Killing Bugs?

StrawberryAlarmClock · July 2011

How do you feel about teaching kids to kill bugs just for fun? I'm not referring to exterminating poisonous spiders or accidentally loving on a caterpillar too much. I'm talking about killing bugs because that's just what kids do in the summer. This tends to be encouraged in boys especially: "Timmy, squash the spider!" Personally, it bothers me. It's not that I think swatting moths or squishing fireflies leads to being a serial killer or anything, but I'm of the "live and let live" mindset. WDYT?

glasgow_girl · July 2011

It's not something I would encourage (but then I also come from an environmental ed background). If we encounter a bug in the house we operate a "catch and release" program.

As long as it's not an ant.

cmrand4 · July 2011

We've been having 'bug fever' around here. DS is constantly bringing me his little finds so proudly. They either get tossed out the back door or put in the garbage. We don't stomp them...however, DS has been known to, on his own initiative,to stomp ants while walking down the sidewalk. It's like anything else, he needs to be taught how to behave in this situation.

anna7602 · July 2011

I don't even perform "necessary" killings overtly in front of DD. We've had a cockroach problem in our apartment building this summer and every time I see one, I try to kill it in a way in which DD won't notice. She's still not onto me.

I don't want her to think it's okay to kill anything. In the case of cockroaches, I really can't bring myself to "catch and release," though.

Army_Wife_04 · July 2011

It's funny you should post this. I left DS with his daddy for a few hours while I went and had a girl's day, and when I came home, DS had learned a new trick. DH showed him how to use the fly swatter to basically hunt down bugs that he finds in the house. DS is scared of bugs and cries and runs away when he sees one, so DH thought it would be best to teach him how to kill them. Sad

Although I have to say, I'm not big on catching and releasing bugs because I'm terrified of all bugs, so I do kill them as well. Living here in the south I just encounter some really nasty bugs that I just can't get used to. Ick! I just feel like little DS shouldn't be killing them as well.

I told DS that first it's killing bugs, then it's killing people. Extreme thinking I know, but I hate to see sweet DS squashing bugs. DH said, "Relax, it's not a gateway crime.".

StrawberryAlarmClock · July 2011

Army_Wife_04:
It's funny you should post this. I left DS with his daddy for a few hours while I went and had a girl's day, and when I came home, DS had learned a new trick. DH showed him how to use the fly swatter to basically hunt down bugs that he finds in the house. DS is scared of bugs and cries and runs away when he sees one, so DH thought it would be best to teach him how to kill them.
Although I have to say, I'm not big on catching and releasing bugs because I'm terrified of all bugs, so I do kill them as well. Living here in the south I just encounter some really nasty bugs that I just can't get used to. I just feel like little DS shouldn't be killing them as well.
I told DS that first it's killing bugs, then it's killing people. Extreme thinking I know, but I hate to see sweet DS squashing bugs. DH said, "Relax, it's not a gateway crime.".

Your DH's reply made me giggle. I'm with you, though. Where do we draw the line? Butterflies? Mice? Squirrels? Dogs? I know that squashing a bug =/= murder, but aren't we telling LO that some life is valuable and some is not? While I agree that some pests need to he exterminated for health, safety and hygiene, we do catch & release whenever possible. No matter how ugly, smelly, etc. I drew the line at wasps this summer, though. If anyone has a way to safely transport a wasp out of the house, please share it, but I could just picture myself in the whole getup John Candy had on in The Great Outdoors when they were hunting the bat. LOL. Speaking of which, we even C&R bats. I know that one day, LO will realize that it's true- some life is valued more than other. However, until he can recite his "Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species" then I think I should make it nice and simple for him. Thou shalt not kill.

tct1219 · July 2011

I think that's disgusting. I've never heard of anyone who does that and definitely will not be teaching my daughter that it's ok to do.

ETA: I'm also terrified of all bugs and I'm trying hard not to pass that onto my daughter.

KittyKatMom · July 2011

I plan on discouraging DS to kill anything, except ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes. One day we were at my cousin's house and he spotted an ant on the deck. We were watching it scurry around and suddenly my cousin's 4-year old daughter came up and stomped on it right in front of DS's face. Luckily it managed to survive, but I was so pissed!

BrittKav · July 2011

In general, we kill inside bugs and leave outside bugs alone. I don't like the idea of encouraging a child to kill anything though.

kathrnn · July 2011

Um, personally I am not too concerned about my daughter killing any bugs. If she is like I was at that age, she'll be grossed out and scared of them more than anything. I doubt I am ever going to take it so seriously that I'll sit her down and have a heart to heart with her anytime she does squish a bug. We catch and release anything that isn't an ant or cockroach in this house, so hopefully she will just learn by example.

kcdc6211 · July 2011

I think it's funny I ran on to your post because I was just reading an old Parenting mag that I borrowed from the laundromat next door titled "My Kid Loves To Squish Bugs!" lol. I'll just tell you what it says if it may help shed any light

Tots crushing creepy crawlers is, well, kind of gross, but rest assured, it's nothing to worry about, says director of adelphi univ institute for parenting, Garden City,NY. "If your child were skinning animals in your backyard, you'd have cause for concern[[ya think?!?]] "but many times preschoolers aren't even sure what their doing when they kill bugs." Don't over-react. But do teach your kid that insects are living things. You can do that also, with an ant farm("this is their home") or a book like 1001 Bugs to Spot

I know your concern was more toward the morality off it, but it could be that you LO just doesn't make that connection that bugs are living and squishing them ends their life

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