Children experience the love of animals intensely. Starting from infancy, they tend to love both toys and animals they see on the road. When Eid al-Adha is not explained correctly to the child, the situation can sometimes be traumatic and cause the child to develop different anxiety and fears. So how should Eid al-Adha be explained to the child? Should the moment of slaughter be watched by children?
In the preschool period, when the abstract period is not completed, children cannot perceive the sacrifice as a religious dimension, so telling children about the moment of the sacrifice or letting them watch it while it is being slaughtered has a traumatic effect on the child. may cause. The child who witnessed the death of the animal thinks that the animal was harmed; blaming the family, damaging actions or an increase in anxiety and fear, not wanting to eat meat, night nightmares, bedwetting, disruptions in sleep patterns, etc. It may cause problems such as: Instead, the importance of the holiday, cooperation and the social dimension of the Eid al-Adha should be explained. It should be explained that families gather, eat together, buy new clothes, buy gifts, the importance of celebrating Eid, the importance of cooperation.
If an 8-9 year old child, whose abstract thinking begins to develop, wonders about Eid al-Adha and asks for information; The purpose and logic of Eid al-Adha can be explained, but since the moment of slaughtering the sacrifice can cause a traumatic effect on the child, it is more appropriate not to see the moment of slaughtering the sacrifice. Children think that the stories they tell could happen to them or to someone close to them. A child who cannot internalize the religious story of Eid al-Adha may experience anxiety. Here, it can be mentioned that meat is important for growth and development, and that the sacrifice we slaughter to celebrate the Eid is given as a gift to people in need, and that we eat together.
The 12-13 year old child, whose abstract thinking has developed, can perceive the religious dimension of the Eid al-Adha. Families can explain the purpose of the sacrifice to a child of this age and allow the child to watch from afar if he or she wants to watch. However, before seeing the sacrifice, the child must be prepared psychologically and the process must be explained. If the child does not want to see the scene, he/she should never be insisted on watching the scene.
General o It should be known as;
No matter how old your child is, it is more appropriate not to force him to watch the sacrifice, but to explain the content of Eid al-Adha according to your child's developmental stage.
He should not be allowed to establish an emotional bond with the sacrificial animal. Sometimes, the child is allowed to buy the victim a few days in advance and feed it in the garden, to instill love for animals. The sudden disappearance of the animal on the morning of the holiday can have a negative impact on children, causing them to mourn and become angry with their families. If possible, the animal to be slaughtered should not be brought to the garden of the house, or the child should be given age-appropriate information about the process.
If he witnesses the sacrifice, even if unintentionally, or is exposed to negative scenes of sacrifice on television, etc.; The first thing to do is to focus on the child's emotions and try to understand what he is feeling, instead of ignoring his emotions and using sentences that imply that he is exaggerating. It is important to indicate that you understand it. Allow him to express his anxiety and fear and help him calm down. If there is no decrease in anxiety, do not hesitate to seek professional help from an expert
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