08/29/2026
I bet you won't read this post also....
I need to be honest about where Frog Family is heading.
The way things are going, we are no longer going to be able to continue the educational and community side of Frog Family.
That means animal-handling events, free children’s events, camps, school visits, church programs, nursing homes, special-needs adult facilities, fundraisers, and the hands-on experiences so many families have enjoyed.
We tried to build more than a pet store.
We tried to build a place where kids could learn, where special-needs families felt welcome, and where people could actually experience these animals instead of just seeing them on a screen.
And none of this was built with investors, government funding, or some giant business loan.
It was built by our family.
At different points we worked three jobs while raising five kids and trying to keep Frog Family alive. One of our children is severely autistic and nonverbal, and we fall into that middle ground where we make just enough to not qualify for much help, but nowhere near enough to make everything easy.
Right now, I’m the only one here.
We shortened hours. We closed two days a week. We cut what we could.
But I’m reaching the point where I have to decide whether I keep losing money and sacrificing time with my own children to keep providing experiences for everyone else’s.
And that hurts.
Because years from now, when people say, “There’s nothing for kids to do anymore,” this is how it happens.
Places don’t always disappear because nobody liked them.
Sometimes they disappear because everyone loved having them around, but not enough people supported what it took to keep them alive.
Amazon will always be cheaper.
Big chains will always have more buying power.
But they aren’t coming to your child’s school.
They aren’t bringing animals to nursing homes.
They aren’t doing special-needs programs.
They aren’t creating hands-on educational experiences for this community.
Unless something changes, we are going to start stepping away from all of that.
If you want this kind of education to continue, support it.
Shop with us. Buy feeders and supplies here. Book a program. Book a party. Share our posts. Tell a school, church, nursing home, or another parent.
We’ve given everything we can.
If Springfield wants Frog Family’s educational mission to continue, now is the time to show it.