The most humane thing to do....

[SunnyHouTX]

Re: The most humane thing to do....

Well that does put a new twist. Tough one indeed

[ScorpiosWife]

Well, it's done. I explained his options; death by freezer or death by Oscar. He chose "let him stay here for 2 to 3 weeks". I told him that wasn't an option & that the fish was hurting so we had to do something to end his suffering today. He chose death by Oscar.

We put it in the tank & the poor thing didn't hit half tank before Fat Boy ate him. Brandon's reaction? Laughter. We told him this wasn't a funny thing, this is death. His reaction was the usual when he doesn't fully understand & can't find the words to express what he's feeling, "Oh. Ok." I'm going to talk to him some more, I just wanted to update.

Thanks to all of you for your insight, opinions & concern. El Fishy is now officially taken care of Fat Boy style.

[barrettsline]

The most humane thing to do....

Well I guess in the situation humor for him is the best thing. Give it a few more years or oscar treats and he'll understand. Glad it went well.


Now watch your live stock, your Oscar might be getting extra treats if your not careful...

[allysangels]

my son goes out in the yard and catches frogs to throw in the oscar tank... he learned about death at a young age when he lost first a cat, then his grandpa, then another cat (all at a ripe old age after living a long happy life). he doesn't seem to care too much when the fish die besides "eeeewww gross! it's slimy!" he wants to be the one to drop earthworms in my eel tank, and thinks it's cool that there's a jar with a huge pleco in it in our freezer. he laughs when the oscars bite the frogs in half. i'd let yours find joy in nature if he can... and nature revolves around things eating each other. the sad part was when the fish was hurting, and that is over now.

[mistahoo]

my son goes out in the yard and catches frogs to throw in the oscar tank... he learned about death at a young age when he lost first a cat, then his grandpa, then another cat (all at a ripe old age after living a long happy life). he doesn't seem to care too much when the fish die besides "eeeewww gross! it's slimy!" he wants to be the one to drop earthworms in my eel tank, and thinks it's cool that there's a jar with a huge pleco in it in our freezer. he laughs when the oscars bite the frogs in half. i'd let yours find joy in nature if he can... and nature revolves around things eating each other. the sad part was when the fish was hurting, and that is over now.

I'm gonna go ahead and ask, why is there a jar with a huge pleco in your freezer?

[allysangels]

lol sentimental reasons...

[HERM]

MMM...Plec-cycle

[allysangels]

plecicle?

[mistahoo]

plecicle?

I was thinking the same thing... "Plec... cycle?... huh?"

[ScorpiosWife]

Ally, I am LOLing at your Plecicle!!

If my son's mind functioned like a regular child, this wouldn't be an issue but I wouldn't change him for anything in the world. My older boys were well versed in death at young ages due to similar circumstances. However, when a child has Autism, their world is totally different. He has many tactical issues to deal with also, so he and nature aren't really friends. The feel of grass touching him is like nails on a chalk board. He cannot stand to deal with it for more than a few seconds at a time. He was 8 before we could cut his hair without literally wrapping him in a sheet like a mummy. We are just now on the 2nd year of being able to put a toothbrush in his mouth without having a complete meltdown. Before that he had to have day surgery to clean his teeth. Autism presents my family a different set of challenges but we also see rewards for things "normal" families take for granted. He is much more content creating and animating Power Point presentations which he taught himself to do at the age of 9, beating video games & making Angry Birds meets Mario & Luigi movies. He lives in his own little world & I'm lucky to be a part of it. This challenge of understanding death hasn't been conquered but my hope is that eventually it will be.

Barrett, he can't reach the top of the O tank, thank goodness, lol!

[allysangels]

"The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, "Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, "Hey, don't worry; don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." And we … kill those people. "Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real." It's just a ride. But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok … But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace." - bill hicks
enjoy the ride...