Or is teaching 6 Yr old about crucixation out of order?

[Whostoblame]

I might be over reacting but after multiple nights on the trot sleeping no more than 45-60 mins at a time I'm at the end of my tether. 6 year old goes to a non dom school and we are agnostic/atheist at home. School have been teaching them about Jesus and Easter etc including how Jesus was crucified. I now have a sobbing child every night who can't get the pictures out if her mind (and I'm not surprised!!)and subsequently cant sleep from about midnight, crying. Aibu to complain to school that 6 is way too young to be taught this?!

Maybe her teacher was too graphic? I wouldn’t complain but I would discuss it with them.
I think it’s maybe a developmental stage she’s at

Well, Easter is about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ so yes the crucifying part has to be mentioned. May not be the best thing to keep your dc in the dark about the world religions.

I had opposite experience with my dc. My son was around 4 or 5 when he drew a picture of Jesus on the cross complete with nail holes and wound in right side and blood and water dripping down 😳 my son turned out to be an artist so maybe not that strange after all 😂

Your dd may have a very literal mind so is actually envisioning the scene. I think it means she is a very empathetic soul, op.

I'd be surprised if my 8yo has seen one. And we're in Ireland!

I really doubt that they would have used gruesome pictures.

I don't even use them in church, let alone for teaching 6 year olds!

so- this is her first exposure to the crucifixion ?
She has not watched any programmes linked to Easter, passed a Roman Catholic Church or seen anyone wearing a crucifix? No?
what do you teach her at home about England’s culture? It is still a Christian country and this religion has influenced cultures the world over
Has this child seen any police or hospital dramas when people die? Does she become upset? How do you console her then?

How has he avoided seeing one? Do you ever leave your street?

I was brought up a Catholic and always found images of the Crucifixion deeply upsetting. I was also disturbed and horrified by stories of martyrs, and by the threat of burning in Hell for all Eternity for being unable to believe. I now consider my religious upbringing abusive. I understand that my parents and teachers did not mean to harm me so much, but they did. I genuinely don’t understand how people can inflict these horrors on children, and they’re not seen as damaging.

I'm surprised that your child has not been made aware of the crucifixion before. It's usually taught well before Yr6.

Surprised you haven't mentioned it to be honest.

I'm not a Catholic but work at a Catholic school and we obviously teach about Easter, including the crucifixion, from nursery. I've never had any children having nightmares about it so I think your child is perhaps a bit oversensitive.

Honestly, if your child is this upset over it, that’s on you. I’m completely atheist but explain calmly and simply other people’s beliefs and how that’s ok. Like others have said, most kids take these things (like actual history lessons that can be pretty gruesome) with a pinch of salt. Tell them it’s just a story but that this was one of the things that happened 2000 years ago and we’ve changed since then. Will she lose her shit when she learns about the Egyptians …,,

@niugboo

I agree. Anxious hysterical kids always have parents the same.

Not necessarily. My DD is extremely anxious about death and freaked out about the crucifixion (and lots of other gory historical stuff including the Black Death, Murder in the Cathedral, lots of similar things). I am incredibly chilled out and have been encouraging her to relax about it. Some kids are just more nervous than others.

My granddaughter'sschool went into a lot of detail about driving nails through living bone last year when she was in Reception.

We need to do better for children's mental health. No child should be foeced to hear about sadistic torture.

In yr3 they do a medieval torture history unit.

Bloody church schools!

A lot of churches, especially at Easter, have crucifixes outside and inside the church. I’m sure if there were lots of terrified children as a result, they would have been banned…..

Why on earth in this day and age are schools or anyone else for that matter still peddling this nonsense?

There’s something. There always is.

@Redebs - I take it her parents don’t think that way
If they do- why send her there? They are over subscribed so let another parent who values the ethos send their children instead

I agree with you, this was a turning point for my ds sleep when they did the easter story in reception. Before this, he would go to sleep at 7.30 no bother. After this, he'd be crying about death, too scared to sleep, awake for hours after bedtime. Still happening now, 2 years later, after many bedtime interventions from us. No longer crying, but still too anxious to sleep. I suppose he is sensitive - he has suspected asd and adhd - but I really wish they had approached it differently

My 6yo was very distressed by a video they watched several times. He said he's told his teacher it's making him very sad so one of the times he was 'allowed' to hide behind a table and not watch. This was in RE.
He's been telling me he doesn't want to die and crying, which I guess is developmental and can't be skipped as they start realising the enormity of it. But I'd rather he didn't link dying and crucifixion in his head!

@ReadersD1gest haha yes. Maybe more accurate to say I'd be surprised if he ever noticed one. He's only been in a church once in his life when he was 3 and none of our family or friends have religious paraphernalia in their houses. He goes to an Educate Together school which is a non religious school.

It's always 'nice' to have an anti-Christianity thread on Easter weekend. Funny how it never happens about other religions on their key dates.

I'm so sorry! Horrendous.

@niugboo

Like what? What am I doing wrong? Please enlighten me.

Haha! I don't even know where to start with this post. Religious education, however you happen to feel about it, will not impact on your child's mental health.
Unless of course there are issues to begin with?

Rounder2022 - Is there a reason your child hasn’t seen a crucifix, wpas she lives in ireland? 🤷🏼‍♀️