Aibu to feel uncomfortable with ds homework?

[ThePickledPoet]

Hi, my 7 year old son came home with this poem to read and then had to write about his own/family/friends pet (name, likes/dislikes, and any story whether it be that they've lost a pet or an amusing story...)
I'm not sure I like the thought of a 7 year old reading about a dead cat!
I think I'm being over sensitive and last night I just let him get on with it (he didn't find it upsetting or anything, and wrote a story about our pet) so I didnt make an issue of it.
I'm just wondering what you make of it?

Cat's Funeral
E.V. Rieu

Bury her deep, down deep,
Safe in the earth's cold keep.
Bury her deep--

No more to watch bird stir;
No more to clean dark fur;
No more to glisten as silk;
No more to revel in milk;
No more to purr.

Bury her deep, down deep;
She is beyond warm sleep.
She will not walk in the night;
She will not wake to the light.
Bury her deep.

well Guatami- as a parent, we are told at the start of every year to let teachers know if something happens which could be assumed to affect the child behaviour- death, divorce etc. Certainly none of the parents I know are shy about doing so! So hopefully the teacher would have been aware if there was a recent harsh pet-death. But for the future prediction- what if next week... no, that's not reasonable to expect to plan lessons in avoidance of what may happen further down the line.

For example lessons about road safety or stranger danger. My kids' school has an "assigned police officer" who comes at least twice a year to talk about these things in full assembly- that is kids 5-11. If there is an incident (eg strange man seen hanging at the playground) there will be another talk. Maybe a child who has had actual recent experience of related events would find that triggering- in that case, hopefully the school would be alerted to make accommodation for that child- I don't know. But surely such talks and lessons can't be cancelled all together for fear that MAYBE such an event would occur next week? The whole point for such events is to show how to deal with unpleasant, traumatic events, should it unfortunately become necessary.

You could argue - as some on this thread are- that it is simply not the "place" of the teacher to talk (teach?) about (pet)death, and families should do it. Sometimes I wish indeed modern curricula would stick to teaching reading, writing an 'rithmatic and leave social issues, emotions and so on out of it. But education trends suggest otherwise.

I have no problem with teachers supporting/teaching/discussing the issues of loss, bereavement and death in school. I think it's a great place to do it if it's done properly.

I just don't agree with it being dropped into a more general lesson without proper thought. I don't think you can lump the issue of death (pet or otherwise) into a list as though all items hold the same weight for everyone. You're possibly opening a can of worms without the resources to deal with it.

In this case, as has been pointed out more than a few times, the poem doesn't seem to match the work.

Child Bereavement UK suggest lesson plans here for teachers to consider.

It can and should be taught in schools. But in the right way.

My 7yo is quite sensitive, but I'm not sure this would bother him too much. However, his cat died two years ago, his uncle died 18 months ago and his great grandmother is fairly ill and it doesn't look good. We took the decision when his cat died to tell him honestly, but not go into great detail and without sounding too callous (I hope) we were glad he'd already been through this when his uncle died. Recently we had quite a profound conversation about beliefs. He goes to a church school. I'm not religious but I don't actually broadcast that to him. He asked whether people who didn't believe in god would be scared of dying as they wouldn't go anywhere. So he can talk about death and what happens afterwards quite comfortably despite being sensitive an having been bereaved.

On the other hand he was really upset the other night because of a pretty unfunny comment the teaching assistant made (supposedly in jest) and it was hard work calming him. It was clearly supposed to be a joke but the woman is a dickhead but just misfired.

I suppose, I would think positively of a teacher who was providing challenging and bought provoking work. I think the poem quoted DID link to the work - OP said "...came home with this poem to read and then had to write about his own/family/friends pet (name, likes/dislikes, and any story whether it be that they've lost a pet or an amusing story...)" so he didn't HAVE to right about a bereavement but this was within the scope of the exercise if appropriate for that child.