to not want my daughter to be learning about WW1 at 4?

[superbean]

My daughter came home from playgroup this afternoon distraught about WW1. All afternoon we've had tears about the soldiers dying, me dying, friends whose parents are soldiers dying. I have no reason to think the staff would not have spoken about this sensitively but I actually wondered if this is really a topic for pre-schoolers. She has asked about death before but I would not have said she is a sensitive child before today, although she seems quite switched on. I will speak to the staff but has anyone else had this recently? I really don't know where to start trying to explain anything about the topic to a child of this age.

[Weathergames]

If it hadn't happened she would also be learning in German :)

[superbean]

Ha! Not sure that'll clarify things for her.

[theuncivilservant79]

Yanbu. Dd1 is 4 and I would have challenged the nursery. I had a thread years back objecting to rememberence stuff ring displayed in the baby room in our nursery. Bloody absurd.

[Molotov]

My (sensitive and intelligent) 5yo dd attended assembly on the anniversary of D-Day which set her mind racing.

Avoidance and distraction is key. I massively gloss over stuff and do not dwell on the grim stuff. I think it's's best for her to remain innocent for just a little longer.

[Molotov]

Btw, I know D-Day is WWII, but the same principles apply. As with death, and dinosaurs

[Snowcherriesfromfrance]

My ds (5 last week so a younger one in reception) loves learning about ww1 and ww2. And anything where people get shot and die
He went up to a lady selling poppies last year and said 'hitler would have liked me because I've got blond hair and blue eyes' and I wanted to die a little bit myself.

However my ds is very much like Ben out of outnumbered and is obsessed with battling and war and history so his opinion probably doesn't count.
It does seem very young. I would think ks1 is really the earliest they should be introducing it.

[gamescompendium]

When the DDs were at nursery they did learn about remembrance day but it was just 'we remember the people who fought in the war' and painting poppies. Don't think they realised war is about people dying, I think it is possible to introduce the concept of war in early years without making the death aspect explicit. I guess it's difficult to judge though, some kids are more likely to grasp what happens in war than others and therefore find it very upsetting.

[Snowcherriesfromfrance]

Worryingly ds knows what happens in war but doesn't seem to find it upsetting!
Other current topics of obsession: The Spanish Armada, the Titanic and Guy Fawkes.

[insancerre]

Yanbu
What a stupid topic to be covering
I run a nursery and we follow the children's interests
We have done dinosaurs, pirates, superheroes, frozen, princesses, fairies, football, etc
No way would we even consider ww1 as a topic.
Are the staff actually qualified ?

[BMW6]

Good grief!! YADNBU - 4 is years too young to be learning about this stuff.

I think 12 would be te earliest appropiate age.

[Weathergames]

12?! Blimey! Slightly over protective!

My OH is in the forces so all of our DC know why we have Remembrance Day.

[fledermaus]

YANBU - it's not going to mean much to a 4 year old, what is the point?

[EurotrashGirl]

Snow my DB's favorite book at that age was about the amphibious landing vehicles used in the D-Day attack.

[claig]

Might this be down to Gove's influence or something?

[Snowcherriesfromfrance]

That makes me feel slightly better Euro mine currently enjoys a book about the Titanic and a book about other ill fated boats.
He also has a book on ww1 from a child's perspective and likes that too.

I would like go go back to having nice picture stories!

[2old2beamum]

Can see where you are coming from but at the same age as your DD I learnt a lot of my mother's family had died in a camp. It was horrendous I remember the horror more than anything else.

claig you are probably right

[claig]

I usually am

[Artandco]

I think it's fine tbh. It's stuff mine see all the time in museums/ on statues/ in books. They are 3 and 4. They ask questions and we answer. They just see it as real day knights! Ie the other day we were walking through Hyde park and happened to walk past the 7/7 London bombings memorial. They asked what it was and why? I feel it's better to answer truthfully as age appropriate than just lie or ignore

[superbean]

Thanks for your comments. It's not answering questions truthfully that I object to, or talking about death. I'm just not sure how you can teach anything about war to children with no concept of country or politics.

[fledermaus]

I'm not sure I'd want a child to think of war as like knights - a fairytale or something from a story book.

Children should know about the world wars, but not until they are able to grasp what it really means imo - as the OP says, how is a pre-schooler who doesn't have a concept of countries or politics supposed to appreciate the gravity of millions dying in a war

[Pumpkinpositive]

I recall my best friend at nursery (we must have been 3/4) telling me how her mother had been murdered - strangled - on the stairs of their house by her cousin.

She told me quite matter of factly and I absorbed the information in the same manner. It wasn't until years later that I thought, "oh £$!@"!

Do young children really get worked up over such abstract concepts as the long dead?

[Artandco]

Fleder - sure, but when a 3 year old says did they die flighting, then like knights. I'm hardly going to say no nothing like it. I try and say 'well similar but knights were a very long time ago and fought for their king, and people now usually fight for their country. Swords and horses aren't usually used anymore'. It just gives him perspective. It's not an aspiration