My sweet, sensitive girl

[snuggly mama]

Dd (10) came home from school today, and boy, was she in a mood! She yelled at ds, stomped off when I asked her to do something, just all around cranky. I'm tired of her coming home so angry, so I really laid into her. Then she starts crying, saying she had an awful day at school, and she tells me what happened:

Her 4th grade class science project was raising mealworms. (Gross, but ok). They had to learn about them, feed them, etc. Most of the kids had named them. So today, they released the worms, who are now beetles, out onto the school field. There were about 50 beetles. The 3rd grade class came out early for recess, and stomped and killed all but 2 of the beetles. My dd is absolutely heartbroken. She kept crying, saying, "Mommy, I took good care of them so they would live, and those kids just KILLED them!" Apparently, the class had a funeral for the bugs, and many of the kids were very upset about what happened.

She's normally such an intense kid, lots of anger and anxiety issues. It really blew me away to see her so upset about this. I may never be able to kill a bug again!

[darlindeliasmom]

uh, where were the recess aides?? Little lack of communication there at school...I can totally imagine her real sorrow and disappointment!!

I think someone at school owes the 4th graders an apology...

[snuggly mama]

Not sure where the recess monitors were. I do know that the 3rd graders weren't allowed out for the afternoon recess (maybe not all of them, but certainly the perpetrators). I hope the 4th graders do get some sort of apology. The Great Bug Massacre certainly will go down in school history!

[Curious Me]

Originally Posted by snuggly mama

Her 4th grade class science project was raising mealworms. (Gross, but ok). They had to learn about them, feed them, etc. Most of the kids had named them. So today, they released the worms, who are now beetles, out onto the school field. There were about 50 beetles. The 3rd grade class came out early for recess, and stomped and killed all but 2 of the beetles. My dd is absolutely heartbroken. She kept crying, saying, "Mommy, I took good care of them so they would live, and those kids just KILLED them!" Apparently, the class had a funeral for the bugs, and many of the kids were very upset about what happened.

That is positively AWFUL!!! I'm sorry for all of the kids who raised the bugs. I agree, those third graders need to understand what they did and sincerely apologize to your daughter's class.

P.S. I restrict my bug killin' to those bugs who will hurt me or my "stuff" (food, plants, etc.) if I don't eliminate them first, i.e. mosquitos, fleas, gnats, ants. Oh, and slugs. Groooooooosssssssssssssssss!!!

[Vermillion]

Eww.. I’d be irked by that also!

to your DD! I can see why she was so upset. I would have felt the same way!

[snuggly mama]

Thank you for all your warm responses. Dd is hoping that tomorrow there will be some closure for the situation. I think she's still shocked that the kids would deliberately do such a thing. I know a lot of the 3rd grade, and they are good kids. Just got caught up in the moment, I guess. Dd seems to have a new-found fascination with nature because of this event. We'll see what happens next. . .

[Irishmommy]

Poor dd.

[snuggly mama]

Just an update -- dd says the 3rd graders responsible did have to apologize. She also got together with her friends and wrote up the "Bug Bill of Rights" It was pretty cute, and it made her feel a lot better. What a kid!