Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be worried about my son's weird note

33 replies

Katiemaggie · 30/09/2020 23:44

So found a piece of writing in my son's book bag after he went to sleep. It read(without names) :

Plan a: catch child x, child y, child z

Plan b: kill miss teacher

Plan c: escape from my house

Initially I read it and thought it was probably just a silly game or something but then I remembered he said he felt sad at school today but wouldn't elaborate. Will obviously have chat with him tomorrow. Just up worrying about it now!

OP posts:
Smellbellina · 30/09/2020 23:45

How old is he?

Original poster
Katiemaggie · 30/09/2020 23:47

He's 6

OP posts:
Zany15 · 30/09/2020 23:54

I think something has happened at school and you need to find out what it is. Children can overract to events that seem trivial to an adult but loom very large to a child and these were possibly his first thoughts. Please have a talk to him, but don't be surprised if he has forgotten about it. You need to explain how he can react to situations he finds upsetting, ie. tell a teacher.

MayIJustAsk · 30/09/2020 23:55

Poor little thing. He is obviously not happy with the children he named and the teacher. Could they be bullying him and he feels the teacher doesn't notice or support him? He is probably just struggling with his feelings (rather than him being a child murderer). Those people have likely upset him or maybe he is struggling and feels they are coping so much better than him. He likely doesn't know how to deal with his feelings so he wants to hurt them so they feel like he does. Hope you get to the bottom of it x

Original poster
Katiemaggie · 30/09/2020 23:57

Thanks, that's what I thought too to be honest. He's a sensitive little thing really and doesn't always express his feelings. Could well have been written in frustration. Thank you so much for the advice

OP posts:
Original poster
Katiemaggie · 30/09/2020 23:59

I don't think the children are bullying him but I will check. They are our neighbours as well as his school peers and he is usually begging to go and play with them out the front.

OP posts:
Emeraldshamrock · 01/10/2020 00:01

I am wondering if it is the game hello neighbor? You catch the children in it? I know there is a Miss T that crosses over with the neighbor game.
I hope it is nothing serious and just play talk.

Original poster
Katiemaggie · 01/10/2020 00:02

I have never heard of that game and haven't heard him talk about it either. Fingers crossed he opens up a bit tomorrow x

OP posts:
Emeraldshamrock · 01/10/2020 00:08

I just thought of it as I collect DS earlier than the other DC at break time lots of the DC run about playing it as a chasing game where one is the neighbor. They're 5/6.
He may have picked it up in school.
I don't think there is killing in it.

Smellbellina · 01/10/2020 00:18

Oh bless him. Tell him you found the note and ask him if he can tell you about it.

Original poster
Katiemaggie · 01/10/2020 00:21

Yes, that's my plan. fingers crossed he opens up

OP posts:
TitsOutForHarambe · 01/10/2020 01:20

I thought of Hello Neighbour too!

If he doesn't play that game then I agree with others that it sounds like something has happened at school and he would benefit from talking to you about it, if you can get him to open up. Unless there's a backstory of concerning behaviour then I wouldn't worry about this. 6 year olds might say/think these sorts of things when something has happened that they deem as unjust. I remember muttering to myself that I was going to hurt my mum and my brother if I got blamed for something that he had done. I don't think I even knew what it meant in any real way.

seayork2020 · 01/10/2020 01:28

I can't remember the full details as it was a while ago now but I remember having a word with ds when he was about this age about the word kill or die or something like that as he got while I was asking and even thought he was young he reassured me it did not actually mean that specifically, it may have been a popular game or toy or show/movie thing at the time but that was back about 8 years or so

I don't remember needing to talk to him again about anything like that but I am glad we talked

blueberrypie0112 · 01/10/2020 01:29

Yes. He is having deep troubling thoughts and screaming for help. Help him.

blueberrypie0112 · 01/10/2020 01:34

Ok I just read he is six, he is probably learning to write so he probably couldn’t spell something correctly. So I would ask him about it.

luceloop · 01/10/2020 01:34

Are the kids names kids you know? It does sound like a game plan to me. All the kids games involve killing somewhere, but they just respawn and carry on

WetdreamBeliever · 01/10/2020 01:34

@blueberrypie0112

Yes. He is having deep troubling thoughts and screaming for help. Help him.
ODFOD. He's 6! He's not 16 and torturing pets. You've seen too many movies.
blueberrypie0112 · 01/10/2020 01:49

Yes I just now saw his age, and no I have been watching too many news.

Leaannb · 01/10/2020 01:53

@WetdreamBeliever our has watched or read American news headlines. A note like that found in a child's book bag in America has very different connotations. Police and social work involvement, criminal charges, courts and teams of psychologists and psychiatrists.

Leaannb · 01/10/2020 01:54

@we...My son reminded me about the school closures and investigations and locker searches and nolkbag searches.

blueberrypie0112 · 01/10/2020 02:00

Yes, I thought he was a bit older too. 6 years old are different, either they are ust playing and don’t mean anything, or just a misunderstanding

WetdreamBeliever · 01/10/2020 02:02

@blueberrypie0112

Yes I just now saw his age, and no I have been watching too many news.
OK. I withdraw the previous statement after this clarification.
WetdreamBeliever · 01/10/2020 02:06

[quote Leaannb]@WetdreamBeliever our has watched or read American news headlines. A note like that found in a child's book bag in America has very different connotations. Police and social work involvement, criminal charges, courts and teams of psychologists and psychiatrists.[/quote]
Ridiculous. If they look hard enough I'm sure they'll find it. But amongst 6 yo's really?

Original poster
Katiemaggie · 01/10/2020 06:29

Thanks for all the replies. I am not worried that he will do anything violent or that he means what he has written. He is 6 and generally a very kind and mild mannered boy which is why this is out of character for him. I was more worried that something had upset him.

OP posts:
Original poster
Katiemaggie · 01/10/2020 06:31

I have just spoken to him and he has reassured me that it is a game. He was pretending to write secret plans and said that he is happy with school, friends and his teacher. Pretty sure he's telling the truth but will keep an eye on him

OP posts:
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.