Very Young Children and Parrots?

[Naurthon]

I spoke with a woman today who was interested in getting a Senegal parrot for her six year old son. She also has a three year old son. I told her I didn't recommend it. I suggested she wait until he was around 10 or so and then get him a budgie.

It would be one thing if she were getting the bird for her own companion, but I don't think a six year old is up to the task of caring for a parrot.

Anyone have any feedback or input on kids owning their own parrots?

[Michael]

My opinion is summed up in this article:

The Most Suitable Parrot for a Young Child

Let me point out that Senegals have a tendency toward becoming one person birds and can be pretty vicious. It just wouldn't work with a little kid like that no matter what. Even if the parents take care of the bird and do everything right, the kid won't have the self-restraint to properly react to wanted and unwanted behavior so it's pretty inevitable that the bird will bite.

[Khaiqha]

6 is just so young. Granted, people mature at different rates, but 6 is seriously pushing it I think, especially for a bird.

When I was 6, I had a gerbil. And by had, my parents took care of it while I just played with it. The first animal I really took care of was a ferret I got in 4th grade. I also had a budgie then, but my parents took care of it.

I got my first irn in 6th grade, and was able to take care of it then. But by that point, I had been volunteering at animal shelters and what not.

Basically what I'm saying is, if the parents want a bird for themselves, that's one thing. If they want one for their 6 year old, that's probably a really bad idea.

[laducockatiel]

I'm 13 and I got my cockatiel this year. I always used to ask my parents for a bird when I was younger, but they didn't think I would be responsible for it (since I was so young) and they were right. If I were younger that bird would have died for sure. I think the main reason why kids can't look after a bird, or any other pet, is that they don't know what they are doing at that age.

[Sixwing]

I got my first pair of budgies when I was.. 14? 15? Anyway, it was a while ago.

I'd already had practice caring for animals (we had dogs and cats, and their daily care was part of my chores) but the budgies kicked it up a notch, and I had to really work just to keep up with them.

They were never as tame, or as comfortable with people, as even my current pair, for which I blame my own lack of skill. I could handle them; nobody else could. Their diet was poor, cage was poor, because I didn't know how to take care of them. I know better now, and I wish I could tell my younger self all the things I've learned.

My current pair of budgies came to me terrified of people to the point of ping-ponging off the bars and huddling far from anything that moved. I rehomed them from my nephew, who wasn't able to take care of them. He's 12. It's taken me six months to coax them to lose their fear of humans.

I'd look hard at the child's maturity, discipline and ability to stick to a schedule. Ability to be bitten and not react, or worse, retaliate. Ability to be patient, and kind, and realize that the bird in the cage is probably never going to be the stereotypical pirate's parrot.

My other parrot is a Senegal (bumper sticker!) and, if he is typical of his species, I don't know that I'd recommend him for a kid. He can be very unpredictable, and his bites hurt a whole lot more than a budgie's pinch, and he needs so much more than they do.

I won't give a direct "no, never," but I will say that it's important to evaluate the situation thoroughly, and to have a backup plan for the bird/s if it doesn't work out.