Monday 20 September 2010

Dinosaurs and Philosophy

It's not been easy to write much recently with a teething baby and a restless four year old who just can't get to sleep. For the four year old, it was this dinosaur exhibition that did it.



Every evening she's been asking, why did the dinosaurs all die mummy? She's really sad they all died and wishes they'd come back. Based on a film that's part of the exhibition she's decided all the dinosaurs went in a ball which got stood on and then they sailed in a ship to another planet. She wishes they would come back, well only the vegetarians. But from that beginning my little girl has been thinking a lot about death. 'I'd be sad if I died' she says, 'would you?' or 'would you be sad if you died mummy?' And also a lot of discussions about time and things existing before us and after us and change. It's heavy stuff for me let alone for her. I'd love to hear what anyone else thinks about these topics and how to talk about them with your little ones. Any great books?

On a lighter note we've been enjoying the last days of summer in the sun with friends. It's not as warm as a few weeks ago but it is sunny.

4 comments:

clog said...

Has she got Dinosaurs and All that Rubbish? If not, I am bringing her a copy. Brilliant book!

clog said...

Oh and a really good book about death is Michael Rosen - think it's called the Sad Book. He wrote it after his son died, but I don't think it's explicitly about that, more that it's OK to be sad sometimes.

helen said...

she doesn't have either of those books, thanks for the suggestions.

clog said...

do not get her the dino one ;)