# How to convince your parents to buy you a tortoise



## HerpDaDerp26TV (Dec 19, 2011)

*Moderators, please move to different thread if this isn't the right place to post, thanks.*

*DISCLAIMER* this might not work for all people, use these tips at risk!


You want to convince your parents that you are responsible enough to take care of a tortoise? Here are my tips I used.

Do's and Dont's

DO

- Try to ask around holidays, especially Christmas/ Hanukkah or any other holiday.

- Work for good grades and report cards, they might be convinced of giving you a tort for your hard work!

- Do your chores, make your bed, etc.. try to get on your parent's good side! 

- Try to save money for it.

- Tell your parents that torts are NOT cheap animals that don't need care, or attention

- DO YOUR RESEARCH!!

- Show them the 'Benifits of having a pet tortoise'






DON'T 

- Complain if they say "no", try another time.

- Cry, throw a fit.. Etc

- Annoy them, ask once in while and follow the 'DO' tips!

- Show them that you aren't responsible.




Please know that...

Tortoises need attention and proper care. Some species can get big. They need big tanks/enclosures. Having one is a life long commitment, as they can live up to 50 YEARS OF AGE with proper care.

Benefits of having a pet tortoise

- They teach responsibility and care

- It encourages to do research for proper care

- Food doesn't cost much, they primarily eat greens, so you can always buy organic salads, variety is key!



Thanks for reading! I hope all goes well of your tortoise pursuit. This topic will be updated with more tips!


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## Madkins007 (Dec 19, 2011)

LOL! As a parent, a young keeper, a long-time reader of this question, and now a grandparent, I have a slightly different view of the issue.

1. Find out what the objections are. Some parents have a hard and fast reason, some just don't want to deal with it for whatever reason, some don't have faith in your skills or abilities, etc.

2. Make a targeted plan to deal with objections you CAN deal with. Sometimes, simple research and presentation will be enough. If issues are things like set-up or operational costs, discuss how you can earn the money. If issues are things like illegal locally (in this state or in this apartment complex), find a different hobby. 

The toughest issues are parents who just plain do not want a tortoise (whether it is because of bad experiences before with turtles or other pets, or there is just too much to deal with in their lives, etc.) or who do not feel you are ready for a tortoise, especially if there have been other issues with pets or responsibilities in the past.

3. Discuss your plan with your parents. If they seem to be OK with it, discuss what it would take to put it in place and get the animal. If they are still resistant, I'd strongly suggest dropping the issue for now.

The harder you press, the more resistant they can become. It is often smarter to drop it, quietly show some growth and maturity (as well as saving for the animal and supplies), and re-address it later.




Contrary to the suggestion to bring it up during a gifting period, I, as a parent, am more open to things like this over summer break when the kids are going to be home to do the work, and things have quieted down. 

I would also point out that the biggest thing that would influence me is the child demonstrating responsibility around the house in the recent past. Chores are done, other pets cared for, the gift they begged for being used, etc. Asking for a tortoise when the school has sent a note about unsatisfactory homework, or after I just hauled out the trash that it was their job to take does not get me in the mood to say yes to such a large 'favor'.


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## tyler0912 (Dec 20, 2011)

Well,
I asked my mother i got a straight-
"Yes cause they sleep half the year"
We went one day to get one,
I picked the one i wanted ( tiago),
And he told us it did not hibernate,
My mums face was hilarious.
My mum said the second i start to rely on her to care for him, it will go.
2years down the line, i have not asked for help etc, except money!
They trust me that much that a week or two ago they bought me another,
Im thirteen now i got tiago when i was eleven .

Just thought id' share!


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## JoesMum (Dec 20, 2011)

The biggest thing in this is trust. Tortoise are a lifelong commitment and live considerably beyond the 50 years suggested by	HerpDaDerp26TV... as Joe shows!

Parents are old enough to realise that caring for a tortoise isn't as simple as sticking it in a box to hibernate every winter. They they need to believe that the new tortoise owner has done their research, understands that this new hobby can't be a passing fad and that their child can be trusted to continue to care for their new pet.

If the rabbit/dog/hamster has always been neglected, chores are always greeted with an argument and/or school reports are not up to scratch, why would they believe you about the tortoise?

The biggest one of all is *Keep your temper!* 

If you start yelling or sulking when debating/asking for anything with a parent, you have instantly lost the argument... it may seem impossible, but parents were teenagers once... we do know what it's like and why it's unfair, but that doesn't mean we respond any better to mood swings than our parents did!


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