Watching attenborough with a 4 year old

[united4ever]

We watched a bit of the Blue Planet documentaries over christmas on tv with me explaining to my son what was going on. My son was enchanted with it but it was a bit sad when the Killer whale was going round eating baby seals. Anyway, he asked me to buy the dvd which I have done but was wondering, all this death and cute creatures getting eaten, it's part of life but I don't want him unnecessarily upset so what's the best way to describe this to him?

I just said that if the killer whale doesn't eat he will get hungry and die himself and this is how wild animals live. Any better ways to put it?

Thanks in advance

It's the circle of life. Has he seen lion king?? It's good he's asking it shows compassion. I think what you said is right a needs to eat b so It can feed c. I think you said it right . You kept it simple. X

It's lovely that he is interested in the world around him and the way you are talking to him about it sounds perfect. I know 7 year olds who have no interest in anything unless it's a cartoon and just look at me blankly if I say something about the wider world.

My 4 and 5 year olds like things like this too I think it's fine

They will learn about circle of life etc in school anyway

My dss got into dinosaurs at about this age and dino documentaries always show them eating each other. I think you handled it well. That is pretty brutal though I hate that bit of blue planet where the seal slides backwards off the ice floe!! Horrible!!

I completely agree with the 'circle of life' comments. David Attenborough is also a legend.

Too many people think children should be shielded from this kind of thing but IMO this type of programme encourages question-asking which is so important for children.

I think its probably far healthier for children to learn about death from something like David Attenborough than from other possible outlets. In reality the circle of life argument is the closest to fact too.