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AIBU?

To attempt to dissuade DD1 (6yo) from taking as her 'Show and Tell' item a photo of a sparrowhawk dismembering a pigeon in our back garden?

23 replies

Issymum · 18/03/2007 21:06

Glancing out of our kitchen window on Saturday morning, I saw a bird of prey just a few feet from the terrace dismembering a recently slain pigeon. Given that we live in central Guildford, I thought that this was quite remarkable. As did DD1, who swiftly recovered from her shock that some birds eat other birds and spent a considerable time watching it and helping DH identify the bird as a female sparrow-hawk in our bird book. DH took a great photo of the mean-eyed female ripping chunks from the still-warm pigeon and a less gory one of it standing astride its feathery remains. It's this less gory one that DD1 desperately wishes to share with her class-mates tomorrow. Too much for Y1 or a fantastic opportunity to share a real moment of nature in the raw?

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nickytwotimes · 18/03/2007 21:09

ooh, flip, it's a toughy/ get her to show the teacher before hand to let her decide if it is too gory? it's her who'll get the flack anyway.

hang on a sec...show and tell? are we in the US?!

HuwEdwards · 18/03/2007 21:09

lolol!

what a dilemma.

Can you have a word with the teacher and see what she thinks.

My DD would be fascinated.

HuwEdwards · 18/03/2007 21:09

nicky - no, our UK school (and nursery) does show and tell..

wotzsaname · 18/03/2007 21:10

Oh yes share it. What is dd going to take in for the show bit ?

nearlythree · 18/03/2007 21:10

I would check with the teacher first, but o/wise let her take it. It's real life.

NormaStanleyFletcher · 18/03/2007 21:11

I think that kids love gorey stuff - let her take it. DS2 took in the bits of titanium that had been removed from his leg - Warned teacher, but all the kids thought it was great

nickytwotimes · 18/03/2007 21:12

bloody hell, huw, they'll be opening Macdonald's next!!

Issymum · 18/03/2007 21:12

"What is dd going to take in for the show bit ?"

A bag of pigeon feathers of course! Once the sparrow hawk had 'on-boarded' enough of the pigeon to make it a feasible weight, it flew off with the remains of the carcass.

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Issymum · 18/03/2007 21:13

And I agree about the "gorey stuff". DD1, who is otherwise a rather sensitive child, is distressingly interested in death and natural disaster.

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JOSIE3 · 18/03/2007 21:14

let her get on with it - kids are gross - why deny it! lol

frogs · 18/03/2007 21:16

Oh yes, no probs. Ds has taken in animal skulls and other weird stuff, to general enthusiasm. And I took in a real skeleton (borrowed from the lab) when ds was in Reception. The kids all loved it, and we ended up having to tour all the classrooms with it. The fascinating thing was to see how four-year olds ask exactly the same questions as 19-yo undergraduates...

RustyBear · 18/03/2007 21:17

Our entire junior school was fascinated when a red kite caught and disembowelled a seagull on the adventure playground during morning break.
The caretaker was less thrilled about the resulting clean-up job....

Issymum · 18/03/2007 21:23

My sparrow-hawk and pigeon to your red hawk and seagull. You win hands down in the Birds of Prey Top Trumps rustybear!

Excellent! The Mnet consensus is that small children are rarely distressed by a bit of straightforward gore. I agree and DD1 will be pleased!

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wotzsaname · 18/03/2007 21:33

A friends little boy found the remains of a mice from an owl ball. He spent hours and cleaned the bones, stuck them down on a pices of card in the correct place (looked it up) and took it to school. He was 6. Bright kid.

Blu · 18/03/2007 21:42

Definitely let her take it - no question about it!
Very interesting and rare to witness such an event. I can't see why anyone would withold this from children.

V envious at seeing a red kite.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 18/03/2007 21:44

The kids will ove it - they are all generally fascinated by blood and gore at that age. My dd took a dead bat in once.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 18/03/2007 21:44

love it - not ove it!

Mercy · 18/03/2007 21:45

Yes, yes, yes - it will be great!

It will be a fantastic opportunity for discussion

wotzsaname · 18/03/2007 21:46

We had a sparrowhalk chase a pigeon in our garden. First we knew was when hawk hit our back patio. Dazzed it flew and sat on a garden chair for a moment. The pigeon got shot away.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 18/03/2007 21:52

You shot the pigeon?!

wotzsaname · 18/03/2007 21:56

no...LOL bad typing

Elasticwoman · 18/03/2007 22:24

Agree with Blu. Of course take the photo to school, no question.

Thcc · 09/04/2023 23:41

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Previously banned poster.

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