A gecko can be a great choice for a low-maintenance, quiet, non-allergen producing pet that won't mess up your house. But whether it is right for your family depends a lot on the age of your children, their temperaments and your willingness to take primary responsibility for your new pet.
Age
Having gotten involved with reptiles when my youngest child was 4 and my oldest was 8, I've had personal experience with small children + gecko interaction as well as my observations of friends, neighbors and customers. The following recommendations are opinions based on my experiences and observations. I acknowledge that every child is different, and that you as a caregiver will have to make the final decision about what your family can handle.
0-2 years
Given the potential for scratches, bites and salmonella for the child, as well as tail loss and major injury for the gecko, I can't recommend that children this young have more than fleeting contact with a reptile. A minute of petting a calm gecko someone else is holding (with hand washing before and after) is about the right level of interaction for most kids this age.
3-6 years
The younger the child, the more involved the caregiver or parent will have to be. Children under 6 generally aren't capable of working safely with geckos, or cleaning cages and feeding and watering without constant supervision. WITH supervision these activities are a great learning opportunity for them and they can learn: gentleness and empathy for another living creature, responsibility, motor skills, competency and pride in new skills as well as spending quality time with a caregiver. The awe and joy they can display while handling a gecko is a beautiful thing to behold. At the same time, I have had potential customers walk up to my table at a show and tell me that their 3 or 4 year old was going to be solely responsible for the gecko. That is a rather unrealistic expectation and will more than likely end up in a dead or missing pet. Also possibly a sick child as it is important to remember that any reptile can be a carrier for salmonella and hand washing is very important after handling reptiles or cleaning their cages or furnishings. Supervision is also needed any time a new child is introduced to your pet. Young children under 8 can be easily peer influenced and emotions can run high, so even if they wouldn't normally allow harm to come to their pet or be careless around them, they can be easily distracted or swayed by friends without the same training and mindset. At this age the gecko should be in a supervised public family place or a room that the adults can secure if needed to protect it from younger siblings, young visitors, or even over-enthusiastic playing or "loving". Many cages like the Exo-Terra can be locked with a padlock arrangement as well.
6-9 years
This is a great age to start teaching independence and responsibility when it comes to a pet. Maybe your child has already demonstrated competence in this area with other family pets. There will be a lot of different levels of maturity here depending on the gender, experience and general personality of the child. My personal recommendation would be to keep the gecko in the supervised family area for the 6-7 year olds and supervise handling with your children and especially with friends. Between 8-10 many children will be old enough to keep the gecko in their rooms. An adult would still need to check on the gecko's health and might need to help with cleaning day as well as supervise initial interactions, but many kids only require reminders for feeding, watering and cleaning times. Other kids at this age can't seem to remember to feed and water their pets no matter how many times they are reminded. Or they still play too roughly or can't remember to keep an eye (or hand) on the gecko while he is out. In that case the pet should go back into the supervised family area until the child is a bit older.
10-13
Many kids this age are very capable of caring for a pet themselves. They are also capable of researching the pet and it's needs and many of my customers of this age have already purchased and set up the enclosure by the time they come to me. A care sheet, a calendar for feeding times and cleaning times and the proper equipment is usually all that is needed here. Checking behind your child and making sure the gecko has adequate food and water might be needed still, it depends on the child and their activities. Adult supervision when handling might still be needed, but that is an individual decision.
14+
Many teens get so involved with their geckos that they decide to start breeding them. This can be a great experience, but take it slow. It is possible to get overwhelmed with gecko babies very quickly.
Gifts
Friends and relatives might be tempted to give a gecko as a gift. Remember that a gecko can live 10-15 years, maybe even more. It is a long-term pet and one that will require adult/parent involvement and supervision for kids under the age of 10. Be sure that the caregivers are on-board before the child unwraps a present that might put a strain on your relationship. Also keep in mind that if a child has been studying geckos they might have very particular colors or morphs that they are interested in. It might be worth letting them pick the gecko out rather than trying to surprise them.
Age
Having gotten involved with reptiles when my youngest child was 4 and my oldest was 8, I've had personal experience with small children + gecko interaction as well as my observations of friends, neighbors and customers. The following recommendations are opinions based on my experiences and observations. I acknowledge that every child is different, and that you as a caregiver will have to make the final decision about what your family can handle.
0-2 years
Given the potential for scratches, bites and salmonella for the child, as well as tail loss and major injury for the gecko, I can't recommend that children this young have more than fleeting contact with a reptile. A minute of petting a calm gecko someone else is holding (with hand washing before and after) is about the right level of interaction for most kids this age.
3-6 years
The younger the child, the more involved the caregiver or parent will have to be. Children under 6 generally aren't capable of working safely with geckos, or cleaning cages and feeding and watering without constant supervision. WITH supervision these activities are a great learning opportunity for them and they can learn: gentleness and empathy for another living creature, responsibility, motor skills, competency and pride in new skills as well as spending quality time with a caregiver. The awe and joy they can display while handling a gecko is a beautiful thing to behold. At the same time, I have had potential customers walk up to my table at a show and tell me that their 3 or 4 year old was going to be solely responsible for the gecko. That is a rather unrealistic expectation and will more than likely end up in a dead or missing pet. Also possibly a sick child as it is important to remember that any reptile can be a carrier for salmonella and hand washing is very important after handling reptiles or cleaning their cages or furnishings. Supervision is also needed any time a new child is introduced to your pet. Young children under 8 can be easily peer influenced and emotions can run high, so even if they wouldn't normally allow harm to come to their pet or be careless around them, they can be easily distracted or swayed by friends without the same training and mindset. At this age the gecko should be in a supervised public family place or a room that the adults can secure if needed to protect it from younger siblings, young visitors, or even over-enthusiastic playing or "loving". Many cages like the Exo-Terra can be locked with a padlock arrangement as well.
6-9 years
This is a great age to start teaching independence and responsibility when it comes to a pet. Maybe your child has already demonstrated competence in this area with other family pets. There will be a lot of different levels of maturity here depending on the gender, experience and general personality of the child. My personal recommendation would be to keep the gecko in the supervised family area for the 6-7 year olds and supervise handling with your children and especially with friends. Between 8-10 many children will be old enough to keep the gecko in their rooms. An adult would still need to check on the gecko's health and might need to help with cleaning day as well as supervise initial interactions, but many kids only require reminders for feeding, watering and cleaning times. Other kids at this age can't seem to remember to feed and water their pets no matter how many times they are reminded. Or they still play too roughly or can't remember to keep an eye (or hand) on the gecko while he is out. In that case the pet should go back into the supervised family area until the child is a bit older.
10-13
Many kids this age are very capable of caring for a pet themselves. They are also capable of researching the pet and it's needs and many of my customers of this age have already purchased and set up the enclosure by the time they come to me. A care sheet, a calendar for feeding times and cleaning times and the proper equipment is usually all that is needed here. Checking behind your child and making sure the gecko has adequate food and water might be needed still, it depends on the child and their activities. Adult supervision when handling might still be needed, but that is an individual decision.
14+
Many teens get so involved with their geckos that they decide to start breeding them. This can be a great experience, but take it slow. It is possible to get overwhelmed with gecko babies very quickly.
Gifts
Friends and relatives might be tempted to give a gecko as a gift. Remember that a gecko can live 10-15 years, maybe even more. It is a long-term pet and one that will require adult/parent involvement and supervision for kids under the age of 10. Be sure that the caregivers are on-board before the child unwraps a present that might put a strain on your relationship. Also keep in mind that if a child has been studying geckos they might have very particular colors or morphs that they are interested in. It might be worth letting them pick the gecko out rather than trying to surprise them.
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