After watching Merry Christmas Drake and Josh, my boys became enamored of the "sweet pet monkey" as a Christmas gift. Builder had just gotten a rat a month ago for his birthday and seemed content to let his brother add this exotic animal to his list for Santa. While Builder did all the research on the internet, I admit I did slightly encourage them by saying when I was their age, I too really wanted a pet monkey. They know I love animals and I am still "the coolest mom ever: for allowing Junior, the fancy rat.
They settled on a Carpuchin monkey from www.gotpetsonline.com . Apparently you can adopt a monkey from a conservation society. Picture included, this little Carpuchin was very adorable. However, after reading the description of the type of owner these pets need, I was struck by the similarities to parenting a special needs child. See what I mean:
"young apes are cute and appealing" check
"behavior problems may start when ape matures" check
"owners may be injured from bites" check
"they have a complex diet' check
"some owners are unaware of their special needs" check
"some can turn aggressive and unmanageable" check
"the owners need to be knowledgeable and responsible" check
"it can be challenging to provide them with proper care" check
So now I have a new adjective to describe my child. He is exotic: striking and attractive through being colorful or unusual (Oxford dictionary) And I could easily parent a Carpuchin. Piece of cake as an ASD parent.
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