This little guy was named Dr Tran. (The name...well, it's a long story). He was a long hair syrian hamster, syrian hamsters being the larger ones most of us are familiar with. He was abandoned one day at the store by someone who didn't want him anymore, and I took him home. (Many of my animals' stories start this way.) He was a remarkably good hamster, never bit anyone, was laid back and friendly, and altogether misrepresented his species.
Don't get me wrong, I like hamsters. Some of them. But they are not good pets for most kids, or for many adults. Syrian hamsters are a little better than the dwarf varieties, but even so, many have startlingly nasty traits. For example, most hamsters when faced with a intruder will harass, kill, and EAT the enemy. It's very distressing to the human who added a second hamster as a "friend" for their "lonely" pet. (Hamsters are happier solitary, honest.) They'll also generally bite anyone or anything that wakes them up -- I can sympathize -- but this includes not only a predator about to eat them, but also your 6 year old trying to play with his pet. They are slow to tame, and regress quickly if not handled daily.
It's not all bad news. Maintenance is easy; fresh food and water daily and new bedding once a week keeps them happy. I also liked to add some enrichment when I changed the bedding out; stuff cotton and kleenex into the cardboard from toilet paper rolls with some treats embedded, tie a paper towel pouch of seeds to the top of the cage for them to work loose, that kind of thing. It's a safer way to make your hamster's life more interesting than "getting him a friend". And if you play with them daily, gently, they can be made very tame. Unfortunately, it only takes one bite to turn a child off to playing with his pet, and they quickly learn that biting gets them left alone, and start doing it even more.
A much better rodent, if your offspring demand one, would be a mouse or a rat. Yes, they have horrible reputations... but they are largely undeserved. Rats clean themselves like cats, can be potty trained, and enjoy human interaction and the company of their own littermates. During all of my time at the pet store, I was never once bitten by a rat, but I can't even count the number of times hamsters drew blood. They learn to recognize people, and will run to greet anyone they know as friendly. For a young child, a rat is pretty forgiving of being squeezed or dropped. Mice are much the same but much quicker and more delicate, making them more suitable for an older child.
If you absolutely can't stand rats and mice (and some people just never will get over that reputation), guinea pigs are fine for even very young children. Most will never bite, but they require more upkeep than smaller rodents. You'll need to change their litter more often, as they are very messy, and give them a much larger cage. Nails need to be trimmed every couple of weeks, and long hair varieties need brushing. Their diet is trickier; they need extra vitamin C, so lots of fresh fruits and veggies are important. Personally, I don't care for them simply because of the extra maintenance, but they have sweet dispositions, and make a good pet for any age.
I'll also note that there are exceptions. Chinese dwarf hamsters are very sweet and rarely bite, they are fine pets. Robo hamsters are fast as lightning, but are also fairly docile. Individuals can always vary, too; always insist on handling any rodent before you take them home. Who knows, maybe you will find Dr Tran's long lost cousin and be very happy with them -- just beware, and consider less conventional pets as well.
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