kristin0713 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Just wondering if there are activities I'm not thinking of. My DD is 11 and has yet to find her niche. She absolutely loves animals, though. She has some anxiety in new situations and would not join a club like 4H at this point, but she would spend all day at the 4H fair in the animal tents if she could. She's going to do a 6 week horseback riding class this fall. I looked into therapy dog classes for our dog because we have perhaps the sweetest and most affectionate beagle mix in the world, but the places I called said they will not allow children to participate in the training. Anything else I do with her? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Volunteer at your local shelter, zoo, or rescue? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Agility training with her dog? She can do that at home if your dog already has basic training down pat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Can you get a few backyard chickens? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenecho Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 How about a small pet? When I was a child I got a girl and a boy mouse, and got to watch them have babies. My friend had mice too and we cross bread them. We were going to "make money selling them" but we ended up giving them away for free to a place who promised not to sell them as food for snakes (and they later told us they were the tamest mice they've had, since they were handled so much. Doing that helped us experience the whole process. Hamsters would work well too...as a lot of people prefer to buy a home bread hamster over a store bought one, because they have been handled and are more tame. I also had a friend that got an angora rabbit and combed it for the fur, which she then spun into thread and sold. It's another sort of "home farming" idea. Also, if she doesn't feel as comfortable volunteering at a shelter, there are places that have people take home pets to "foster" until they find more permanent homes for them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin0713 Posted August 14, 2017 Author Share Posted August 14, 2017 No chickens allowed in our neighborhood. I really don't want another animal in the house and I'm sure the dog would try to eat it anyway. Agility training with our dog is a great idea! I don't think we have a "local" shelter or rescue closer than like 30 minutes but I will ask our vet. I appreciate all the suggestions! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Why aren't chickens allowed? :angry: Maybe she should write letters to the relevant people to get the rule changed! She could research dog training methods and develop her own program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin0713 Posted August 14, 2017 Author Share Posted August 14, 2017 It's just the rules of our HOA. Our town allows them, just not the neighborhood. We do have friends with chickens. She loves to visit them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 She could start a small pet sitting business or a dog walking business. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 A small backyard pond? When we tore our pool down, my hubby dug a small pond. Now it's stocked with fish, snails, & a turtle. Local frogs lay eggs & it attracts other wildlife. My daughter has gotten so much out of it & we all enjoy watching it throughout the year. Is that a possibilty for you? Also, what about bird feeders, etc.? We have tons of those & enjoy learning about our winged visitors. Bird baths, corn cob stands (for squirrels), hummingbird feeders, owl boxes, bird houses. We got to see swallows nest & raise their young 2 years in a row! They even have window feeders for up-close viewing. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stibalfamily Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 We grow milkweed to help the monarch population recover and we help raise the caterpillars. My son loves butterflies. There are lots of pollinators that need our help. You could grow a pollinator garden and focus on a struggling species in your area. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syllieann Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Beekeeping? Maybe learn about bats and construct a bat box. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 I was going to say eat them, but I don't think that's what you're looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 I was going to say eat them, but I don't think that's what you're looking for. LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 Beekeeping? Maybe learn about bats and construct a bat box. We were going to do the bat box thing (I find them fascinating!) but they carry diseases & decided not to. If you go this route, do your due diligence & make sure it's a fit for your family (& pets!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmerlin Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 We grow milkweed to help the monarch population recover and we help raise the caterpillars. My son loves butterflies. There are lots of pollinators that need our help. You could grow a pollinator garden and focus on a struggling species in your area. OMG! I forgot to mention our butterfly garden--it has definitely paid off! We also recently got a butterfly house & hope to get residents this hibernation season. A nature basket can also encourage home-based nature adventures! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Hummingbird feeder The horse lessons are huge. Horses are extremely emotionally intelligent and require a lot of care. Did you pay for these lessons and do you think you can afford to continue? If so I would bank on it that she will be smitten by horses. My dd now has her own horse, and she doesn't have social anxiety but she is an extrovert who has trouble with new people and situations. She is extremely sensitive and loving and her horse is her whole world. I would not spend too much at home till you see how the horse lessons go. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristin0713 Posted August 15, 2017 Author Share Posted August 15, 2017 Yeah, the horse thing is very expensive. There is a 6 week group class for homeschoolers that she can do in the fall and then again in the spring that is very affordable. If she wants to continue after that, we can get her lessons if it's the one thing that she really loves. I don't think she would ever want to get into all the horse shows and that kind of thing. Lessons we could afford. Owning a horse, not happening! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 You can always look around. Our local Pony CLub is partially run by a lady who has her own lessons and horse boarding facility that she rents and she also trains horses. She has about 2 horses and 5 ponies and her lesson girls get first choice for the ponies at Pony Club. Therefore, there are several girls that have made it VERY far, even to the level of being an Equestrian Team Manager and World Reserve champion pony shower, with NO HORSE of her own. Obvilusly it can be hard for those girls as they sometimes have ponies and horses sold, that they had gotten attached to. It's life. However don't always assume that a girl who does't have her own horse can't go pretty far in the horse world. You just have to find the right trainer/teacher and the right situation. Also our trainer only goes to four shows per year. THat and Pony Club ratings and events-that is it. And she does not push girls to go unles they are either very advanced or she knows the family can afford it. I can assure you, NO ONE at her stable feels left out- NO ONE. She makes sure of it!! Does every girl wish she had her OWN hrose or pony? Of course. But it's truly not necessary if you find the right situation. There's also the lease option, for about half the cost and none of the worry you can half-lease a pony or horse if or when you can afford it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 You can join 4h with out a group too. Then she can attend any of the events that your local 4h might put on. That might be a good way to meet some other kids and then transition to a group. You can also order 4h animal curriculum yourself and do some of the projects and such yourself. My dd got involved in 4h because another Mom got a couple of the girls together to learn about horses. Our group is really only 3-4 families. The main thing they do are the practices for horse bowl and hippology. The other thing they do is showing guinea pigs at the local fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valley Girl Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Try your local animal shelter. Ours has a minimum age for kids to be able to volunteer alone. But younger kids can volunteer provided a parent volunteers with them. (Downside is your DD will probably want to bring all the animals home with her.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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