Is '"what kills what" to mature a subject for a 5 year old?

Yes. If they are inquisitive and you give intelligent answers.

Never a wrong age to teach your child about life and the REAL world.

I have a friend that was so sheltered by her family. That a movie like Shindlers List. Would send her running into the next room crying in disbelief that that really has and does go on.

You don’t want you innocent child petting wild animals because they cuddle with their teddy bear.

I think it is always appropriate to answer a child’s questions. if they are raising the issue, they are ready to learn about it. Of course, you wnt to couch your answers in language and concepts that they can comprehend.

I think if the child is asking a question, you answer it intelligently and fully, but at a high level. The reason kids will ask the same thing over and over is that they are processing the answer and what the answer means. A good way to answer this question is to talk about The Food Chain, and perhaps research it together. Mine were in Montessori at about the same age and they studied animal; they went around classifying animals as carnivore, herbivore, and omnivore.

She’s learning basic Biology. It will be important later on for her critical reasoning skills- so yes, talk about it with her. Buy her a subscription to Zoobooks (warning: site has sound) and talk about the issues with her.

I don’t think there is a problem with it. She seems to be more interested in relative ability and the chaotic nature of the animal kingdom than any metaphysical or moral questions about death. I see no reason to keep children under illusions, because if they are mature enough to ask the question they are mature enough to hear the answer. After all, they will come up with an answer whether you provide it or not.

I must stress that what I say is hypothetical, and I am not a parent and have little experience with children.

Embrace the fact that your daughter is at an age open-minded and socially unconstrained enough not to be held back by taboos such as death, and the idea of talking about it openly being “morbid” or “harsh”. A conversation about death needn’t be morbid, it’s one of the most natural things you could want to ask about and be curious about, and it’s something that we all have to address at one time or another. I think you could easily have a conversation with her of this nature without it being remotely upsetting or distressing to her – I think it’s only as adults that we start applying darker meanings to things that are really, quite frankly, totally ordinary.

I know this isn’t a helpful answer, but only you will know whether or not a conversation will be constructive or unconstructive for your daughter – one five-year-old and another may react entirely differently. From what you’ve said, it sounds as though she is curious about the topic, and I see no reason why you can’t discuss this with her in a sensitive, but matter-of-fact way. Don’t worry about it :)

It seems she didn’t think it was too morbid.
Or at least she wasn’t as uncomfortable with that as you seem to be.

My oldest is 4 and we talk about these things – especially why people kill people and why cops carry guns and why mommy’s against guns, etc.

thanks for all the great answers, maybe I just think to much that this subject brings a harsh reality and loss of innocence for a 5 year old…I did answer her questions correctly and more at her level though and I also did explain the food chain and why animals kill each other.

When my four year old asked “Is chicken, chicken?” I answered honestly.
He is 29 and still a vegetarian.

I agree with the above. My kids love a lot of the shows on Animal Planet and always have questions or observations about it. Nature can be brutal, and if your child isn’t too upset by it (when I was a kid, those shows made me cry), continue to foster her interest. You can always balance out the predator aspect by choosing videos or programs that focus on some other aspect of nature, such as animals raising their young or building their nests/dens, or creatures that are highly specialized in their adaptations to their environments.

We’ve been watching Planet Earth and Life lately. My five year old loves those shows.

Just tell her. She’ll eventually know the truth after all. Teaching your kids about wildlife is not harming them despite they’re too young for that but you’re improving their knowledge about something useful. Just remember that their childhood interests might lead them to their career path in the future.

@earthduzt Watching a child lose their innocence of the world is a tough thing. On one hand – the perfect shelter we’ve tried to make for them is cracking apart and the real world starts shoving through. On the other hand – we have this amazing gift to give them. We have the chance to show them the world in a safe way that can inspire them to keep learning more throughout the rest of their life.

I try to remember that a child who stays innocent too long ends up becoming a rather fuddled adult; they’ll have no one to show them how to find the joy within the sorrow or the hope that can be found in every trial. That’s as big a gift as innocence, surely. I try to think like this, it’s not always easy yet it helps me find a balance.

You may have missed an opportunity to teach an important lesson about animals. With some notable exceptions, they do not attack an animal of another species without good reason. Maybe a pack of lions could bring down a hippo, but they would never make the attempt, because of the effort required and the injuries that would have to be sustained. It is only humans who feel the need to wrestle leopards or alligators to prove their prowess.

I don’t think your child’s questions are that unusual. I remember as a kid talking to a friend about what animals could win a fight against which other animals, though we did not talk in terms of killing. Children do not seem to view death in the same way as adults, at least not until they are personally affected by it, like the death of a relative or pet. There are people who will not buy toy guns for their children and some who think fairytales are too violent and others who get worked up about the violence in video games. I am in favor of gun control, but I think this is going too far.

Also, animals eating other animals is cool. :-)

You may think you are preserving their innocence, but the only thing you teach when you avoid their questions is that you are sensitive about certain subjects and they should find other ways to learn about those things.

I didn’t miss anything, I explained it all to her and answered all of her questions…I just went to another topic to lighten the mood.

If a child is mature enough to ask a question, it is mature enough to receive some sort of reasonable answer that is perhaps not the whole truth, but that is not at all an untruth.

The moment you allow her to watch a show without vetting the contents, you must deal with the realities truthfully (but age-dependent). Show her the robins and other birds who are bringing insects to feed their nestlings right now.

I don’t think we should ever ‘protect’ children from the reality of death, however…age appropriate gentle guidance is important.

My daughter learned about death firsthand being a county kid, chickens killed by foxes & coyotes, and other nature scenes unfolding right outside our back door on a daily basis.

I was always gentle and caring about her feelings but did not hide, lie about, or gloss over the what is-ness of a situation.

I think parents that tell their children that a pe ran away or grandma is on a long trip, lol instead of dead, is a disservice to their growth and acceptance of this very real part of ‘life.’

My now 29 yr. old nephew was devastated by the loss of the family dog at 18, to the point he couldn’t attend school for a week!

Nobodies fault really…just that because of a lack of exposure in his chidhood he was extremely upset at his 1st loss.

I also think it is important that nature not be divided into good & bad animals and acts, but be presented in the big picture that everything plays a vital role and a lion that kills a zebra is not some evil creature to be hated.

i just went through this with my 3 year old. i just told her about the food chain. she’s still just as inocent as she was befor. now she just knows that other animels have to eat. and how they do it. sorry about my spelling. i know i suck at it

I think Mufasa gave the best answer in “The Lion King”.

Simba: “But don’t we eat the antelope?”
Mufasa: “Yes, Simba, but when we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eats the grass, and so we are all connected in the great circle of life.”

i believe not answering a child’s questions, as different and scary as they may sound, is changing them into the person YOU want them to be, not letting them develop into their own person. It is very hard to be who you truly are in this world. Everyone, including myself, can be scared of things that aren’t the “norm”, but we should all try to open up. I read an amazing book dealing with this subject of uniqueness and truly enjoying life called Stargirl. I’m not condemning you of being an unnaccepting person. It’s obvious that you’re just the opposite as you’re willing to see what other people think about this subject, and you’re not sure if you’re doing things right.

As long as you answer your child’s questions rationally and factually, there is no harm in that. Facts and other truths do not have to be hidden from immature, inquisitive minds unless there is a question of immorality about them (eg., pornography). But even then, information can be relayed in a calm and mature fashion. It’s better to tell your children about the ills and realities of the world than to leave them puzzled. If you don’t and they keep asking you, they may get the wrong information from less-than reliable sources, like their friends at school. When my little 5 year-old daughter asked me about sex, I told her plainly and succinctly, without any hoopla or goofy adolescent humor, and she was like “Oh, that’s how babies are made. Cool Dad.”

Should probably supplement the footage she sees with pieces about animal cooperation along with the killing. I’ve seen shows where even animals of different species worked together to achieve higher levels of health in whatever they were doing. Inspired me as a kid.

Even these nature documentaries on tv are sensationalized with the hunts and the fights. A whole lot more goes on in the animal world that isn’t as good for the ratings.

@Seek_Kolinahr
For a lion, he sure had an advanced understanding of ecology, didn’t he?

Whenever a child asks a question that seems to be advanced for their age, the first thing to do is to be certain about what they really want to know. Answer truthfully but don’t go beyond what they want to know. A true, but simple answer is usually the best. If they need to know more, they will let you know. With sensitive topics like sex and reproduction, try and discover what happened that make them want to know, but still give them as much information as they seem to need.

Each age range has its own characteristics, for example, children must discover the hot and cold concepts between 2 and 4 years, they cant do it when they are at 1. Moreover, Uncovering the truth of facts must be done wisely, and parents are responsible of delivering the critical info, not the TV.
“What kills What” subject should be thought when child understands the animal world and why animals do it?, and thats happen in the primary education, I believe delivering this idea in earlier ages will create some confusion and maybe fearing.