At what age should I tell my children about the holocaust? And does it make a difference that I am a German living in the UK?

[emkana]

They know that there was a war and that bad people were running Germany at the time, but I haven't talked about the holocaust at all yet.

They are (just) 8 and nearly six and three.

And the Children's War Exhibition is fab and that is down to close early next year, although they keep hanging onto it because it's so brilliant. And if you're lucky and can come on a weekday there will probably be a real live Evacuee in the exhibition to tell you all about what it was like. I am looking at one now drinking his tea in my office!

Can I just reiterate starting with 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit'? I used it with DS1 when he was about 8 and not only is it a brilliant story in its own right, it does very gently and appropriately give information on what anti-semitism looked like in Germany in 1933 whilst showing that Germans as individuals had varying reactions to Jewish people as individuals - it's not at all anti-German.

For the Second World War in general I read The Silver Sword to DS which was brilliant as well.

Absolutely, Pink Rabbit is a wonderful book and it really does set the scene in a way that you can imagine, showing how gradually, being Jewish came to be a problem in someone's own little community and how that community reacted and, as PP said above, it isn't anti-German and any anti-ness is directed at Hitler himself.

OOh, my year 7 nephew is at my house ill today, reading Hitler's Canary which he says is very good.

Thank you for all the excellent advice.

One of my problems with this is that I cry so easily when I read books, so I fear that I won't be able to read something like Pink Rabbit to my dd's without being shaken by tears. Not because it's so upsetting in itself maybe, but because it makes me think of all that followed.

I read a book to my dd's the other day in which a German girl is on a North Sea island away from her parents and it is a rush to get her onto the last ship that leaves before the government confiscates all the ships for the way. I could barely read it I was so choked up!

Have you read it? It's a very easy read so maybe have a scout through yourself and see what you think. It's written through the eyes of Anna, the 'main' character who was 9 I think. It's sweet in the way that it writes from her perspective and all the things you would expect a 9 year old to be concerned about (colouring pencils, toys, food and birthdays being some of them )

Sorry, I'm going on a bit. I love this book, in fact, I stole it from the library when I was about 8 and never gave it back . There's always a little pang of guilt whenever it's mentioned so it's my payback to extol its virtues

DS still loves Pink Rabbit even though he's 11 and cool. I found it in the bathroom the other day - interesting book he had chosen to read on the loo! So then I had to take it bed last night and read it myself again.

It's actually as much a book about families and childhood and belonging as it is about the Holocaust. There's lots of humour in it, and the tension about escaping from Germany is all in the first part of the book and that is over fairly quickly. There is so much that is warm and loving in it.

Undercover: I love it too, in case you hadn't guessed! I keep meaning to read the sequels.

We have just watched The Boy in the striped pyjamas - boys are years 4 & 6. I was very worried about ds2 watching it - I thought he was too young and he's quite a sensitive chap. He was fine, it was ds1 that was in pieces - couldn't sleep afterwards, found him in tears the next day. He had covered it at school and I stupidly thought he'd be ok watching it.

What I'm trying to say is that it's a tricky one. Personally I wouldn't mention anything for a while. I don't think many schools talk about it until year 6, so you've got a few years.

I understand you worrying about being German and dealing with it, but I don't think it'll make any difference to other children's reactions to your children. I can still remember the day when my teacher talked about the evil Protestants crushing the Saint of my Catholic primary school to death ... I was the only non-Catholic in the class and all eyes turned towards me!!

Undercovermuseumworker - Astonishing that people would take kids under 14 into the holocaust exhibition
I am really pleased it is permanent though - dont know why I thought it wasnt
I am seriously that you work there
I would love to work as an archivist or curator....... sigh