Teacher told 6 year old that Van Gogh shot himself in the head? - inappropriate ?

[mom2daisypie]

Hi all,

I am looking for some other opinions please before I have a word with the school tomorrow morning.

Today my 6 year old daughter came home and told me that they're learning all about art, and today was Vincent Van Gogh. She went on to ask me "what does it look like when someone shoots themselves in the head with gun?" - I nearly spat my tea out! I asked her why she asked me that and she said that one of her teachers had been telling groups (including some reception aged children) that Van Gogh shot himself in the head with a gun because people didn't like his art.

Now I'm not usually an over-reactive mother but something doesn't sit very comfortably with me here. At bed time my daughter stood on her bed and pretended to hold a gun (her fingers) under her chin and said "no-one likes my art....BANG!" and dropped on the bed as if she'd shot herself. I find this very very inappropriate for her age group and I fail to see what this piece of macabre information contributes to her education and understanding of art???

What would you do?

Waiting outside nursery (in the rain with no shelter but that’s another story) the head suddenly burst through the door and announced, slightly hysterically, that one of the baby chicks had broken its leg. She then ran off. We were stood there like fools with our children upset and no further information to give them.

It caused nightmares for my daughter.

Some people have no idea how to talk to children. This woman has just been made head of preprep. God help us.

This really wouldn't bother me because in all likelihood, a child asked a question and the teacher answered. As far as we know he did kill himself so the teacher isn't lying.

I think people forget how violent cartoons, films, fairy tales etc are that most children watch.

So OP, did you say something in the end?

Years ago my DD did the Van Gogh topic and definitely in Y1. We had paintings in the style of Van Gogh decorating the classroom and various musings about his art. Several months later we were in the Musee D’Orsay looking at a self portrait of Van Gogh and my then still 5 year old declares, “Mummy, he’s still got his ear in that painting”. Cue several American ladies telling me I had a very insightful child! She obviously knew he cut his ear off. She learnt from that information and made an informed comment about another self portrait.

I think so many people are desensitised to blood and gore, including adult teachers. My guess is that the teacher didn’t it a second thought. Shame it was inaccurate though. Would a child worry less about him being shot in the stomach? Or is the truth to be glossed over?

I totally agree with wondering why there is widespread acceptance of blood and gore on the cross without turning a hair. Perhaps no child should ever know about Cleopatra, JFK or the Manchester Arena bomb? How much can children be protected, realistically?

DS1 (Year 3) has been studying Egypt including Tutankhamun, and part of the course was researching and hypothesising how he did. Whether he was murdered or not. And we watched a documentary at home which looked at whether or not he was murdered.

I am last person to be into guns but I would consider this factual rather than glamorising guns. I wouldn't complain. In my experience children quite like gritty details and whilst as parents we want to protect them from the dark side of things sometimes you need to take the opportunity when it arises to talk about the bad stuff? Its not all unicorns and daisies.

One of the grandparents at our school actually brought an antique firearm from WW1 in to show the kids. I thought that was insane!

The inaccuracy would annoy me more than anything!

I do agree that Van Gogh killing himself is a bit more than 7 year olds need to know. However, here are some things I remember hearing, reading or writing when I was 7, should I try to sue my (late) primary school teacher?

"An arrow struck Harold in the eye. He tore it out, but he was mortally wounded." And she'd explained "mortally wounded" the same day.

"God was pleased with Abel, and angry with Cain. Cain got jealous, and killed his brother." Now I know what I could have done when I felt unfairly treated!

"Abraham was just about to kill his son Isaac..." My brother later wailed to our parents "but what about the poor ram who was killed instead??"

"You have to be dead before you can become a saint, for at least two years." Bang goes my career in sainthood!

"Robbers used to have their hands cut off."

Robbers used to have their hands cut off ... ... and still do in some parts of the world....