I'm so shocked! But am IBU?

[WhoIsAsking]

I am perfectly prepared to be told that IABU but

So, this morning my DS2 (aged 9, in Yr 5) informs me that his class are doing a project on the Haiti tragedy. DS2 has a vivid imagination (in the past he has told me that his friends are digging a tunnel out of the school/a squirrel stole his reading book etc) and so I asked him if he was telling me a story or whether this was true. He said he was telling a fib.

Anyway, I have just received a phone call from his supply teacher telling me that his class are doing a "project" on the earthquake and that he needs to bring in some newspaper cuttings of the effects of the disaster. The children will then be doing a role playing exercise where one child will be the "victim" and the other will be an "interviewer"

I am gobsmacked TBH. Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea, I am NOT of the opinion that Haiti should be swept under the carpet, and have talked to my children about the terrible things that are happening over there. I have donated money and have cried along with the rest of the world at the pictures on the news and at the dreadful images in the papers. I just feel that this is in really bad taste.

As I said at the beginning I am prepared to be told IABU, and I'm wondering if I'm being over sensitive and PSB?

I agree with your sentiment. It is too close to the bone for my liking re timing etc also young children need to remain guarded imho.Plenty of time when a bit older to learn nitty gritty of global disasters.

Sorry but I think you are being unreasonable. I would have no problem with DD doing this at school, she is the same age.

Not sure what to make of that. I guess it depends HOW they approach the issues. Am always pleased when schools raise awareness sensitively of what's going on in the world - however the idea of being a "victim" as a school project seems very bizarre to me - I can't imagine them pretending to be a victim of 9/11 or the Holocaust and whilst this is different in that it's a natural disatser it's still a tragedy of epic proportions that's unfolding before our eyes....I think they could find a more tasteful, sensitive way of teaching the kids about it. i wouldn't be happy if my child's school did this at all.

When I was at school we did the same thing with the Aberfan disaster. We raised money and sent letters, did a project on how this happened and could be avoided in the future and then wrote an essay as if we were a pupil at the school and how we would feel about the loss of our friends. I think children are more resilient than you think. I was 9 as well.

I think 9 is old enough to understand.
My ds is 8 and I do not vet the news he watches.

I wouldnt be happy about the role playing but would be fine with the rest.

I see where you're coming from hocus, but the class will not be raising money for the DEC (or any other tragedy) and it all seems too present IYKWIM. All of this horror is still going on, it feels disrespectful in a way. Also, and I may be wrong, Aberfan was not covered in quite the same way as things are now.

(My Grandfather and uncles walked over from Aberdare to help in the Aberfan disaster - God, that was awful. )

IMO 9 is old enough

am impressed the teacher got round to calling everyone individually..

She didn't...it was because DS2 must have told her I didn't believe him.

God, I hate it when I'm being unreasonable!

I sort of see your point about it still happening. I suppose it's because if they leave it, the children will forget and there will be no cuttings to bring in etc.

I agree we didn't have the same sort of intrusive and shock-horror reporting in 1966 although there was saturation on TV and in the press.

Tis a fine thing that the class are looking at the tragedy but the role play is a bit odd, imo.

Sooooo, I don't thik you're being that U. Just a teensy bit.

think

I think it is fairly reasonable for the school to do this. I remember at that age we did stuff about the famine in Ethiopia - it was Live Aid time (feels old). It is important for kids to learn this and I do not think 9 is too young.

Sounds like an excellent way of promoting understanding and dealing with empathy etc.

I think it is important that children are aware that shite stuff happens and I imagine the role playing provides a tangiable way of expressing any sadness they may feela bout the events.

I'm not sure about the roleplay bit either, tbh - I think having to write an essay about how you would feel if it were you in the disaster is a more appropriate way of engaging with the personal side of this tragedy. The rest of it seems ok though.

So - AYBU or not? just a bit, imo.

I distinctly remember writing a story as if I had been a child in the blitz at about that age, kids are going to hear about stuff like that anyway, especially current stuff, and the roleplay could help them process it. IMO yabu, sorry!

I wouldn't be happy with my child doing something this in depth. Threefold reasons;

1/Some of the news paper pictures are harrowing - I've seen dead bodies piled up, for example. I wouldn't be happy with this.

2/DD currently cries when discussing anything to do with death, having seen me nurse an elderly relative and their death being recent. Her teacher is being very sensitive to this, and to another child whose father has died.

3/The aspects of what is happening in Haiti which has s slightly positive bearing are things which are over the heads of children of this age. (eg Haiti was already poorest nation in the "western" world, with considerable corruption, and this is an opportunity for complete reform)

FWIW, my DC's school sent a note home tonight with a suggested donation of £2 per child to participate in a mufti day on Friday wearing the colours of the Haitian flag. Age appropriate assemblies will be taking place, and DD's teacher has emailed me to say they will be very sensitive.

Point 3 is really badly expressed

I too believe in teaching children empathy.

But i m not sure about the role playing for such dramatic event. Will the teacher do the de-role afterwards? Is any drama teacher here who knows how it should be done?

I was involved in a national disaster when i was 6. We do talk about it with our dcs but not in graphic details.

I'm not sure of the value of role-playing to be honest. If anything, it makes the event move into ever more unreal territory. In this respect I remember DS1 absolutely hating "empathy" as teaching method because he felt it undermined the impact of real events. He thought it was insulting that English school children sat cosily in their classrooms pretending to understand what it might have been like to live in the Warsaw Ghetto, for example.

I do think that 9 year old should be capable of coping with newspaper coverage of the disaster in Haiti though and that it is important to discuss it at school.

I think that they should discuss the earthquake. I'm not happy with the role play because it is utterly impossible to do. As Pikelit's DS says, it feels very uncomfortable to me to be sitting cosily pretending to understand, when they are going through hell in Haiti.

I am going to go against the flow and say no yanbu

When 200,000 people have died and 1.5 million are homeless in one small country in such a short space of time the suffering and trauma must be absolutely unbearable

I Discussion of news clippings yes
Some writing about how the children feel about it - yes
A Project and rolepoly - no way

I have talked about this with my kids, we have watched news reports (less graphic ones) we have discussed how much money to give and they have seen me weeping about it - that is enough imho

OK lovely MNers, you have helped me to put this into some perspective.

I have bought a copy of The Independant this morning, and I will speak talk through things with DS2 before school on Monday.

I still think the role play part of this is..questionable, but maybe the supply teacher I spoke to expressed it badly.

I think it would be unreasonable for 9 year olds not to be discussing things like Haiti tbh. It sounds perfectly fine to me and it would be very odd to be deliberately protecting them from this kind of news. They need to get an understanding of the world they live in. It sounds as if the teacher is doing it appropriately - if she were to be showing uncensored hours of harrowing footage, that would be too much yes, but this is done in a controlled way overseen by teacher and parents.