Newest Member of our Family
January 27, 2017
Life in my home with 2 granddaughters is always lively! My oldest granddaughter, Angela, has been begging me for some type of pet for over a year. Now let me explain why I have not exactly jumped on that for her. Our home is not a huge house, in fact it is just about 1300 sq. feet. I love our home and am VERY thankful for it. Yet, there are days that I feel slightly crowded.
We have 3 bedrooms, with myself, husband, 18 yr old son, my oldest daughter, and 2 granddaughters (ages 9 and 10), PLUS our Boston Terrier and German Shepard. Both dogs are inside dogs for the most part, so needless to say, our home is quite full. It is filled with lots of love, laundry and with 4 girls in the house and 2 dogs, it seems as though I am always battling cleaning hair of some type up in the house, whether that is on the floors or in the bathrooms.
Needless to say when she starting asking for a pet, I had a slight panic attack just thinking about bringing in another living breathing thing!! She of course started with something big , like a dog. Then it was a cat, when the answer to those was no, she moved on to a Guinea Pig. We have done the Guinea Pig thing when my middle daughter was younger, so ummm NO! They are noisy , make a heck of a mess and are a challenge to keep the room from stinking.
As time wore on, eventually Angela decided she wanted a fish. Aha….finally something that I felt we could live with and not cost me a fortune to feed or take care of, and it wasn’t going to take up too much square footage in our home.
Of course, I have always been the parent that has made my kids earn a privilege such as owning a pet. So she had to show me that she could be responsible in keeping her room clean and a few other small requirements before we headed off to the pet store.
Eventually, she had proven herself and we made our trip to our local PETCO. 
I had already decided we were going to get a Beta Fish, as we have owned them in the past and for the most part they are the hardiest fish that I know of.
She stood in front of the selection of Beta Fish’s for what seemed like an eternity picking out the “perfect” little fish. I personally wanted her to get a male , as they are just so much prettier than the females!! 
Yet of course, no child ever wants the same thing as you do, so she chose the female fish. In fact, we ended up with a baby female and she named her name Kayla
So we came home with our new family member and I proceeded to getting her new home, the bowl set up. Angela had chosen some bright pretty rocks to put in her bowl and a ceramic turtle to put in it, so she had a place to hide. 
We have had her a couple of weeks now and Angela is just as excited about having her today as she was the day we brought her home. She has been very responsible in making sure she feeds her , even though we found out we were initially overfeeding her. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why her tank got soooo dirty the first week we had her. Come to find out, with a Beta Fish you only feed them a small pinch every OTHER day, not daily. Yet once we had figured that out, things have been great. 
Aww that’s adorable,she looks so happy to be there.
She looks really happy. We use to have Beta fish and really enjoyed them. Fun times.
That is so cute .My kids all had fish at that age too.
Fish are a great first pet,and can teach responsibility.
That fish was a great compromise for you and your granddaughter.
Awesome, I remember getting my first fish, it lived for many years!
Congratulations to the newest member of your family!
That’s just so sweet! A fish is the perfect compromise, they don’t eat a lot & they don’t take up a lot of room. I can remember my Mom had a fish tank with Kissing Grommies for the longest. After they went to fish heaven my brothers brought home an itty bitty snapping turtle about an inch long. Eventually it was released back into the wild but proved entertaining for the longest.
That’s how we started out fishboel one goldfish ,and everyone taking turns with care
too cute!
Great first pet story, looks like you’ve got your hands full
I totally get it! We have two of these fish for my granddaughter…Stitch and Sammy…and she loves them.
I always love fish. Your little one looks so happy
Always exciting to meet a new family member and help them feel comfortable in their new home.
We have a Beta fish we overfed him at first also. He’s a funny little thing, I saw him get into a fight with his reflection in the tank.
Congratulations to the newest member of your family. We also have a new member in our family, a long haired doxie named Shadow.
Beta’s are very cool
Nice and easy choice. A good choice! Getting a fish.
This is a grwat time to start teaching patience and responsibility
I enjoy fish, they are so peaceful all the way around!!! And thanks for letting mebe a part of your site!
My first pet was a Beta fish as well. Such a good “starter” pet!
This is so awesome yo see and some really grwat tips as well.
I recently got my daughter a Pug puppy but I forgot how much work they are….but worth it!
What a great first pet! Fish are awesome, they are so fun to watch and easy to take care of. 🙂
Aww she look so happy. I want to get my son one hes 4
My first pet was a betta fish. Seems like the perfect fit for your family 🙂
I think beta fish are so pretty!
Many years ago, I had some fish, they were tropical, though. You can get as attached to them as any other pet, so it is a good choice!
I love dogs. I love the products that Petco offer for them. They have a large selection for many types of breeds and animals.
We always had Guppies but the last batch I had to give away when I broke up with my ex. I do miss those fish though.
I’ve never heard of a beta fish. Great idea on an easy to take care of pet!
I love beta fish and your granddaughter looks super happy.
Lovin all pets so love your story!
awwww, pets are so great. you made a good choice!
Your house may not be huge but I think there is a vast amount of love in it 🙂
I have a beta fish I named Lucky Charms because he has all the colors of the rainbow in him. I have had him over two years and he is a great pet, beautiful to look at, and I swear he knows me! Great choice!
Hope she has been taking good care of her fish.
Aww! She looks so happy with her new pet fish. This was the very first pet we started our boys out with when they were much younger. 🙂
Aw!! A beta fish is such a perfect first pet too!! They are so pretty and so resilient!
Every child should have a pet of some kind…well done
Awwww! 😀 I love fish! I actually hope to get a puppy one day, but I’m also thinking about getting koi fishes for when I plan on creating my own little Japanese garden one day when I find the right house.