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7 year old terrified of history lessons at school

10 replies

Emma6421 · 15/06/2024 21:46

My 7 year old loves maths lessons and other lessons in school but is terrified of any subject the school have covered so far in history when I say terrified I mean hysterical crying at home begging to not go into school to the point he makes himself sick! But it also plays on his mind for ages 12 days after they learnt about D-day he still cries about it now!!
he doesn’t sleep after history lessons.
I have a meeting with the school about this but don’t really know how to go about it because they are useless i have previously asked for a ND profile to be done for other reasons and got told I’m looking for a label that they are not going to look into.

OP posts:
CherrySocks · 15/06/2024 22:01

What did they tell him about D-Day? Could you get some books from the library and help him to talk through his feelings. Help him say why it has upset him. Have you seen the resources they used - are they using material that isn't age appropriate? Were other children in his class upset? Does a different teacher teach history - is he frightened of the teacher?

Labraradabrador · 15/06/2024 22:34

I have a 7yo child who can’t deal with Disney movies or any movie with the slightest bit of drama or emotional arc. Sometimes also an issue when we read fiction together and it becomes more emotionally intense. Major anxiety around movies and has to be given an alternative task during school / holiday club when a film is put on as a treat. Will happily consume Greek mythology with all the gore and murder, and loves history for all the facts and figures, but these are consumed in more of a removed / matter of fact way. I think it is an emotional narrative that she has trouble with, and maybe feels a bit too intensely. Currently being assessed for autism.

Screamingabdabz · 15/06/2024 22:37

Get the Horrible History episodes on YouTube. Let him see the lighter side to history.

stressedespresso · 15/06/2024 22:40

Screamingabdabz · 15/06/2024 22:37

Get the Horrible History episodes on YouTube. Let him see the lighter side to history.

Horrible Histories gave my nephew nightmares for weeks on end at that age! I put it on for him and DD without even thinking only to be met with a very annoyed message from DSis the next day. If he’s sensitive then it’s probably not the right route to take OP..

LittleBearPad · 19/06/2024 08:10

Can he explain what he’s so worried about - the death, the idea of war?

How much does he see the news e.g. Newsround?

Is it all history or just D-Day?

Horrible Histories isn’t a bad shout if you watch it with him and see how he reacts.

JohnnySoda · 19/06/2024 08:15

My DD was exactly the same. In year 1 they covered the black death and the great fire of London and she was horrified and upset in equal measure. She hated horrible histories too. She is autistic and a very sensitive soul, which I think had something to do with the over reaction!

bergamotorange · 19/06/2024 08:16

Quite a few children, especially as young as he is, find things confusing and overwhelming. Age 7 is a prime time to become more aware of death, pain and fear.

Add to this some primary schools now teach history in a very emotional way, which has pros and cons.

Speak to the school and give him the chance to avoid these topics for a bit - don't tell him you are doing this, just shield him from them for a while to give him a breather. I would also ask school to tell you exactly what they taught and how - was there a lot of 'imagine how people felt' for example?

bergamotorange · 19/06/2024 08:16

Screamingabdabz · 15/06/2024 22:37

Get the Horrible History episodes on YouTube. Let him see the lighter side to history.

This is a high risk approach, I wouldn't do this if a child is already very upset.

PurplePim · 19/06/2024 08:25

They teach far too much unpleasantness too young in my opinion. Great Fire of London to six year olds, including building and burning models! No, thank you. My own child only heard about that one from a friend who'd done it and it still caused them months of nightmares about people being burned alive.

At 13 the detailed horrors of WWII were still too much for them, as was going round an old prison that was graphic about conditions. They love history and know so much about it, but also have a surfeit of empathy and a very vivid imagination. We home educate so have more control, thankfully, because I think they'd have needed to come out of a lot of lessons and school would have ruined their love of history.

Horrible histories has been great for us, but starting around age 8, and skipping over bits that were too much, plus watching it together for a few years so we could discuss things and deal with things as they came up. Other than that only time and the maturity to better cope with their high empathy have helped.

My younger child hasn't had the same level of reaction, and copes well with things like operation ouch, which the older one also found too much. It's very much innate to the child and imo needs to be respected.

crumpet · 19/06/2024 08:30

I have memories of taking dd and friends to the cinema for her 7th or 8th birthday to watch a Disney film. Several kids had to change seats to be closer to adults and at least one had to sit on laps.

on another occasion Dd at 6 had to be taken out of the cinema shortly after the start and sit for the rest of the film in a car park with one of the mums.

I think it’s an age where imagination is especially vivid. Perhaps talking about the successes of DDay and why it was so important (and that there hasn’t been a “world war”) since may help? Calm practicalities often help to defuse

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