Too early to teach DC about WWII?

[teleskopregel]

In the country you live in, what age do children begin learning about WWII? We are expats living in a European country that 'lost' the war (by this, I mean officially, although in war, I think all sides lose). I am reluctant to ask other parents here, because it is a subject that is still highly sensitive and brings intense feelings of shame. However, DC are asking specific questions about war, and given that the Ukrainian war is always in the news, I wonder if they are ready to start learning more about WWII...

WWYD?

Year 6, so 10/11 year olds, learn about ww2. I'm in the UK, but if I was in your country, I think I would tell the truth, but how has the country learnt from past mistakes?

I would just answer their questions & leave it at that, no need to specifically teach them about the world wars. My two are 6 & 4 and know the basics but only because there is a war memorial in the village and they asked about it.

We studied the wars in primary school - maybe year 5 or so?

Up to you really as the parent. My DD age 5 knows abit...the basics as we visited the Normandy beaches. Just two countries fighting but friends now. Didn't go into anything else. She interested in Ukraine and knows abit about that and have strong feelings about to quote her mad man. Again basics nothing too much. I answer any questions honestly but in age related.

Around 10 or 11 in school but do you mean you would actually teach them? Or are they covering it in school? Surely just answer any questions they have in an age appropriate way.

DS1 developed an interest in WW2 from 4 (turns out he's autustic and this has remained one of his big interests since then). I can't remember how it came up but at around time we went to a living museum on a day that happened to have a 1940s day and his eyes lit up and something ignited in his brain.

I've always framed it through the leaders, Hitler (& co) and the Nazis to seperate out from modern people of those countries.

I've taught WW2 to Year 4 (8-9 years old), although it was more about the Home Front, rationing, Anderson shelters etc. Actually, I remember I learnt about it in Year 4 (2nd year juniors back then) in the 80s.

I think you have to judge how old your kids are and which parts to tell them. There's no hard and fast rule, but I wouldn't do, say, the Holocaust, in any detail with Year 4, I don't think.

She was in primary school, we also had a child’s version of the Anne Frank diary.

Year 2 they learnt about evacuation and had a school trip on a steam train dressed as evacuees. I don't think the went into the 'War' much at all, mostly home front stuf

Year 6 they learnt about Anne Frank and the basics of the Holocaust.

If they're old enough to ask the question they're old enough to hear an answer.

That doesn't mean you tell the whole truth, but I'd answer them truthfully in an age appropriate way.

How old are your children, OP?

Mine definitely know about it (age 8 and 10). They've known for years. Can't remember how they know or who taught them! Maybe me! No idea! :)

How old are they?

My DD is in Y3 and definitely knows quite a bit about the war. She’s done all the evacuee/dressing up stuff but has a decent knowledge of dates/rationing/who Hitler was (in a basic sense). DS in Y6 is a bit of a history buff so knows all sorts but a lot of that is from his own reading. I had to give him a hard stare when he started trying to tell DD about the Holocaust. 8 is too young for that IMO.

My two are 4 and 6 and know a bit because they have asked questions about memorials.

Maybe it’s an age think but my grandfather fought in the war and we were well aware of WW2 (he died when I was 4). My parents were children/teens during the war and The World At War was on tv from about 73 - must have been daytime as I saw it with my grandma.

So we had all the gory detail (not from grandpa as he only said he could run fast and shout loud and that was why he was in the army) we knew about the camps (he was at a liberation) and bombings (he was bomb disposal).

maybe look in local kids book shops and see what the history section has?

Year 4 for my kids in school although we've always had discussions at home around it particularly around the time of armistice day. Similar to a pp though differentiating between Nazis and Germans.

I don't think the U.K. is a good model though because although our children learn a lot about ww1 and ww2 (ie the ones where we are 'the good guys'). We learn nothing in primary school, and very little later, about the less than savoury things we as a country have done. It's inconceivable that a German person today wouldn't know about nazi concentration camps, but very little British people know about ours in Kenya and that was more recent than ww2. I feel like the U.K. history curriculum just promotes patriotism at the minute rather than giving people a solid understanding of Britain's role in world history.

I have a German friend and she tells me that they teach ww2 from a young age there through the lens of the dangers of blindly adhering to authority and with the understanding that racism and facism spread when poverty and hunger are high.

It filters in at all ages though.

For example, last week when talking about HM The Queen, we talked about what the Queen did in WWll. We looked at photos of her in her uniform and driving the trucks. We talked about why women were doing jobs that they weren't doing before the war.

The children are year one (5&6).

I'm not sure there was ever a time when we didn't talk to DS about both world wars (and other conflicts too). We never restricted his access to the news and naturally questions were asked. However DH serves in the armed forces so for us we are surrounded by constant reminders. Also we have a Jewish branch of the family and many perished in the Holocaust, so again we have always talked about what happened in an age appropriate way - he definitely knew a few details by the time he was 6. He has remained keenly interested in history and politics.

Primary school year 6 students look at the impact of the war on Britain so evacuation, the Blitz etc.

Year 9 (13-14) look at the causes, events and conclusions of the war. Also look at aftermath in Germany, Europe and the inter war years.

We look at a number of causes- it's never a simple case that one country caused the war.

I'm a History teacher PM if you want to know specifics on the National Curriculum x

As a family with German heritage and a German name thank you for doing this

I can't remember when mine were taught at school but I would have spoken about it from age 7/8. Once they did poppy day and the memorial parade with beavers & cubs.
The problem with waiting for kids to ask is that they sometimes aren't interested in important things. They just need to know in an age appropriate way.

Well, DD2 we started at about age 3 by taking her to the remembrance day service, and talking about the people who died keeping our country safe and free.

I guess if I lived elsewhere I might start with this country used to have a leader who wanted to control everything (or whatever) and other countries disagreed so now we remember all the people who died in the hope it never happens again.

And then add to the narrative as they get older?

I am a KS1 teacher and we teach it in Year 1 & 2. It's a lot more focussed on comping then and now and some facts about Anderson shelters and the countries involved rather than the detail of the actual War.

Thank you all so much for your responses. They have been helpful. My DC are 9 and 11. They know the basics of what caused WWI and WWII, which countries fought, and a very little bit about the holocaust. We have personal friends in their 80s and 90s who had either some involvement in the war or who were directly and negatively impacted during and following the war.

Overall, I think they are still too young to learn more about the holocaust, although DH said yesterday that in a way, the murder of civilians and bombing of hospitals and schools in the Ukraine could bring questions about WWII. How have your DC handled it?