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Leo Addiction is out of hand

D

dragonflyreptiles

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This thread will tell most of my reasons without me retyping all of the cost issues.

With that said I have never expected to make money at this, they are cool creatures and the kids love them BUT

I have realized that I have gotten in toooo deep and become overly addicted to these cool creatures. Ive made up every excuse in my head to justify it and today was the day that the excuses ran flat out.

While Emily (my 3 year daughter) was helping me clean bins as she always does, she looked up at me and said "mommy, I don't want to clean anymore, Im tired, I want the front" which mean she wants me to lay down on the couch and her get the front and me hold her.

I honestly fell to the floor in tears and then she sits in my lap and says "its OK mommy, Im not tired anymore, Im sorry, Ill help you"

Now if that is not a wake up call nothing ever will be.

I am taking way too much time from my precious young children since I have gotten into this hobby way to deep. The other thing is that my 6 year old son Cody started school last fall and all I will really have with him is the summers since he gets home at 4 and with homework, dinner, bath etc its bed time for him.

Im not going to run away but I will be cutting back from 125+ to probably 2 or 3 small groups if that. Ill let the kids decide which ones they want to keep.

I just had a wake up call today that any time I take from my children will be time I can never get back and will regret for the rest of my life.
 
WOW that is tough! Im so sorry you went through so much, and i really hope you make it through. You have ben a major help to people on this forum, inculding me.
 
Wow, Wendy! I don't know what to say. It's got to be hard to come to that conclusion. I guess I'm lucky, I'm home most of the day, we run all our businesses out of the home, so time normally spent driving to work and getting ready for work is now mine, except when I have a balloon job.
 
125? Those are a lot of little ones to care for. I always said that the thirty I care for are a handful. I can't even imagine 4 or 5 times that. I always remind myself that thirty is my limit. It is too easy to get buried in this and end up burnt out. I spend an hour a day with them. Just enough that I can enjoy it with out it becoming tiresome. If I had to clean a couple hundred cages I think this would become old quick. That would probably take the joy out of it and turn it into a job. One of those is enough. Anyway best of Luck.
 
Join Leos Anonymous <---link here

Sorry just kidding! LOL

But seriously...Wendy, we are sorry to hear that. But that IS alot of Leos. Ive cut down I believe 30 animals or so, a few arent Leos though. Only about 15 females will be breeding for right now, and thats mostly virgins, so it shouldnt be too overwhelming. These are awesome creatures, but Im sure you can burn yourself out w/ too much of anything.
 
I have no doubt that if it is time with your children that is the issue, you are making the correct choice; and you are a wise person to realize that those precious moments with the wee ones are more important than anything else.
 
I am very sorry to hear you are cutting back so drastically on your breeding of leos (as the business person) since you always gave me great prices, But as a father I am glad to hear it when people put thier children ahead of all else. You are right about never getting that time back!@!!! enjoy your children, enjoy your family and when you have time left ejoy your hobbies and indulgences.
 
I applaud you for being willing to take drastic steps for the sake of your kids and your family. I have had to do things like this at other times and it's been painful but ultimately rewarding. Two thoughts to hopefully ease the pain a bit: the kids grow up quickly and before you know it you'll have more time to rev up a bit. I have an 18 year old in college and 12 year old twins and it's only in the past few years that I've had time for the things that are important to me. Also, if you do cut back drastically, there is something to be said for the challenge of having a quality leo breeding experience with limited space and/or time. I have limited time because of my job, the kids and my other interests and very limited space (all leos have to fit into the shelving units in my living room and I'm out of wall and floor space). It takes a lot of careful planning to figure out how to get the most out of the fewest leos --I can say more about that if anyone's interested--but even that aspect has been exciting and rewarding.
Good luck
 
wendy i salute you for what you are doing. too often people realize what they have missed when it's too late. the time we spend with our children is important and fleeting. i always say that i may consider breeding my leos later because i want to spend the time with my daughter. it's one of the reasons why i still work graveyard. i get to spend days with her and only need to work 4 days instead of 6. i know it's hard to cut back but in the end it's all worth it. kids are everything when they're yours.
 
Wendy, believe me when I tell you I know exactly what you are talking about.

I don't have children, but I see my own business burning out the lives of both myself and my wife. We decided a few years ago to really cut back on the leopard geckos and don't really make any effort at all to breed them any longer. Most are old and my wife is content with having them around for pets, but even then it is still a chore that needs tending to. I think if she could find good homes to them, she would certainly let them go. But heck, many of them are like part of the family now, and I know it would really be tough for her to let go of them.

But the leopard geckos are but a drop in the bucket compared to the corn snakes we work with. I am expecting between 6,000 to 8,000 babies this year, and THAT is no joke. But I think this year will be the end of doing that kind of volume, by a WIDE margin. The workload and stress during hatching season is immense. Whenever I read in the papers about someone dying from a heart attack, I can't help by wonder how in the world I have dodged that bullet for so long. And I know darn right well that my wife is under the same amount of stress too.

So after doing this sort of thing for going on 30 years and coming up on my 56th birthday this summer, I too am getting that wakeup call that life can't be lived if you don't have the time to live it. And I may not have all that much time left to do so. I see people all around me my age who lose their health, and then lose all hope of doing the things they hoped they could do some day in the future, when things "got better". There are so many things my wife has given up from her own life to help me pursue my dreams, and I can't stand to watch that any longer...... There have been so many days we wanted to do something or go somewhere, but the workload couldn't wait or be put off. And our thinking we will have more time tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, just doesn't happen.

I guess I have known this for a long time, but reading your post certainly did drive that point home to me. Life will just pass you by if you let work eat it away.

So as I said, I know exactly what you are going through, and you are not alone.
 
im srry to hear that yout cutting back wendy. i do hope that you continue to be on the forums on a regular basis though. youve given me alot of advice as well as helped me with my photo problem. kids and family must come first and im glad that you youve chosen the way you have.
 
LOL Wow Rich! I had maybe 80 babies last year, and can hardly imagine how some care for 800, much less 8000 animals.
 
Wendy, bless your heart. I know that I could never keep those numbers of geckos and their offspring if I had small kids at home. Even for myself, caring for 250+ geckos (single-handedly) is overwhelming and cuts into the time with my husband when he comes home from work. It is very easy at times to get in over our heads when we are as passionate about our love for these beautiful, gentle creatures.
 
Wendy I am sorry you have came to this decision. But your family must come first. It is something I know you won't regret later. They grow so fast. And has they get older you can let your addiction grow a little more. Good Luck and let us know if you need help with anything.
 
That's a lot of animals! I only have 7 and I'm going to cut back! It's really responsible of you to come to that conclusion. It's good to have your priorities in the right order, it really makes everything better. I'm sure you will find good homes for all your geckos, good luck!
 
Thanks everyone for the support this is beginning to be a emotional up and down for me.

We have figured out what she is unhappy about. We had all of the leos up stairs, bed rooms, living room just all over because of flood damage to the room I used in the basement. Well it has taken Rodney 3 years to get it back to usable and everything is moved back downstairs.

Rodney was off yesterday so I asked her if she wanted to go with me or stay with daddy and she had a fit that I not go down either. Weird thing is she loves to go when we wash clothes.

My thought then was if that was her issue they could be moved back up but Ive spent a lot of time building real racks and getting them set up better.

Rodney is loud about the fact that they wer down there, its now fixed againa nd he does not want them all over the house again.

Its just been a hard few days and I feel that I have worked so hard and I finally this year was able to get some stock that I could only look at before. I have great plans for this season.

But then the issue of the breeding season and Codys summer break, do I really want to take that much time from him to hunt for eggs everyday.

Im just a little down and heartbroken and cannot even decide on the 1st one that I should put on the let go list.

But it will all work out in the end Im sure.
 
((((Wendy))))))


Whatever you decide will be right for you. Many here could offer experiences of their own and give valued insight and assistance to you by saying how they travelled this road; yet the final response is just to tell you that you have friends here, friends who trust that your plans will be for the best whatever you decide.
 
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