I want to teach my kid to like animals. Even small ones. But I am too afraid to touch them or even try to catch them.
Long time ago I had a friend that just jumped and caught a mouse with his bare hands. It was the same for small lizards, snakes… I would never be able to do that. Mostly because I am afraid to do that. He always loved animals and always released them, after he pet them for a bit. I think he is veterinarian now.
I want to be more like this friend, so I can teach my kid to be the same. Also I am jealous of styropyro. He just has his moth and squirrel friends… I want that to :)
Where should I start? Did you ever had similar feelings?
It doesn’t sound like your fear is based on rationality, as this is the first time I hear of someone being afraid of small animals in general. Any chance this is a phobia of some sort? If so, general advice probably won’t help you much.
“Enduring” small animals isn’t really a learned trait, as most small animals are harmless. Liking them is a different matter; I don’t know what causes a person to go from neutral to positive when it comes to animals, but I would think being around them and having positive interactions with them is a good start.