How would you react if your child killed something?

[Twiglett]

like a worm / snail / spider etc

on purpose?

(not my child btw)

ewwww how revolting!

I think I'd have to have words about that - seems a fairly violent act!

Funny though that insects seem to be fair game

CONFESSION: I used to pull the legs off daddy long-legs (I wouldn't get within 6 inches of one now!)

half of me wants to agree with you feisty .. I do remember challenges of how many parts could you cut a worm into with all the pieces living still (who knew it was 10 max due to number of hearts)

oh I don't know .. I think I want reassurance that it isn't as bad as my gut tells me

feistybird has a good point, i personally don't like it but i know plenty of perfectly sane rational adults who kill every snail, slug, spider etc they come across, it's just the attitude they were brought up with.

like i said before, definitely don't think it wise to react when the mother obviously doesn't care, maybe now is a good time to explain to your ds that some people have differant views on insects to prepare him for the real world? i know most of my teachers in school killed any spiders or bees they came across egged on by most of the class unless one of us hippy types was willing to catch it and relocate it, some teachers wouldn't even alllow that though.

Me too Feistybird, I remember stamping on snails cos they made a crunch, worms in half, legs off dandylions etc, etc and I haven't grown up to be an axe murder or abuse animals. Reckon it's just childhood curiosity and nothing more. I still stamp on slugs and snails when they are around our veg...better that than pellets.

you would seriously book your child in for therapy if they killed a worm/insect/slug?
really? really?
seems like a massive over reaction to me!

My DH's cousin used to pull legs off flies etc and when asked why he would say it was because he liked to look into their eyes while he did it (honestly) [scared]....DH and I have told PIL repeatedly that one day he will be on the news with his neighbours saying "He was such a quiet man, kept himslef to himself..." they don't believe us...time will tell!

I used to pick legs of dragonflies and whilst I'm deeply sorry, I ended being a veggie for years and am NOT a psychopath

Don't think you need to react too much

I with Feisty- ds2 stamped on a snail the other day (he's 4) and laughed when it crunched. I told him it wasn't very nice, but I wasn't exactly horrified.

Why isn't your ds allowed to pick plants?

I wouldn't like it, if done in malice.

However DD is trained to kill any ants in the house on sight (as a result of invasion every spring for the last 3 years!!!)

But not outside - DH does that with the ant powder!!!

mainly he isn't allowed to pick plants because our garden was newly planted 2 years ago when he was 3 ... didn't want him decimating it ..

also the 'bohemian' in me has a little bit of 'growing living things should be left alone'

he helps me weed the garden though .. so he does get to yank weeds out of the ground

does he still carry his bag?

I kill insects etc all the time. I swat bees/wasps and kill spiders. Does this mean I am a potential serial killer? will have to think about that.

If he had been torturing a cat/dog even a mouse I'd maybe worry. You may not agree with it and it's fine to say something and maybe explain to your ds that this is not in line with your values but I really would not have seen it as a problem unless it is in the context of other generally very agressive behaviour.

no he's given up the bag .. but .. gulp .. DD has one she's getting fond of now

Wow! This thread

I thought virtually all kids kill insects as part of normal childhood experiementation. Isn't it an important part of them learning about life and death? I did it as a kid. I also felt very guilty one day when I realised what I had done.

My kids don't do it in front of me, but I think they probably do it when I'm not looking. If I've ever caught them I explain that it's not nice to kill things and say stuff like, 'What did the ant do to deserve that' etc .... but then they say, 'What about headlice?'.

Kids can spot hypocrisy and are confused by mixed messages. I'm presuming at least some of you eat meat and are therefore condoning the killing of animals on a daily basis?

I think that a big reaction of 'Oh my God you evil loony. How could you??' would actually be quite damaging to the child's self image and may make them think they are violent maniacs with no hope of redemption.

I used to have a pet beetle in the garden, I kept it under a bowl and fed it beans.

I really would be shocked if dd1 or dd2 stamped on a snail.

If it was your garden, then it was your snail and quite right to tell him off ofr it. I'd be furious but I hate seeing any living thing harmed (and get quite upset when cuddley toys are maltreated too actually!)

i did kill fire ants. ok, i'll admit it. but if you've ever been bitten by one, they f*cking HURT and they make these nasty hills and then swarm on you. owwwwwww.

keeping a beetle under a bowl.... probably the cruellest thing I've read on this thread?

Agree with Feisty, Spidermama etc.
I would tell them not to but I certainly wouldn't get worked up. If they kept on and on doing it I might worry, but not the first couple of times.
I wonder what a counsellor would say if you showed up with your perfectly normal well-adjusted child and explained, 'He killed a worm'.

sorry, will prob rot in hell for this but I take kids out into garden at night, hunt slugs and drown them. I grow veg organically and if I didnt do that would either have no veg or have to use slug pellets and poison birds so figure its least of 2 evils.

'Miggy is a murderer'
'Miggy is a murderer'

Kathy, yes, that thought crossed my mind too.

Am really shocked by some of the reactions on here!!

expat I was an au pair in Dallas and the boy under my care went and jumped on a fire ant hill and then (inevitably) came running to me. So as I was brushing them all off them they were landing on my legs/feet. And all for the princely sum of $100/week....

I wouldn't be so horrified as some of you are. Although I did get cross with DS and his friend for killing a worm because worms are Useful, but not a snail because a snail is a Pest.

miggy quite understand dh chucks the=m against the wall. bloody things attack the runner beans.

We kill garden pests routinely. And houseflies. Find the idea of counselling for a child who squashed an ant bizarre! Do your children know where meat comes from?

Peachyclair - I am assuming you jest at my beetle under a bowl? I think I was about 8 and it wasn't a prisoner.