diff --git a/firebase/__init__.py b/firebase/__init__.py
index 81e94a6..249ef35 100644
--- a/firebase/__init__.py
+++ b/firebase/__init__.py
@@ -2,11 +2,23 @@
 import urlparse #for urlparse and urljoin
 import os #for os.path.dirname
 import json #for dumps
-
-
+import datetime #for parse datetime object to string
+import decimal #for parse decimal to string
+
+class JSONEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
+    def default(self, obj):
+        if isinstance(obj, datetime.datetime):
+            return obj.isoformat()
+        elif isinstance(obj, datetime.timedelta):
+            return total_seconds(obj)
+        elif isinstance(obj, decimal.Decimal):
+            return float(obj)
+        else:
+            return json.JSONEncoder.default(self, obj)
 
 class Firebase():
     ROOT_URL = '' #no trailing slash
+    auth_token = None
 
     def __init__(self, root_url, auth_token=None):
         self.ROOT_URL = root_url.rstrip('/')
@@ -16,8 +28,8 @@ def __init__(self, root_url, auth_token=None):
 
     def child(self, path):
         root_url = '%s/' % self.ROOT_URL
-        url = urlparse.urljoin(root_url, path.lstrip('/'))
-        return Firebase(url)
+        url = urlparse.urljoin(root_url, str(path).lstrip('/'))
+        return Firebase(url, auth_token=self.auth_token)
 
     def parent(self):
         url = os.path.dirname(self.ROOT_URL)
@@ -25,7 +37,7 @@ def parent(self):
         up = urlparse.urlparse(url)
         if up.path == '':
             return None #maybe throw exception here?
-        return Firebase(url)
+        return Firebase(url, auth_token=self.auth_token)
 
     def name(self):
         return os.path.basename(self.ROOT_URL)
@@ -75,7 +87,7 @@ def __request(self, method, **kwargs):
         #Firebase API does not accept form-encoded PUT/POST data. It needs to
         #be JSON encoded.
         if 'data' in kwargs:
-            kwargs['data'] = json.dumps(kwargs['data'])
+            kwargs['data'] = json.dumps(kwargs['data'], cls=JSONEncoder)
 
         params = {}
         if self.auth_token:
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 679d575..bc3a7ce 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-requests >=1.2.0,<1.2.99
+requests >=1.2.0
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b4195e0..3f113ab 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     author = 'Michael Huynh',
     author_email = 'mike@mikexstudios.com',
     url = 'http://github.com/mikexstudios/python-firebase',
-    install_requires = ['requests >=1.2.0,<1.2.99'], 
+    install_requires = ['requests >=1.2.0'], 
     classifiers = [
         'Programming Language :: Python', 
         'License :: OSI Approved :: BSD License',