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

[ginmakesitallok]

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????

Maybe it's a Scottish school thing - both my children covered Egypt in P1 and came home with all sorts of gruesome stories.

I'm sorry, but both DC loved the topic.

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

I disagree it's bollocks.

Lots of small children like this sort of thing. A lot of them don't even really see Mummies as ever having been 'normal' and human. They just think of them permanently as skull/bones/wrapped in sheets.

The brain/hook thing. Make sure your DD knows they were dead when this happened so they couldn't feel it.

She might have got the wrong end of the stick on that one.

my son was three when he learnt this he was totally unbothered by it but he does have a gruesome side

Yup, one of my dds did it in P3, the other will do it in P4 along with the Belfast Blitz and the evacuation children in war time. P2 is a big space project as far as I can remember and the Rainforest makes an appearance in P3 too. I can't remember any of my older ones doing a project in P1 (NI) apart from this is my family, my holiday, my pet etc.

It seems a bit much for reception year. Come to think of it, DS was upset by titanic in year 1.

They loved the mummies at the British museum though, had to drag them out of that room.

I showed my three year old a little dead snake in the road the other day. It triggered only fascination. I thought five year olds liked all things gross? I remember devouring those horrible histories books when I was a bit older and skipping to all the goriest bits-

Ds is in P1 in Scotland. They are talking about their favourite animals this week (today was a day off, though). DS wouldn't be interested in Egypt, and would be only slightly bemused to be told about mummification. He is nit interested in animals either..

Titanic could happen to us, or any living people, even today. That is what is scary about it. What was done to dead bodies in ancient Egypt is a whole different thing. Doesn't touch us in that way..

That does seem an unusual topic for Reception. My eldest would have had nightmares and been really freaked out by that. My youngest - who is nearly 5 - would absolutely love it. She'd relish all the gory details. In fact her favourite bit of our local museum is 'the dead mummy'. I doubt either of my kids is that unusual really. Have a chat with her usual teacher, I would of with my eldest.

Does your dd not watch horrible histories? Mine loves it, as do dh and I. Totally gruesome and cool. No I have no issue with it but then I allow my dc to watch doctor who which I'm told is wrong but so much better than in the night garden - now that's the stuff of nightmares!

It seems very strange to me (as a mum and as a primary teacher) to teach 5 year olds about mummies.

Some children would be fascinated and would love the gruesome details, but others would find it really upsetting. Much better to leave it until year 3 or 4.

I don't have any problem with children that age (or even younger) learning all about it at home if they like that sort of thing. But that's a different situation - they are with parents who can suss out what they are enjoying, and what they are finding too much, and can follow their child's interests.

When I was little, and when mine were little (about 4/5 to about 10) the best bits of castles were the torture chambers. Its when they got to 13+ that descriptions of just what happened in hang drawing and quartering was actually repellent.

OP if your DD is that upset, she is sensitive - which is a compliment; she is probably highly empathetic (that or has been exposed to real horrors).

My DD who is 5yo wouldn't like this. It's a bit too much for her.

They are learning about minibeasts and have been writing about the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

My DS is 5 and I know this would really bother him too. It's a bit much for that age I think,

I only know of 2 primary schools out of the 20+ in my area that do Egypt in P1/2. I think they are mad, it's much more fun to teach in the upper primaries.

We did Egyptians when I was this age at school (middle infants in those days). We did not much focus on the mummies, more on the hieroglyphics and obelisks and pyramids as I remember - it was nearly 40 years ago.

Actually on reflection, I would also be careful before accusing the teacher of having brought up the gruesome details. In my children's classes it would have most likely been another child who had watched horrible histories, especially one with an older sibling (and that child could well have been one of mine).

I think this is completely age inappropriate. Yes, there are 5 year olds who would be unfazed - but there are others who are likely to be upset, not necessarily because they are unusually sensitive. The fact is, at 5 not all children have necessarily fully comprehended the concept of death, and introducing it to them in this way is liable to be confusing and upsetting. I'd complain.

Missadorabelle its definitely a similar thing.

I had to go in to complain in reception when DS2 was traumatised by an animation of jesus being nailed to a cross.

But I agree that there will be lots in the class who watch horrible histories and one of the children might easily have brought it up.

I know prepperpig, it's hideous and yet peddled to children all the time. I know kids do love gory things and my two will often comment if we find something dead whilst we're out walking, but in a 'poor thing' emotive kind of way. It's a bit much at reception age to expect them not to be scared of hooks in brains etc.

Incidental my eldest is now learning about ancient Egypt but she's KS2 and more able to process that level of information.

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all. Ugh. Although, I have a very gruesome six year old who would love it

My year 3d has just done Egyptians, she had explained mummification in glorious terminology detail to my 5d who has lapped it up!!!! So for her it would be fine, however, I know a lot of kids that age who would be a bit traumatised by it (I just have an exceptionally blood thirsty 6 year old who is a bit barking with it!!!!!!)

My DS would have been really traumatised by that at the age of 5. Far too young for that level of gory detail in my opinion. DS was really upset and had loads of nightmares about the crucifixion at the age of 6. I think it's quite common at that age to develop anxieties over the whole concept of death. I took it up with the school, although his teacher was rather nonplussed about it all.