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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think kids shouldn't cut up spiders?

202 replies

sparklewater · 09/10/2017 19:14

That, really. A five year old I know was found cutting up a live spider.

AIBU to be absolutely horrified or am I totally over-reacting?

OP posts:
Hopelass · 10/10/2017 15:34

I would never tell a child that a spider can feel exactly the same as they can. It simply is not true, and I don't lie to children.

Are you a spider? How do you know how it feels?

Op no I think it's wrong to submit pain on another living creature.

Bubblebubblepop · 10/10/2017 15:34

I think that your judgement of the child's parents of clouding this OP. It's not sinister at all

Original poster
sparklewater · 10/10/2017 15:38

bubble I don't judge them at all, I think they're brilliant and we are very close. I am judging them on how they are dealing with this particular instance, because I think it warrants more than being brushed off.

Next time I speak to the mum I'll mention it - there's no secret slagging off going on, I was genuinely interested to see if my reaction was unreasonable or if theirs was.

OP posts:
Original poster
sparklewater · 10/10/2017 15:39

And I HATE this 'it's not even your own child' thing. When did we all get so precious that we can only handle our children only being exposed to one type of opinion or way of thinking?

OP posts:
peppapigearworm · 10/10/2017 15:40

Are you a spider? How do you know how it feels?

Um, science? By its very definition, spiders (and insects) do not feel pain.

I would never let a child of mine do such a thing, but a little logic and perspective is needed here.

NerrSnerr · 10/10/2017 15:47

From reading the thread I reckon the only thing to do it call 101 and log it as clearly the child will be leading a life of crime very soon.

We have recently had an outbreak of larder moths horrible bastards and we have sticky traps in our kitchen. I'm not sorry.

Bubblebubblepop · 10/10/2017 16:07

You've criticised them and the child quite a lot in the thread though?

BarbarianMum · 10/10/2017 16:11
BarbarianMum · 10/10/2017 16:14

Which science is this? They may not perceive pain in the same way we do but they do have a central nervous system and respond in an avoident way to negative stimuli suggesting that do feel something.

Original poster
sparklewater · 10/10/2017 16:21

Not really bubble. Confused

OP posts:
Allthelightsgoout · 10/10/2017 16:32

No it isn't deeply troubling behaviour nor a sign of impending sociopathy.

They're 5. They should be told it was a horrible thing to do and it should be explained why.

That's all.

EastDulwichWife · 10/10/2017 16:32

When I was a child, about 5 or so, the daughter of my childminder cut the legs off a spider.

I was terrified of spiders at the time, but utterly distraught. She was 8.

peppapigearworm · 10/10/2017 18:26

Which science is this? They may not perceive pain in the same way we do but they do have a central nervous system and respond in an avoident way to negative stimuli suggesting that do feel something

Pain, by definition, requires a capacity for emotion.

Pain = an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.
– International Association for the Study of Pain ( IASP)

TorNayDoh · 10/10/2017 19:08

The definition of pain above continues to say "the inability to communicate verbally does not negate the possibility that an individual is experiencing pain". The attached image shows that insects do demonstrate 8 of the 17 observable indicators of pain, with a question mark over a further 7 (yes, I know spiders aren't insects). From here credit to Sneddon et al 2014. So I'd rather hedge my bets based on what we know at this time.

To think kids shouldn't cut up spiders?
BarbarianMum · 10/10/2017 19:09

Do you really think the Association for the Study of Pain has researched emotions in insects? How do you think they went about that? I'd be amazed if insects didn't experience stress or fear (fear is a great survival mechanism). Humans have a huge capacity to underestimate the complexity of other forms of life or to recognise how that complexity may be expressed in ways different from our own. Wasn't too long ago we thought babies didn't experience pain, let alone other animals.

Bubblebubblepop · 10/10/2017 19:13

I can't believe people are posting research to argue that spiders feel pain that includes nothing about spiders. The trouble you must be going to to find it Shock

peppapigearworm · 10/10/2017 19:20

There is plenty of research about spiders/insects and pain. I'm not google Hmm

Bubblebubblepop · 10/10/2017 19:51

Oh I'm sure you wouldn't just google something and throw it up as evidence. You wouldn't know anything about its accuracy or validity! Surely not? Wink

peppapigearworm · 10/10/2017 19:52

Does anyone actually need to google to counteract the statement "spiders feel pain the same way we do"?

Surely anyone with a brain cell knows they do not?

Bubblebubblepop · 10/10/2017 19:53

Well TorNayDoh has

Original poster
sparklewater · 10/10/2017 19:56

As far as I am aware Child has not read these studies so they're pretty irrelevant to the original point...

OP posts:
Bubblebubblepop · 10/10/2017 20:01

I thought we'd decided what the child did was no big deal though, tbf

derxa · 10/10/2017 20:13

I thought we'd decided what the child did was no big deal though, tbf
Really? I think it's disgusting.

Bubblebubblepop · 10/10/2017 20:16

Well I think you're one of few

Original poster
sparklewater · 10/10/2017 20:24

bubble No, I think most people said it needed addressing

OP posts: