Spring is the time of new life, and often the time that people end up getting pets for their children. Having the responsibility of a new pet is great, but don’t give your child more than they can handle – for their age or their temperament.

1. Fish – most people think of fish as a simple first pet. It doesn’t take much to keep the goldfish and there is no real walking or clean up, but this is a MYTH. Fish need lots care and special equipment. Even goldfish need a tank that will hold 20 gallons and that has a pump. Plus, fish that are taken care of properly will live a surprisingly long time.

2. Birds – just pass over these for your children. These are long term pets with some species living up to 70 years!

3. Hamsters and gerbils – these are probably some of the best first pets that you can get for your children. They take up a relatively small space, require minimum maintenance and they have short life spans (around three to five years).

4. Dogs – long term commitments (up to 20 years) with lots of maintenance.

5. Cats – long term commitments (up to 15 years) with lots of maintenance.

If you HAVE to get your child his or her first pet, then start with the child’s own age as a determining factor. How responsible is she about doing other chores around the house without being told. If she isn’t doing any chores, then start with that. After a full month of doing chores WITHOUT being reminded then you can start with a small pet (like a gerbil or a hamster).

What ever you do, don’t get a first pet on a whim. Research the animal AND the breed to determine if its needs will fit in well with your family.

More people are turning to work at home opportunities.  Some prefer the flexibility that a home business offers.  Others, like me, want to be home with the children.  Working at home with children is not just a job, it is truly and adventure (to quote another famous job opportunity) and is not something for the weak hearted (or weak stomach many days).

It’s even more interesting around our house.  The youngest child is not even two yet, but he can get into anything and everything (and usually does).  He is especially fond of pulling out everything from the pantry.  For a while, I duct taped all the cabinets shut.  He has since figured out what that silver stuff is and just how to make it work in his favor.   Most of my constructive work has to be done when he is sleeping.

The two older boys are eight and ten, but they are just as eager to get mom’s attention.  Usually they wait until I log onto the computer to ask if they can do some school work online.  With only one computer in the house (and a dial up connection to boot) we always had to find a way to coordinate our efforts.  This year, I broke down and bought a laptop.  Not only has it been great for the children, but I can carry it along and get a little work done while I’m waiting at their many practices.

The biggest struggle I find about working at home with children around is getting a quiet moment to do anything.  I’ve adjusted my own schedule, so the first thing in the morning and the last thing I do at night is spend some time working.  I also tend to get in a couple of hours during the baby’s nap time.

Working at home gives me the flexibility to work around my family.  The key is to still do the work I need to do, even though it may be stretched out over the entire day.  Now, If only I could find a way to get paid for all the additional hours I spend “working” I would be a wealthy woman.