Hey all!
Like most of the rest of us out here I am involved in my own little drama with the fur babies.

I know my experiences will be different from other people who have young joeys and even different form others who have adopted older gliders.

Something the Pocket Pets guy will never tell you, "Yeah...expect to get bitten...bloody...a lot."

That is the overall battle. I don't care if they groom my hair as long as I don't have to feel nervous I am about to have my ear pierced, or my nipple removed.

So...and this may be something we all do.?

Here's my list of what I can and can't do with my gliders:

1) Handle them in the pouch--yes...no problems. If they are in the pouch they don't mind if I move them.

2) Get them OUT of the pouch--problems. Grabbing results in a struggle that leads to loss of trust and usually bites. I usually have to kind of squeeze them out of the pouch like a tube of toothpaste--making less and less room for them until they give in and come out.

3) Picking them up--problems. They don't trust me enough yet to let me scoop them--and grabbing them is worse. I find myself moving them more or less exclusively by coaxing them onto or into something I can move in or out of the cage.

4) Ride the Daddy-Tree: Good. If they take up in my hood, or under it they will stay there pretty much until I remove them. I don't know if they are actually having a good time back there or just hiding. I have done dishes and moved laundry with them back there--and made dinner. Nothing really athletic. I try to float gently around with them back there.

5) Recall: Make a recall noise and have them come to me. No way. Wondering if it's even possible.

6) Extend a hand and have them jump to me: YES...but not because I said so, I don't think. It's not really a recall, it more of an, "I don't mind if I do!" <BOING>

6) Petting: Yes. Surprisingly enough, they like to be petted, and will allow me even to rub behind their little ears. Yet they don't want to be scooped up. Go Figure.

7) Nail Trimming. HAHAHAHA! Hooray for Stealth Wheel and sandpaper!

The thing I am really missing is being able to handle them--with my hands--with enough confidence to be able to put and ejacket on them or be able to trim their nails.
Would be nice to hold them in my hands and look in their little faces.

I know it's about time and trust...and going at THEIR pace, not mine. But...I wish they would HURRY UP AND LOVE ME, DAMMIT!!!
(ahem.) Sorry.

It's so frustrating sometimes. Watching this lady in a video putting an ejacket on her glider; I'm just amazed at how he lays there and lets her pull his legs out, and fit the straps around his little neck. Seems...so far away.

New things I am doing: Criticism Welcome!

1) Mealworms much less often. Administering exclusively licky treats--usually with a straw, but sometimes from my finger. Plain yogurt usually. This has cut way down on bites and also allowed me to give out lots more treats because I'm just letting them have one quick lick. I feel like I am getting more out of smaller, more frequent, positive reinforcement.

2) Critterlove: Gizmo is losing weight and becoming more active. Their coats are becoming noticeably smoother and less clumpy. No complaints here.

3) In pouch petting and "sleeping" with them in the pouch with my hand. This is very effective.

So those are the things I have been doing and where I am at.
Going to try and add some photos...

I have some responses to just a few of your points

2) I think you said scooping is a little easier than grabbing. Unfortunately, grabbing tends to initiate the prey response because it's like a large predator grabbing them from above. It will take them a long time to get used to grabbing, if at all. If you can wiggle your hand down into the bottom of the pouch, underneath the gliders, and scoop them out with no grabbing from above (they seem to like their feet to be stable on something as well), you might have better luck.

3) again, avoid grabbing as much as you can. With scooping, move slower and try to get them to trust the scooping motion more, and trust that you aren't going to grab them.

7) It took my old gliders a long time to get used to nail trimming, but they eventually got used to it enough where I can safely trim their nails with only a half-hearted struggle. I'd suggest, once they get used to you handling them more, mess with their feet a lot (but gently). Get them used to you touching their feet and briefly grabbing them lightly between your fingers, and they might not care as much when you grab them to give them a trim.

I would not recommend cooking withe gliders on you. Or washing dishes. Especially if they are not in a bonding pouch with it zipped. They are not likely to come out of your hood once in there, but the "what ifs" can be dangerous.

All it takes is something to startle them and they decide it's not a safe spot.

ComradeFluffy sounds like progress is being made, thanks to you I am able to pet and scoop Stuart up, in his bedding pouch.
Stuart has never bit me or attempted to bite me, I give him yogurt off my finger and he loves it. His mealies will be here soon. What salad do your babies like, I made one off the Critter Love site and Stuart won't eat it. HELP
As for getting him out of bedding into bonding pouch I too have to squeeze him out like toothpaste, however it is getting much easier as today he knew what the routine was and he transferred over when I said " ok time to go for a ride with Momma to bond"
Oh, was going to ask what part of Colorado are you in? Any snow there today? NM been getting a little.

sugiemom to Stuart

Sugiemom hey...I would love to take credit for that trick, but I got it from Ladymagyver. :-)

I made salad #3...substituting frozen green beans for yellow wax beans (Per Peggy)

My guys hardly touched the new menu for the first two days. They were like: "Where is the chicken!?"

After that...for the next couple days, they ate the good stuff out of the salad and left the rest--hardly touching their formula.
A couple days after that they just started inhaling the whole thing.
They seem to clean their plate better and better every night now.
They still leave the kale for last though--who can blame them? :-)

By the way...for us humans--salad #3 is really good with asian sesame dressing. :-)