New U2 questions

Hello, everyone I love your site. I have just now decided to post my first thread.

I have a 10 month old male U2. He loves me and my fiance with everybit of his being. He is a great little guy. Although I am having some trouble getting him to behave around my kids. If they come in the living room and he is out he will try everything he can to get to them. He raises his crest and jumps around. I have let the kids give him treats, they talk to him and pet him when I am holding him (I hol his head so he cant get to them) We thought with him being young he would eventually get out of this with us working with him, but if anything it just seems to be getting worse. My kids are 5 and 8 and we own a grooming salon so they have been around all sorts of animals thier entire life so they know how to act around them and treat them. This is the first bird I have had since my 5 year old was born and I really dont want them to grow up hating birds. At first they werent to nervous around him even with him getting upset but now they dont even want to sit on the couch when he is out. I feel like I cant get him out till they go to bed, which cuts down on him play time. We have a huge play center for him that sits in the middle of our living room(which he climbs down from in about 3 seconds) but if he is on there and the kids are around he will shoot straight for them and attack them. Any help on what we can do to stop this would be greatly appreciated!! Since we brought him home we have put him up every time he acts out for about 30 min and if he is bad again we repeat till his or the kids bedtime. I know he is still young enough to get him out of this just not sure what the right way to go about it is. We would try anything at this point. He is such a great baby otherwise!

Sorry for the extra LONG post, lol

Hmm? This may be a tough one. My daughter, who is four, has a pretty good relationship with my ringneck. We just got a baby grey, Ida, and her and Ida are also doing good. My daughter tries to teach Ida how to use all of her learning toys, and they seem to have fun with each other. But then there is my 6 year old amazon. She can give him treats and he will come down to share snacks with her. Typical amazon, he will be nice to anyone for food, but she doesn't get to handle him.

Maybe your too is afraid of your kids. Regardless of them being good, kids are loud and active, and it sounds like your kids are starting to become afraid of him. Not a good combo. If you go on youtube you can find lots of videos on parrot training.

Ok thanks I will check it out.

He use to take food from them, we would give them his favorite to give to him. But now he just takes it from them and throws it.

I don't have my own kids but I babysit friends & family kids all the time and I'd have to agree with Ab, maybe he is scared or nervous around them.
The kids I have tend to run up & can be very hyper and loud, my Lily HATES that she gets really upset about it & won't even go near them or she even tries to bite them!
I know from lots of experience that birds are highly intelligent & NOT like any other pet I have ever had and need different treatment then the rest. Just like a small child really...
I have just taught the kids to come up quietly or be as quiet & calm as they can when she is around & it seems to work for us! When they are quiet & calm she steps up to them doesn't bite & takes treats from them.
HOWEVER Lily has her own room & I don't have the kids all the time so she doesn't see the "kids being kids hyper side" either... All she sees is the nice quiet children lol!!
Other then this not sure what else to suggest...
He's still young though, I'm sure with time & as the kids mature he'll come around!