Inappropriate Art lesson

[Copingmama]

My 9 year old was shown a painting by Frida Kahlo in his Art lesson, which he also stuck into his book. It’s called ‘What the Water Gave me’ and includes naked women, including one being strangled. Does this seem inappropriate?

Someone with a BA and MA in art history and 15 years working in the art word, I don’t think it’s a great choice of artwork for 9 year olds. It’s not about the nudity. There’s are too many difficult themes in this piece and they are understandably upsetting. There are many other Frida Kahlos that could be chosen that have 1 or 2 interesting and difficult biographical elements and some unusual imagery without completely doubling down on the torture she felt of being a woman.

Surely if you"re an atheist you don't believe it happened at all?

I’ve got that hanging in my bathroom.

Your son will survive.

Yes he would. A friend's mum comitted suicide and the dead woman in the bathtub would definitely make him think of it. Luckily his friends are understanding of his hypersensitivity unlike some grown up women like yourself.

He's never been upset by something the teachers presented in school. In two years he will be presented with the holocaust and a school trip.. he sees a psychologist to work on managing his emotions. He's always been a sensitive child and I try to relate because at his age I watched horror movies and read Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe. To be fair he could probably read about horrible stuff, it's images that gets to him and seeing people suffering. It's hard for him but he's got nice friends and he's the first one someone goes to when they are sad. The teacher referred to him the class "Mama" because he always helps his peers when they need it. So he's great for dealing with other people's emotions but struggle with his own because he's too sensitive.

Nope - I do believe that there was probably a man called Jesus who was crucified 2000 odd years ago. I just don't believe he was the son of god, born to a virgin and that he came back to life. Regardless, I certainly believe that people were crucified, so my point about images of Jesus on the cross being quite horrific for little children still apply.

A trip to these places involves an age appropriate guide and task as part of the deal

Even teens aren’t allowed to wander at will. They have to stay in organised groups led by an educational adviser.

They don’t look round everything, they focus on specific items.

Also a teacher will have done a risk assessment first and visited to make sure what they will be looking at is suitable.

My dc went to the local church and mosque on school trips. There were no pictures on either, or images. Except crosses. They don’t go in religious establishments apart from those.

No, it's not a problem per se. And he would dry his tears and be a bit embarrassed. He knows too well that horrible things de happen having lost a friend to cancer when he was 7 and a friend's mum die of suicide when he was 11. So he would deal with it and he is better equipped to do it at 12 then he would be at 9. At 9 I do think they are way to young to be subjected to this.

Has your 9 year old never seen a naked woman? Do you cover yourself and get embarrassed if he sees you without clothes? My children see me naked regularly, they’ll chat to me when I’m in the bath.

I think this is a you problem.

No one's calling you one now.

I have already commented but wanted to agree with the post about religious iconography. You will see a tortured man nailed to a cross as a toddler if you are raised in the Catholic faith, like I was, and hear about saints being burned alive and so on. With your logic that should be inappropriate too....

None of the above is about pornography.

Same with Khalo. The woman on the paintjng is herself and she is not using the imagery of having something around her neck as a sexual fantasy...she is representing her own pain.

The Romans loved a bit of crucifixion. I'm sure plenty of people called Jesus were crucified. But is that as bad a forcing slaves to fight to the death for entertainment? They were different times.

That sounds very hard - I hope he is getting good counselling, it sounds like he would really benefit. Unfortunately in life we come across potential mental health triggers all the time, and learning to manage our response to them is the best way of coping with that. For personal reasons I also find depictions of certain forms of suicide triggering. You often can’t control what you’re exposed to, but you can learn to control the response. I hope he finds good support

That’s weird and not something most year 9 kids want to see

Wow, how uptight are you? Plenty of kids see their parents in various states of undress, it’s honestly creepy that people make such a fuss about bodies and nudity. Children at that age are not sexually aware (unless they have been taught to be ) and wouldn’t be freaked out by seeing their parents & siblings naked unless they have been conditioned to.