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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is wrong for an 8yr old to be asked to say in assembly?

202 replies

gingerbiscuitandacuppatea · 09/06/2014 21:16

DD (age 8 in yr 3) is doing a UNICEF assembly soon about child labour. They are reading out some examples of children's experiences, like carrying rocks up a hill, looking after cows etc.

my DD's lines include

"She used to slap me and shout at me. One day she poured petrol over me and set it alight. I rushed to the sink and splashed water over myself so luckily I wasn't too badly burned. They gave me cream for my burns and locked me in my room."

Would you be happy about your 8 year old being given those lines? I'm not happy that she now knows about people doing something so horrible, surely children this age do not need exposing to this at school?

OP posts:
caroldecker · 09/06/2014 21:18

Would you rather it was happening to her rather than just learning the truth about some cultures?

Leggingsandtrainersnonono · 09/06/2014 21:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Stripytop · 09/06/2014 21:20

How does your 8 yr old feel about this? My dd would have been quite upset by this at 8. Do you know what they have discussed in school, and how it has been presented to the children?

SecretSpy · 09/06/2014 21:20

I would be fine with it too
It's important

CaractacusPotts · 09/06/2014 21:21

Not discussing it doesn't make it not happen!!

Awareness is everything.

Passmethecrisps · 09/06/2014 21:22

I would imagine that this assembly is the culmination of weeks of careful work by the teacher. It is unlikely that the teacher would have picked your child if she seemed unhappy.

If all of that has happened then I would be very proud that your dd is sharing such an important message.

If you are unsure about the prep or her readiness then ask her

fanoftheinvisibleman · 09/06/2014 21:22

I talk to my 8 year old about things like this. We watch the news and discuss it. I would be okay with it.

MoominAndMiniMoom · 09/06/2014 21:23

It's a fine line, isn't it? On one hand you can say it's too extreme and is unsuitable for a girl of eight years old...

On the other hand, on the other side of the world there could be an eight year old girl experiencing it right now, and it'll show them that they are quite lucky to have a school where they can learn about it?

elvenbread · 09/06/2014 21:23

Why do you have an issue with it. The world isn't always a nice place. It's never to early to learn you can be a small part of making it better.

SylvaniansKeepGettingHoovered · 09/06/2014 21:25

YANBU, I would be disgusted if the school expected my child to read that out. My DD would be really upset and sad.

You can't hide the world from children, but no need to ram the nastiness down their throats either. I wouldn't even want an 8 yr old to read or hear it, really. My DD gets so sad when she sees starving children on charity adverts on television. I don't think she even knows that some people do really evil things to children. I don't think she would get her head around it. I wouldn't want her to.

bitsnbobs14 · 09/06/2014 21:26

Depends how my child felt about it. Mine are still small yet but I think it's important for them to be aware (when the time is right) that that is some children's reality.

Swoosg · 09/06/2014 21:27

Yes I would object to my child learning about this... Nasty gratuitous detail that will stay in her head always.

FunnyFoot · 09/06/2014 21:27

If they have first discussed the subject in class then I would have no issue with it.
At the end of the day this is happening in the world and I don't think knowing about it is wrong.
My youngest are 7yo and have asked countless questions regarding the adverts for donations that show starved unloved children. I have explained that in the world not every child is loved and cared for and that we need to help them where we can.
You can only keep your child in a protective bubble for so long.

Sarahplane · 09/06/2014 21:29

I wouldn't be happy about my 8 year old reading that at school. You can't protect them from everything bad that happens in the world but I think that is too much for an 8 year old to read.

Tambajam · 09/06/2014 21:29

Does the rest of the school watch the assembly? I'd be more worried about KS1 hearing that without any discussion/ context/ learning.

softlysoftly · 09/06/2014 21:30

YANBU an 8 year old knowing this won't change a thing the is plenty of time for awareness and action.

I'd hate it.

Icimoi · 09/06/2014 21:30

But what is wrong with the information "staying in her head always"? If this happens to children, we cannot close our eyes to it. My children at 8 would have been perfectly well able to deal with this.

Viewofthehills · 09/06/2014 21:31

I would be alright with them learning about child labour but not being set fire to. Apart from anything else I wouldn't want children to think that you can put out a petrol fire out at the sink. Having treated a man who did this to himself the injuries are totally horrific.
I suspect if they are minimising this to the children they must have an idea that they are dancing on the edge of what is reasonable.

soverylucky · 09/06/2014 21:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThingsThatShine · 09/06/2014 21:31

I would be ok with this.

HelpMeGetOutOfHere · 09/06/2014 21:31

No I wouldn't be happy either. There is a fine line between being open and honest with them and not sheltering them from the harsh realities of life but at the same time 8 is very young to process this information and not frighten them or worry them.

There are lots of things going on in the world and their own country even that I think an 8yt old doesn't need to worry about.

SylvaniansKeepGettingHoovered · 09/06/2014 21:34

Icimoi - Because it's not right for an 8 year old to have in their mind an image of petrol being poured over a child and set alight. No need for such detail.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 09/06/2014 21:34

I would have been fine with either of mine reading that at 8. I think it is important that they learn the world is not always a very nice place from an early age rather than being over protected.

FinDeSemaine · 09/06/2014 21:35

I would not be happy about this. I do talk to DD (7.9) about issues like this (how children in other countries are not as fortunate as she is, some have to work in bad conditions, some even in this country are not cared for by their parents etc) in an age appropriate way but she would be appalled and very very upset by something as stark as that.

HPparent · 09/06/2014 21:37

If your daughter finds the lines upsetting I would have a word with the teacher. Otherwise I would say that you cannot put your child in a bubble and sooner or later she will learn that the world is not a very nice place for a lot of people.

Sorry, I am of the generation whose parents lived through WW2 themselves as young children and witnessed many horrors in occupied countries. My sibling and I were told about some of it as children when we were much younger than your DD. Both of us are involved with charities and organisations trying to make the world a better place...I think there is a connection.