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My son's were just given a slider as a birthday present. Unfortunately, they are 4 and 3. So the care responsibility has fallen to me. I've never cared for them before, it's harder than taking care of a baby! I'm still trying to figure out what's best for it.

Welcome. Just read through all the sticky topics and you'll have more information that you probably thought you'd find. And everyone here is willing to answer any questions you have.

Welcome! Along with the stickys the main site also has a lot of information. Just ask if you have specific questions.

I guess my main problem with taking care of Toby (the turtle) is keeping my kids out of the tank. They adore him. My daughter (4 months old) likes to watch him, but the boys aren't content. I guess I'll figure it out though.

Hi there,

My 5 and 6 year old sons also just got an RES for one of their birthdays! It's overwhelming isn't it. In 3 days I have been to the pet store 3 times and spent countless hours at night researching. I had the same problem with my boys getting into the small tank he came in, but I immediately upgraded and now have him in a 20 gal. tank (I know this won't last long - but he is only 2 in. at the moment). The larger tank placed on top of a dresser seems to be working well. It's low enough for them to observe him but not for them to take the lid off and reach in to grab him. I've tried to explain the whole salmonella thing to them and that turtles are for looking at - the 6 year old seems to get it but the 5 year old is still itching to touch him at every waking moment.

I don't have kids so I don't know what to tell you. Just try explaining look but don't touch. Can you put the tank somewhere they can't get into it?

I don't have kids either, but I remember someone posting about using the turtles as a kind of reward. When the tank gets cleaned once a month, the kids get to see the turtles, but other than that, they have to stay in the tank. It's just like setting rules for keeping rooms clean, or putting away toys when you play with them. If you set a new rule based on the turtles, then it needs to be followed up on.

I wish I could put them somewhere that they couldn't reach, but unfortunately all the places they can't get to, I'm too short to reach as well. My husband is afraid to kill it, so he won't have too much to do with it. I'm the only one who can take care of him. I know the kids will get better with time, but it takes time to drill things into kids' heads. Luckily ( and I know this sounds bad) the turtle snapped at my oldest son's fingers through the glass, so he thinks if he puts his hand in the tank, it will bite him. He still likes it, but he's been taught caution. My youngest son saw it all, and stays a good 3 feet away from the tank. My daughter still likes to lunge, but she's still young enough to be raised into caution like I did the other two with dogs. Thanks for the suggestions though

Welcome! It'll just take time for the kids, don't give up! Believe it or not, the excitement of a new pet will wear off sooner than you think with small children. Try to incorporate their help with preparing veggies, feeding, and cleaning up after the turtle as much as you can. It'll help them learn what they need to do as they get older, and hopefully alleviate some of the responsibility for you. We're here to help, so after you read all the care info, let us know if you have any more questions or concerns, or if you just want to share some ideas.