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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think this isn't suitable for 5 year olds??

59 replies

ginmakesitallok · 18/05/2015 19:32

Have just put dd2 to bed. We were having a chat about her day, what she'd done at school. She got upset and said she didn't want to talk about it, they'd been doing their project. They have been learning about Egypt. Today they were taught about mummies, about how to make mummies. About how the dead bodies were washed, covered in salt to dry them out and how the brains were pulled out with a hook.

Aibu to think that this isn't really age appropriate????

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CoffeeAndBiscuitsPlease · 18/05/2015 19:36

When I was at primary school we had a different history subject for each year of school (for instance my whole year 6 was about WW2) I do remember that egypt was VERY early on, and seems to usually be a history subject taught to a lot of young uns.

Depends how they described it, whether it was macabre and scary, or whether they did it in a "horrible histories" kind of way and fun.

ChocolateBiscuitCake · 18/05/2015 19:36

I used to teach this in year 3.

Why is it being taught in reception/year 1. Doubt the children have any sense of the historical time line, where eygpt is etc.

Yanbu

FixItUpChappie · 18/05/2015 19:36

YANBU - odd content for 5 year olds. I would not be pleased personally. That can't possibly be on the Kindergarden/grade one curriculum is it?

ginmakesitallok · 18/05/2015 19:39

I have no problem at all with then teaching about Egypt! I think I do have a problem with them teaching the gory details of mummification!

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ginmakesitallok · 18/05/2015 19:39

She's in p1 (Scotland)

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Lilliana · 18/05/2015 19:41

I used to teach this to year 3 too. They loved it but yes 5 does seem a bit young for this.

ginmakesitallok · 18/05/2015 19:42

Think I'll mention it to teacher when I see her. They've been taught by someone else for last few days, student teacher I think.

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Catsahoy · 18/05/2015 19:43

I'd be very interested to see which CfE outcomes this was covering....

CocktailQueen · 18/05/2015 19:43

At our lower school they do Egypt in Year 3. P1 seems too young to me. Too young to understand lots of things about Egypt, but also too young for gory/scary things like mummification.

Jetgir1 · 18/05/2015 19:45

Ive not heard of it below year 3. My reception kid did the grufallo...

alwaysabattle · 18/05/2015 19:46

it could be that they was just learning about Egypt and one of the other children brought the subject of mummies up and the teacher got dragged into a discussion on it!?! if that's not the case they certainly shouldn't be preparing to teach 5 year old that

PHANTOMnamechanger · 18/05/2015 19:48

mine all did this in Y3/4 too and I'm not sure why they would do it so young.

Marcipex · 18/05/2015 19:53

I agree, too young for the gruesome details. I wonder whose choice that was, so many other topics to choose from.

CalamitouslyWrong · 18/05/2015 19:58

DS2 is 5. He would absolutely love the gruesome details of mummification, especially pulling brains out with a hook.

mummytime · 18/05/2015 19:59

I think your DD is especially sensitive to be upset by the gruesome, most small children of this age love that stuff. Especially as they haven't developed to the stage where they empathise that well.
However I would talk to her teacher, to warn the teacher that your DD is sensitive, and to check that no one was "teasing" her about it.

ginmakesitallok · 18/05/2015 20:09

Mummy time, sorry but I think that's bollocks.

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Alisvolatpropiis · 18/05/2015 20:15

How in depth is the teacher seriously going to have been with a class of 5 year olds?

Yabu

Marcipex · 18/05/2015 20:17

I think some 8-10s love that stuff, not 5 year olds.
And some always hate it. I still shudder at the memory of a history book with a picture of Joan of Arc at the stake.

Artandco · 18/05/2015 20:19

My 4 and 5 year olds would love this. We always go into full details about everything as I feel they shouldn't learn half of it. As long as it's age appropriate which I think this is

ArtAttackSucks · 18/05/2015 20:20

I don't know about five, but in year three my ds made those containers that they put the organs in..complete with fake organs!

Feminine · 18/05/2015 20:20

My daughter is in year one. I'm positive some characters in her class would enjoy it.
My son (however) was scared of the gruffalo at five! Grin

AppleAndBlackberry · 18/05/2015 20:25

I was reading a book about the Egyptians to my 4 year old the other day, she found it fascinating. My 5 year old also finds that kind of thing very interesting, I wouldn't really be concerned if they talked about it in school in an age appropriate way. I guess pulling a brain out with a hook is a bit gross, but I wouldn't personally say the topic was unsuitable.

BettyCatKitten · 18/05/2015 20:33

My DT's have been fascinated by ancient Egypt since 3 years. We've got lots of books.
However, this was at home, It is a strange topic to cover at that age at school.

NatashaRomanov · 18/05/2015 20:42

My five year old daughter (reception class) chose a book about Mummies from the library.
She thought the brain hook thing was gross, but she was un-fazed. Should I be concerned about that?
Rhetorical question. I'm not. She accepts death as a part of life, and is a funny, kind, loving, little girl.

She has seen documentaries about Ancient Eygpt, and is particularly fascinated by the Pharoh Queens. But obviously the subject of mummies came up, and I wouldn't lie to her about it.

I don't want to her to have any fear about any 'acceptable' (in their time and place) rituals surrounding death.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 18/05/2015 21:37

I learnt at the age of six in Sunday school that a man was nailed to a wooden cross whilst he was still alive. Actually had huge metal nails driven through his hands and feet whilst he was still alive. Shock

I wish I'd had the ability to say actually, I'm pretty sure that's a fairy story, and not suitable for a kid my age at that. Hmm