Story Archive

Hiss-terical Parenting

When Chartelle St. Laurent found a red rat snake in the driveway of her property outside of Sebring, Fla., she decided to introduce it to her 1-year-old daughter. “It had bitten me and my son and didn’t leave a mark, several times,” she said. “So, I thought it was a good opportunity to introduce her without actually getting hurt.” A video was posted to St. Laurent’s Facebook page showing the snake biting her daughter — and apparently at least one of her friends reported it to the police. The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigated, and sent an affidavit to the state’s attorney for review, recommending one count of cruelty toward a child, a third-degree felony. “People are too sensitive,” St. Laurent grumbles. “They just think that I hurt my child intentionally. The people that know me know that I would never hurt my children.” She insisted her daughter wasn’t hurt, and the teeth are too small to puncture skin. She believed her methods would teach her children a valuable lesson. “She’s not scared of snakes,” she says, “but she doesn’t want to touch them, either. That was my goal.” (MS/WFTS Tampa) ...Keep the bar low and you’ll always meet your goals.