I have shared my life with companion parrots for more than 40 years and have observed many changes during that time. Some, like the stupendous advances in avian medicine and nutrition, have been marvelous improvements that have saved thousands of lives. Others are not necessarily advancements, in my opinion.
A while back a friend drew my attention to an article she’d read about families who were farming out components of their parenting roles to outsiders. The premise was that parents are too busy these days to teach their children things like making cupcakes or riding a bike. As a result, they can now hire trainers who specialize in teaching kids these skills. So, in addition to fitness trainers, we now have bike-riding and cupcake-making trainers.
Even as it is becoming more common for parents to hire others to do some parenting jobs that they are too harried to do, there is an opposite trend in the parrot world; the bar keeps getting raised as to what people must do to be “good parrot” owners.
**For the full article, pick up the June 2008 issue of BIRD TALK**
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