Should Homes With Small Children Be Allowed To Have Snakes As Pets?

When I think of pets, I usually think dog, cat, or hamster.  I know that there are many animals that people keep as pets, but are snakes a good pet if there are small children in the home?

I have three nephews and they are outdoor types of boys.  They love all animals, camping, fishing the whole deal.  Recently, my oldest nephew asked if he could have a snake for a pet.  His mom is actually thinking about allowing it and I think it is a huge mistake.

Snakes are unpredictable and are natural predators. They can often grow to be massive animals.

The main concern I have is the other small children in the house.  My sister watches my other sisters kiddos and there is a small baby.  Small children cannot defend themselves from anything, much less a snake.

Last night I saw a story of a 2 foot ball python in a babies crib.  When the baby's dad came into the room, the snake had already bitten the infant and started to wrap itself around the baby's leg.

Who knows what would have happened if the dad had not walked in when he did.  The snake was trying to get a snack and the baby was what he wanted.

I don't think that snakes should be pets at all, but especially not if there are children in the home.  Now I haven't really ever been around pet snakes, so I don't know what kind of animals they really are.  But one horror story is enough for me to be extra cautious.

Do you think snakes are acceptable pets for kids?