SIDE THOUGHTS - Ants Are Marching in to Our Home and My Son Does Not Want Any of Them Killed!
It is that time of the year and the ants are marching into our house...I see them everywhere. However, my seven year old son does not want any of them killed. When he sees ant traps - he asks if they kill ants. And if they do, he does not want them! I don't want to lie to my son and I don't want to lessen his compassion for living things, but I don't want ants everywhere in our house and I can't continue to capture them and release them outside!
Has anyone else faced this problem and how did you handle it???
10 comments:
Hi MT--my little one has asked what happens when we slap a mosquito. We don't "flaunt" the killing of things (even insects), yet there are times when it is necessary.
My discussion with my daughter has been that there is a time when some insects must go back to being a part of the earth. And that's OK.
She then asked why is that?
Because some insects bite (like gnats and mosquitos) and some insects seek the food we have in our home. Then (and only then) might we do this. I keep it very specific and maturity level appropriate. I have not had to deal with bigger issues of killing, though she knows we kill to eat and accepts it (at this point).
I also don't get into using fear of insects as an approach either. There is a cycle and things die. That's OK.
Thanks for sharing and asking such a good question!
Since your son is 7 now, it may be a good time to get him to understand that you do need to keep ants out and that the only way to do that would be to set traps. Otherwise, your foods and house will get filled with germs from the ants. Tough but he may be old enough.
Wow, tough conversation.
I'm not sure I have any advice to offer except to be direct and honest. I think kids understand more and at younger ages than we give them credit for.
Anthony
Divorce Journey
Hmmm. Toughie. It may be time to just sit down with him and explain the cycle of life.
New parent, thanks for the tips. I will try it.
ML - I hear you! He wanted me to open up the windows to let a fly out instead of killing it this morning. I told him that would cause more bugs to come inside and that flies lay eggs and spread germs on our food. He said, "That's disgusting!" and left it at that. Hmmm
Anthony and Sara, I think you guys are right. I may have to use that Lion King cycle of life speech.
The greatest thing I've found to rid your house of ants only costs $1.00 at the dollar stores. It is clean and safe and you can use it in your kitchen, or around any food areas. It's called WHOLE CLOVES. The ants apparently do not like the smell and disappear overnight. As far as the life/death discussion is concerned, there are a lot of great books including "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein. Tips by a Crafty Mom.
I would like to add that all you need to do with the cloves is to open the bottle and put it on the back of your sink or somewhere safe from spills. Then shake it once in a while to refresh. Good ideas from the rest of you!
Dear learningstreet,
Thanks for visiting and commenting! Great tip! I will have to try it asap! I too love "The Giving Tree" book.
Post a Comment