No sale with me is ever with a minor. I have to have all the discussions with the parent(s). The adult is who the sale is with. I make sure the parent is 100% willing to be the responsible party, they need to realize that even if the glider is for their teenager, it belongs to THEM and is THEIR responsibility.

With that being said, if the teenager is the one that is "getting the glider" I go over everything with them as well.

I have one young lady who has proven to be a good glider owner. However, never have I sold to "her". I have only sold to her dad, and he was just as eager to learn about them as she was. She is the owner of 3 different gliders from me, and has taken in a "rehome" from someone else. She does a great job with them.

Of all the teenagers I know, and there's quite a few, there is ONE I would sell a glider too, and she says she isnt ready and wants to wait till she has a job and a car and doesnt have to rely on her parents. How's that for maturity?

One problem with selling to a minor, if they dont drive, then how do they get to the vet if they have an emergency in the middle of the night? What if the parent has to work and doesnt want to go to the vet? A few of us have seen situations like that.

I am not saying not to sell to minors. But there are factors involved with glider care that I feel MOST (NOT all) minors are not truly prepared for.

I see. That's a problem for me because my dad would be totally involved, but his ego is too high to admit it. Here's an example:

We are at home alone with my ferrets. He is rolling on the ground, laughing and playing with our cherished weasels. I ask him if he loves them for real, and he says that he would take a bullet for them.

Now a good friend comes over. I take the ferts out and he wants nothing to do with them. I talk about them, and he says they would look good skinned and on his neck... Ho hum.

He's such a teddy bear, but around other people, he simply won't let his guard down. I'm afraid that when I go to see a breeder, that they won't beleive that he is involved because he is going to make everything seem like no big deal, when he is actually squealing with excitement inside... I'm stuck.

Wait, wait, wait... Cora, does that happen in every case? I feel well-prepared...

My first joeys that I sold went to a minor, I knew they were going to be 'his' gliders from the beginning. He did tons of research and came to visit their parents and then the joeys as they were growing up a lot for talking through things and helping prepare meals and such so he would know what to do. BUT, every single step of the way, every visit, his mom was right there with him. I knew she ultimately took responsibility for them and we all discussed that as long as I knew she was going to be involved and responsible for them, I was ok with it.

He was very excited and as I said, read and researched a lot, said he would never give them up no matter what...but yep, his mom ended up with them (she even got two gliders of her own). But I knew they were always loved and taken care of, their entire life.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the family saying 'these will be the child's' as long as it is clear for all involved that no matter what happens, the parents will take responsibility for getting them the care they need, the transportation, the money, and are ok with eventually caring for them if their kids do lose interest. I would never have sold to a minor who's parent was not very interested and involved themselves.