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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To let ds (5) watch a very dead hippo being eaten on a wildlife doc?

23 replies

LiegeAndLief · 08/11/2011 14:11

Ds is absolutely obsessed with wildlife, particularly the "red in tooth and claw" bit. We have to spent most waking minutes pretending to be lions bringing down a wildebeest or equivalent - recently I was required to assume the role of dead buffalo in the playground so that he could be a vulture eating me. He loves David Attenborough and Deadly 60 but will only watch them if "they have eating in them".

Last night there was a documentary on Channel 4 about a hippo carcass and all the things that came and ate it, and then how it decomposed. This is exactly the kind of thing that ds would love, so we recorded it. It was on quite late so I watched about 10min last night to check how gory it was. It is very very graphic (think intestine contents spewing over hyena's face as they tuck in, decomposing carcass etc). Ds is quite happy in the knowledge that some animals eat other animals, knows about insects and bacteria that decompose dead animals etc, but has certainly never been confronted with it in such an unadulterated way. I have been surrounded by animal killing games for so long I think I have lost perspective - are we mad to contemplate letting him watch this?

OP posts:
dancingmustard · 08/11/2011 14:16

Maybe 5 is a bit young to be watching stuff like that (In my opinion) going off the premise that once it's seen it cannot be unseen.

CocktailQueen · 08/11/2011 14:19

Hmm, my two love Deadly 60 and all David Attenborough stuff BUT I think that sounds a little graphic. Agree with mustard. Sorry! He's got time to watch that when he's older.

ElderberrySyrup · 08/11/2011 14:20

Watched a lot of it, it was fine - fascinating and not really disturbing or scary at all, though yes, pretty gross in places (the vultures sticking their heads up the hippo's anus was pretty yeurgh) but a 5yo would probably take that in his stride.
I would have no qualms about letting my kids watch it.

dustyhousewithdustypeople · 08/11/2011 14:21

I wish I'd not seen it! And it hadn't even been, er, 'opened' when I managed to tear my eyes away and switch it off. Gross. I kept imagining the smell.

He'd probably love it, there's nothing wrong or bad about it, just a bit disgusting.

Splinters · 08/11/2011 14:22

If he'd seen it by accident I'd say it didn't matter, but not so sure about deliberately showing it to him.

In the end though, as long as he realises that humans shouldn't eat one another and that he must not make any serious attempts to eat you or his friends, or feed you to hyenas to see what happens, everything will probably be ok.

ElderberrySyrup · 08/11/2011 14:22

thing is, cos the hippo is already dead it is a lot less scary than a lot of David Attenborough things where you see the baby seal being attacked by the nasty killer whale etc. The dead hippo doesn't really look like an animal really, just a thing.

ElderberrySyrup · 08/11/2011 14:23

rofl Splinters!

LiegeAndLief · 08/11/2011 14:32

He positively enjoys watching cute baby seals being ripped to pieces by polar bears (there is something wrong with him isn't there?). I guess you're right, he probably won't be phased by something that doesn't really look like an animal anymore. Very interesting to hear from those of you who saw it.

Splinters, he hasn't tried to eat any of his friends or family since he was two and we are unlikely to come across any hyenas in Oxfordshire, so I think we're ok!

OP posts:
catgirl1976 · 08/11/2011 14:33

I think he'll be fine by the sounds of it. :) As others have said the hippo is dead already and as long as he doesn't try to chomp on you ..........

AndiMac · 08/11/2011 14:33

If he's into it, I'd say let him watch it. Children are very tooth and claw by nature and I don't think he's likely to be shocked by it, especially when he's been role-playing and seeing things of a similar nature already. Only caution I would make is to not watch is just before bedtime.

coolascucumber · 08/11/2011 14:54

I watched it, it was a bit slow in places so he may get a bit bored. Not too gruesome apart from the projectile body fluids. Interesting watching the crocodiles get started on getting into the hippo carcass by twisting and tearing on the penis. But hopefully he won't re-enact that bit with his soft toys.....Grin

MrBloomsNursery · 08/11/2011 15:04

Well it can't be worse than the part in Mummifying Alan where they showed the decomposing REAL DEAD body with MAGGOTS all over it on the Body Farm.

MrsSleepy · 08/11/2011 15:11

I've recorded it for my 8 year old DD to watch, I watched it last night and a few bits of it made me gag but I thought it was a good watch

IgnoringTheChildren · 08/11/2011 15:48

Splinters - strangely enough I had to have a conversation with my 4 yo DS this morning about why when people die we don't "eat their meat". I'd considered showing him the hippo thing but I'm now thinking perhaps not... There really isn't an emoticon to cover how I felt this morning but I'm going to go with Shock Confused Blush

TheSmallClanger · 08/11/2011 15:57

I'd let him watch, but stay around and watch with him. There's no suffering involved, just lots of bumholes, bodily fluids and mess, which it sounds like he enjoys anyway.

It is a bit slow moving for a 5yo - he may well get bored anyway.

EssexGurl · 08/11/2011 16:01

My two (6 and 2) loved Planet Dinosaur and are loving Frozen Planet. DD (2) sat there very calmly on Sunday afternoon and announced that one animal was eating another. Didn't phase her at all. I always watch such programmes with them and we talk about what is happening and why.

pigletmania · 08/11/2011 16:05

I would not, there is a reason as to why it's on that late. Even adults find that type of thing hard to watch.

LaFilleSurLePont · 08/11/2011 16:51

I wouldn't have a problem with him watching it.

ajourneyofgiraffes · 08/11/2011 19:17

Not at all unreasonable. We take our DS to the Kruger National Park and other game reserves a couple of times a year so he has seen this type of thing in real life.

LuckyRocketshipUnderpants · 08/11/2011 19:20

I'd let him watch it. You might forewarn him that's it a bit...gooey. But kids love that stuff. It sounds like you have a budding naturalist on your hands, which is so cool!

BellaBearisWideAwake · 08/11/2011 19:22

The bit where the lion was eating the hippo's penis had me shrieking with laughter, in a very teenager/puerile/OMG kind of way. If that helps.

ElderberrySyrup · 08/11/2011 19:26

yes, it was the way the lion licked his lips afterwards.

IneedAbetterNickname · 08/11/2011 19:27

Your DS sounds alot like mine, who is 7, and he would have loved it! Shame I missed it!

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