Do any of you children kills insects for no particular reason?

[ALMummy]

I was at a birthday party today and DS showed me a beetle that was on the bouncy castle. He was really interested and we were talking about it and other insects when another little boy (aged 4) just walked up looked at it and then stamped on it about 5 times. I know it sounds silly but it shocked me mainly I think because neither of my DC would dream of doing such a thing. Do many kids do this sort of thing? He also shoved my 20 month old DD over for no particular reason. Obviously I gave him the full on mummy glare but have been wondering since if this is just what kids do and maybe mine are a bit too wrapped in cotton wool.

That should be your children in the title

I don't know. DS is usually a very sensitive child but for a while I have had to tell him not to kill things. I think he didn't appreciate they were living things (he is only 2.9). Today he smashed a snail with a plastic cricket bat but then seemed to have a light bulb moment. He realised he had done the snail harm and was inconsolable for a good half an hour. I think that's the endof his career as a snail slayer!

I guess it's a form of experimentation that some children go though but the child at the party sounds like a bit of a thug!

I think my DCs have all squished them whilst trying to pick them up or play with them etc but haven't done it deliberately. They quite like bugs and now understand that tiny legs come off easily.

The boy at party is clearly destined to be a murdering psycho. Or a hygiene freak.

DD has never killed an insect deliberately. I don't think she has ever seen me kill and insect. I am always pretty meticulous about rehoming creatures rather than stomping (though I think occasionally a snail has "flown" over the fence).

No my ds's wouldn't. I think it's shocking when chn do that. We were at a christening once and a boy of about 5/6 squashed a snail that ds was admiring. I don't understand it myself.

My dc were screaming with laughter in the hall today, I went to see what they were doing, and to my horror they were chasing and throwing soft toys at a very large wasp

I don't know if mine would or not... DD is a big wuss and runs shrieking from anything with more than 4 legs. DS does kill, but he is normally trying to stroke them

DD1 (3.2) is very interested in ants and snails at present.

Her recent encounters involve pointing a bit too hard at an ant; inspecting it's shattered corpse and pronouncing, "Oh dear, I've ruined his party."

The Pet Snail: which involved adopting a snail for about an hour until the poor thing (as if I really think that - I love my garden!!!) stated to foam vigorously. We then had an extended conversation about how that's what snails do when they're really, really scared, whereupon she apologised to the aforementioned mollusc, complete with a gentle kiss on the shell...

They are a mixture of charm and monstrousness.

I was a bit shocked yesterday when my neighbour's two boys came into our garden. DS found loads of ladybirds on a tree and the two neighbour boys then systematically set about trying to squish them all. Their mum was chatting to me over the fence. When I gently asked them not to kill the ladybirds she joined in - but I don't think she would have noticed otherwise.

I think killing little insects for fun is generally to be discouraged.