...to be considering taking ds (12) to the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum

[preciouslillywhite]

Ds (Y8) has been reading The Boy In Striped Pyjamas in his English class. He's asking me lots of questions about the Nazis and the extermination of the Jews.

Have never been to the exhibition, although I've intended to...never had the nerve -understand it's got a recommended minimum age of 14.

Ds is relatively sensitive and thoughtful, but not overly so imo.

...also he has said "it couldn't happen again, could it?"

...so do I tell him about Rwanda? Screbrenica (sp!)?

WWYD?take him- or leave it for a bit?

notguilty yeah, it was fun...and my p'litical views haven't changed much since- am still an old flat faced miserable lefty

[flat faced miserable lefty emoticon]

though for you, going on CND marches was an act of personal choice

...but for us, it was our annual family holiday

I took DD there a couple of years ago when she was 6 I think. I'd read about the minimum age recommendation but have always been of the opinion that children should know about the world around them and key historical events. Whilst the Holocaust is horrific, there are always horrific events going on globally and it's just the luck that our children can lead such sheltered and safe lives compared to children of their age in certain areas of the globe.

DD had already seen stuff at the War Remnants Museum in Vietnam (when she was four) and we have many history books and documentary films around the house that she has access to. Furthermore, she has quite a matter of fact approach to lots of things and I didn't think that the exhibit would be too innappropriate (though probably others would disagree).

Anyhow, we looked at it (didn't stay too long - just explained the basics). She was fine. Probably she was a little young to ask too many questions, so I'll certainly be taking her again in the not too distant future.

However, I guess a lot depends on your son and how you think he'd react to the exhibition.

What basics did you explain Rockin? What did she look at? Although I said above that the minimum age was up to parents there is no way I would take my 7yo niece in there. The concept of hate is a very strong one and although children have to learn at some point, even a mature 6yo is very very young for this.

As I said, DD has grown up with history in our house - books, documentaries. Furthermore lots of family stories relate to WW2 - my mother was born in 1939, my father in 1933, so anecdotes of the war (from a British perspective) have always been part of family life.

I didn't take DD to the Imperial War museum solely for the purpose of looking at the exhibition. We were there anyway and I didn't want to waste the opportunity of going around the exhibit. We didn't stay longer or linger too much, but I explained the fact that millions of Jews were systematically killed after Hitler came to power (a fact she already knew, but one that was illustrated by the exhibit).

We've since watched several more documentaries on the subject - BBC's Peoples Century being one of them which has some similar footage.

I'm not sure that the concept of hate is especially difficult for a young child to understand. Wars and hatred are part of our existence and always have been - it's a concept that I want DD to be aware of.

I went at about 13, I think. It very tough to swallow - but I actually found the Trenches exhibit more distressing. If he's interested in history, and has the empathy to appriciate it, then why not? Its a very touching experience.

haven't read all the posts, just the OP. My dd has just turned 9 and knows in very general terms about the nazis and WW 1 but she knows no details at all yet of persecution (just that it happened) - and I would not like her to for a while. I personally feel that 3 years from now - so at 11 she would still be too young to be confronted with the details of nazi atrocities and indeed with images.

Speaking as an adult, I find it hard to process the many biographies I have read, the details I have learnt, the photos and films/documentaries I have seen. Once you know them, they seem to stay wtih you. Although this is ok, even necessary for an adult, I think there is no real need for children to have to cope with these distressing facts at a time where I feel they may not be able to process them.

It is a difficult one since he has read a book and wishes to know more. You have to know your dc. I would be inclined to wait a couple more years.

WW2

How similar is the IWM exhibit to the Holocaust museum in Washington DC? Have only been to the latter. It was pretty devastating. I think as adults we tend to process things differently from children - for example, I had major upsets reading the information about the medical testing that went on on children, pregnant women, twins etc etc. and the way people with mental illness were treated. Also had a visceral reaction to the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign - physically didn't want to walk under it as it felt wrong to do so when so many people who walked under the actual sign at Auschwitz never survived.

I have no idea how a child would take in such information.

but lets face it when you are six oyu have no concept of the enromity of it..
at all

I can't express enough how much I detest 'the boy in the striped pyjamas'.

Take him by all means. He is old enough to grasp the horror of it without being traumatised imo. There are some black and white photographs but it is done in quite an accessible way (again imo).

I remember reading loads of holocaust books when I was that age:
When Hitler stole pink rabbit
Schindler's Ark

However these were real life accounts of people who had actaully survived to tell the tale. There is something terribly uplifting when tackling a subject like that to know that your protagonist lives to tell the tale.

The trouble with 'striped pyjamas' is it is a very contrived fictionalised account written by an Irish author. I could rant but I won't.

There are much better accounts/sources out there for this topic. I would look to these more authentic sources when guiding a child through such an important topic.

When I saw the headline, I must admit, my thought was, "but will you also tell him about 24 million russians dying, and Ruanda and concentration camps in his lifetime in Europe?"

I must admit, that although I am interested in history, I tend to avoid gruesome tourism.
I live fairly near a place that was the site of a famous concentration camp. Ive never visited it, and couldnt face the thought of moving to that town.
Depends on your 12 year old what his reaction is, I guess.

I did Nazi Germany at University and remember sitting in the library weeping at some of the set text books.
I haven't seen the exhibition, but if it anything some of the photos I have seen I really wouldn't take a 12yr old.

If it helps, I wouldn't choose to read that material now because it would upset me.

But at 12 it didn't (for me anyway) and although I totally understood the horror of it and thought about it alot I was able to process it.

I suppose as a 12 year old you are immortal and all these life experiences seem alien somehow. Does that make sense?

Now obviously, I am an adult, a mother and I look at it in the bigger picture of suffering and inhumanity.

As an adolescent I was somehow sheltered from depth of feeling iykwim?

Missed the post about Watership Down - the connection is that it is a book about different political systems, decadence, totalitarianism and the search for liberty. It has its disturbing side, and could also be argued against since it comes from a particularly English, 50s/60s and male-centred viewpoint, but I think it has relevance and is less searing than some of the other literature recommended.