sebahat Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Hi all, How can I teach a 13 month old daughter not to touch insects? We are arriving in Mandurah in 5 days and the closer we get to that day the more freaked out I become. We are currently visiting my in-laws in South Africa and the other day m daughter picked up a massive(about 4cm long) bug and thought it was funny. I almost had a heart attack as those buggers bite very painfully. Luckuily she was not bitten but what if.... Now, what if she picks up a spider in Oz and the creature bites her? I won`t even know what it was as she won`t be able to tell me. I`m really getting paranoid now to a degree that I have nightmares lol. Please, any advise. Has anyone of you been bitten by a spider? Thank you Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 My mum is often bitten by redbacks gardening..well fairly often but she lunges into bushes with no gloves!! Buy a book about spiders..not the scary kind, but one about a spider which is funny and lets her understand that spiders are like people, they don't like being picked up...make one up if you have to, it would be fun..teach her to respect them and not be scared of them, If she respects their feelings she won't bother them! Worked for me as a kid in QLD! Rach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Ropey HOFF Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Someone once said here on PIO that they had lived in Australia over 40 years and only seen one snake in the wild and i read somewhere that no one has died of a spider bite for over 50 years. I understand your worry, but you will soon forget about it when you get there, we never thought about it when we were there with our kids. All the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebahat Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 thank you guys for the advise. Rach, sorry but I can`t see myself teaching my daughter to respect spiders, I kill everything that is small and moves so I can`t really imagine teaching her not to lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebrol Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 We have been back in Oz for 7 months and live surrounded by bush. We have had a few scary spiders but we don't panic about it just do a quick reccie of their play equipment before we let them loose. We haven't seen any snakes. You would have to be pretty unlikely to get bitten from a spider and as someone else said no body has died from a funnel web (most poisonous) since the anti venom was devloped. During the day you would be unlikely to come across them as they can't survive in the sun so usually come out at night! When LO's are in bed Prior to being back this time I lived here for 18 months and never saw a single dangerous one - just a few huntsmen! I understand your concern - especially with LO's but best advice is to use common sense and not to panic! Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Suzanne111 Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Hi Alex, We're moving to Oz in June with our 3 year old son and I share your paranoia! I keep thinking that it doesn't matter that the weather's great out there; we won't be able to set foot outside because of all the poisonous insects! So it's great to read this thread and see the reassurance. I can't give you any advice because I'm in the same boat, but to freak myself out ... I mean, to educate myself I recently watched a documentary about Australian insects and it said that the bite from a Huntsman spider (scary looking, enormous, pretty common) is no worse than a bee sting. So maybe they're not as terrifying as we think?! When I was last in Oz some "funny" old bloke said to me, "You don't need to worry about the spiders. The snakes eat all the spiders. But you don't need to worry about the snakes. The crocodiles eat all the snakes. But you don't need to worry about the crocodiles. They swim out to sea and the sharks eat all the crocodiles." Suzanne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebahat Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 hi Suzanne, hehe that was funny what that man said :-) I`m not scared of the hunsman as much as of the funnel-web and red-back spider as they are much more dangerous. I know that the look of any of them will scare the hell out of me. I`m really worried about my daughters being bitten by one of those nasty creatures. They like playing on the floor (they are 13 months and 4 years old). Maybe we should get a dog to let us know if there is any nasty bugger around :-) Hope your move goes well, where are you moving to anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddebz Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 I have been thinking the same thing regarding spiders etc as I am absolutely terrified of them to the point of being frozen to the spot. My little boy will be 3 when we move and he is a typical boy when it comes to insects! I have been telling him not to touch spiders now and to keep away from them and just to look at them, as well as not being frightened, and it seems to be working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MADTOM Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Hi We have a 2 year old and I must say I am a bit unsure when she goes out in the garden but we have been here 6 months and not seen any major stuff. We had a lizard (not poisonous) loads of Ants that bite here, locusts (yuck, but harmless) and flies, flies, flies! As the other poster said do a quick reccie, keep the garden tidy, cut grass don't leave logpiles and rubbish stored up and you daughter should be fine. Show her pictures of spiders and snakes and say "Tell Mummy if you see one, but don't touch" Point out the wildlife in the streets (Ants etc) and teach her to be interested but let them alone As she grows she will learn!:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKC Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Our two girls were 12 months and 2.5years when we moved to Oz, and I can honestly say it hasn't been a problem. I taught both of them just not to touch and to tell mummy if there is a spider or a snake. We have only seen one snake (a green tree snake - beautiful and harmless unless you are a small insect!), two or three huntsmen, one redback (outside) and a white tail in the two years. Hubby sweeps the girls play equipment off in the garden, and they know not to go poking their fingers in to things (good common sense at any age I think!), and it hasn't been a problem. We back on to a national park, so it is dense, untamed bush! I was afraid of this before we came, but really you don't see them. By far the most annoying insects imo are the cockroaches and ants! Spiders, well you forget about it after you have been here a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 As a mum i think its normal to worry. I did when we came but as someone as already said you soon drop the guard and realise these scarey creatures arent waiting behind every door waiting to pounce. I taught my kids not to touch anything,, and school also teach kids about the various animals and insects so they do learn quite quickly. We live on acerage backing onto bushland and have had very little crawlies to worry about. 4 years in and tbh we dont even think about them most of the time,, its quite normal to see my kids running around the garden in barefoot which is something that on arrival i said i would NEVER let my kids do,,just incase,,lol,, If it really was that risky there is no way i would allow them outside without shoes. Hope this helps a little Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebahat Posted March 11, 2011 Author Share Posted March 11, 2011 thank you everyone for all your words of wisdom. Regarding the ants, well, we have lots of those here in South Africa and my daughter is just fascinated by them and loves following them. How do I teach her not to touch them if she is at the stage of picking up everything, she is only 13 months old and at the age of exploring the world. How do I explain to a child of this age that something might bite her, she doesn`t know what that means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest VickyMel Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 In South Africa the jumping spiders seem to love biting me and I seem to get quite a bad reaction to them. Its the hairy caterpillars that get me the worst! Its great that your daughter seems to like the wildlife and especially insects. I'd suggest a combination of what others have suggested - get a book of insects (and whatever else is likelyto take her fancy) with pictures and combine that with the "come and tell mommy" plus then we can take the book to the insect and see if it is OK to touch it. If it is that she is really keen on them maybe another way of approaching it is that she must be careful about touching them so that she does not hurt them? Plus reinforce that with the fact that some may be dangerous to touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 hi Suzanne, hehe that was funny what that man said :-) I`m not scared of the hunsman as much as of the funnel-web and red-back spider as they are much more dangerous. I know that the look of any of them will scare the hell out of me. I`m really worried about my daughters being bitten by one of those nasty creatures. They like playing on the floor (they are 13 months and 4 years old). Maybe we should get a dog to let us know if there is any nasty bugger around :-) Hope your move goes well, where are you moving to anyway? Are you talking about on the floor in the house or outside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 Thinking you guys are just over talking the whole spider thing!! There hasn't been a death via spiders for decades, your more likely to get stung by a bee or wasp in the UK than a spider in Australia! Leave them be and they won't bother you!! and PLEASE don't kill them..they're Aussies too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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