A Sebring, Florida, mother is in trouble with the law for allowing a snake to bite her one-year-old baby daughter to teach her a lesson. She videotaped the encounter with the snake and posted it on Facebook. The video shows the woman holding a plastic tub with a snake inside. She makes the baby girl reach out and touch the snake.
It can be clearly seen in the footage that the child pulls her hand back quickly after the snake bites her. She can be heard crying, and the mother is heard laughing at her baby's reaction. When sharing this story on the news, some reporters said the footage was hard for them to watch.
Child abuse?
The mother might be guilty of child abuse, but she has not been charged yet. She tried to explain her actions after she came under fire from critics on social media. She rationalized that she was merely teaching her child a lesson about the wildlife around their house on nine acres of land in a rural location in Florida. She tried to make people understand that it is important for her children to know and understand how to handle all kinds of wildlife on their property.
The mother said that she knew the small Red Rat Snake was not going to pierce the baby's skin because she and her son have been bitten several times and a mark was never left on their bodies. Instead of taking responsibility for the act, she is lashing out at her critics by saying that people are too sensitive.
She further explained that she would never hurt her children. She said the baby cried because she was scared but not because she was hurt. Even though she is being investigated, the unnamed mother said she has no regrets regarding the opportunity she took to teach her child a lesson after finding the snake in her driveway.
The mother said she grew up learning about snakes from her father who is a Jupiter police officer.
She would go with him on animal service calls. She wants her children to learn to handle them as well. Therefore, she believes she did nothing wrong in her effort to teach her child a valuable lesson.
Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services did not step in, and the mother might not ever be charged with child abuse because research shows that red rat snakes are not poisonous, their bites are rarely serious, and they are not harmful to humans.
People on social media thought it was a terrible thing to do to the young child. They think the mother should be charged. What do you think? Do you think the woman should be punished for her actions?
