. Every now and then she’ll come into my room and say something alarming like “what’s wrong with that fish it looks dead” and I’ll look and it will just be like an Otocinclus laying on the gravel or something with a simple explanation. She doesn’t care that much but I try to get her to. My 7 and 4 year old brothers have a bit of interest, they always look in my bag when I come back from the fish store, and they like to feed them and watch them. They have a short attention span though so it never lasts too long. They ask questions and I try to explain things like why can’t we get a jellyfish in a kid friendly way!The 7 year old has the idea that I promised to build him a tank, which I did not, and every few months he will ask about that again. My mother would not be happy if I brought more living things into her house though! Hopefully I can get them really into it and maybe have someone to help take care of them when I’m in college! I also have an 8 month old sister, she is just getting good at crawling and starting to try to repeat simple words. Me or someone else will just sit and hold her in front of the tank so she can see, and she stares at the fish so intently. She puts her little face right up to the glass and follows the movement of the fish with her head. She puts her baby hands up on the glass and kind of bumps the glass where she sees fish. It’s really cute! I hope I can keep her interest as she grows up too. She is the youngest, so maybe my parents will let her have tanks when she gets older, I’m only allowed one. It’s so cool seeing her interact with the fish, I don’t know if she realizes what fish are but she certainly likes the moving colors and blobs that come up to her face on the glass!

 

I’m 15 and I live at home of course, as the oldest of 5 kids. I have a 10 year old sister who really doesn’t care that much. Every now and then she’ll come into my room and say something alarming like “what’s wrong with that fish it looks dead” and I’ll look and it will just be like an Otocinclus laying on the gravel or something with a simple explanation. She doesn’t care that much but I try to get her to. My 7 and 4 year old brothers have a bit of interest, they always look in my bag when I come back from the fish store, and they like to feed them and watch them. They have a short attention span though so it never lasts too long. They ask questions and I try to explain things like why can’t we get a jellyfish in a kid friendly way!The 7 year old has the idea that I promised to build him a tank, which I did not, and every few months he will ask about that again. My mother would not be happy if I brought more living things into her house though! Hopefully I can get them really into it and maybe have someone to help take care of them when I’m in college! I also have an 8 month old sister, she is just getting good at crawling and starting to try to repeat simple words. Me or someone else will just sit and hold her in front of the tank so she can see, and she stares at the fish so intently. She puts her little face right up to the glass and follows the movement of the fish with her head. She puts her baby hands up on the glass and kind of bumps the glass where she sees fish. It’s really cute! I hope I can keep her interest as she grows up too. She is the youngest, so maybe my parents will let her have tanks when she gets older, I’m only allowed one. It’s so cool seeing her interact with the fish, I don’t know if she realizes what fish are but she certainly likes the moving colors and blobs that come up to her face on the glass!

Aww I loved reading this! I was the oldest of 5 and my youngest brother was born when I was 14, so we have some similarities there! Little ones do like to copy their older siblings sometimes, and you're so right about attention spans being short - that's normal. My youngest brother and I are the most alike of all of us, with similar likes and dislikes. I had a 10 gallon aquarium full of guppies when my kids were young (now 43 and 41, so it's been at least 30 years!) then I ended up giving that tank to him. I was without for many years til almost 3 years ago. Meanwhile he was married and had a nice 55 gallon tank for probably 10 years. Got tired of it, I kind of wanted it but didn't think I had room for it. He gave it to someone at work. I had a 20 gallon, then decided I'd go bigger and got a 40 gallon. I wish all the time I'd taken his tank and stand, it would've saved me a lot of money - but it's okay because the other lady is enjoying it and I'm happy with what I have.

I think you will have a lot of influence over them. Like many things, if you try to force them to be involved, you'll lose them. They have to think it's their idea and come to YOU about it! Everyone has different interests and hobbies, and maybe seeing you enjoy your tank will make them, or at least one of them, want one someday too. And I've also learned from experience that the later children have a lot less rules as they grow up, compared to the oldest! Maybe your parents will be more flexible and that baby girl will be allowed a larger one, or 2 tanks! You never know!

My 14 year old grandson has had several frogs in the last 3 years in tanks in his room. If my daughter would allow it, there would be a basement full of tanks probably holding lizards and snakes and many other reptiles - but she will NOT allow that! lol He loves animals, I don't know what made him go that direction, but I also like those things. I wouldn't mind owning a small snake like a ball python. I'm the one here when we have snakes around the house that goes looking for them. As long as I know what kind I'm dealing with, I'm not afraid. That's rubbed off on him. Personally I'd like a horse more than any other animal but at my age now, I have to settle for watching my granddaughter take riding lessons - glad she shares my love for horses too!

 

I'm a few days late. But my wife sent me this while I was at work last week. My daughter and nephew. Don't mind the algae, this tank is going through something .




So yeah, I might have some apprentices coming up. We'll see how their interest holds as they get older.

 

I'm a few days late. But my wife sent me this while I was at work last week. My daughter and nephew. Don't mind the algae, this tank is going through something .

View attachment 824922

So yeah, I might have some apprentices coming up. We'll see how their interest holds as they get older.

That's precious!

 

My sisters kids love my tanks but I swear I get anxiety from how hard they knock the glass

 

My sisters kids love my tanks but I swear I get anxiety from how hard they knock the glass

Oh yes, they have to be taught not to do that with reasons their age can understand. Gentle!

 

Oh yes, they have to be taught not to do that with reasons their age can understand. Gentle!

Ya ,I just tell them it scares the fishies

 

I only have one grandchild, a 17 month old girl, that I'm hoping will grow up enjoying the hobby as I do. She doesn't live close, so we video daily. A couple weeks ago, I decided to show her my fish over video. I may have made a mistake, though, lol! Now she would rather see them than me! She just says, "Fish, fish, fish,........" as soon as I call.