Is it a free-roam animal?

I think probably as long as it's in a cage that's not easily accessible to the kids, you should be fine. I agree that they should not handle it until they are at least a few years older. Salmonella makes adults sick and uncomfortable, but can kill small children. As long as you and the other adults who handle him and clean the cage wash your hands thouroughly just after, there shouldn't be a problem. If your child handles him, though, they wouldn't think twice about rubbing their eyes or putting their hands in their mouth before you have a chance to wash them. The risk is higher for them.

That said, as long as you're careful, you'll probably be fine. I had reptiles as a very young child, and I'm still here. Not every reptile will pass along salmonella, you just have to be expecially careful when the kids are that small.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

As of right now, I have no intention of letting my kids handle or pet him. He's still, as I said, very iffy, even with us. I'm sure it will take a lot of time, patience and money to care for him...as with any pet. Right now, my children are in the "look only" stage. Granted, my daughter is very mature for her age, but still. It's better to be safe than sorry, and I realize this!

I feel the need to add a sort of disclaimer here: We are not doctors or veterinarians and cannot say with any degree of certainty whether you or your children will or will not become infected with Salmonella.

We can, however, say with 100% certainty that there is a RISK of exposure to Salmonella, and that the above mentioned sanitation measures will help REDUCE the risk of exposure.

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~~Steph

"This I believe: That the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world." John Steinbeck