For children, holidays are beautiful days when everyone in the family comes together, unlimited candies and desserts are consumed, and they are happy with the pocket money they receive from their elders. If we cannot protect our children from the scenes of sacrifice that they see in the media or around them; Holidays can be a trauma for children. The meaning of sacrificing a sacrifice and the concepts it involves when it comes to Eid should be explained by taking into consideration the developmental stages of children.
Effects Vary According to Culture and Age:
Possible negative effects that may occur as a result of children not seeing the sacrifice. may vary depending on the region and culture where children live. Children in regions dealing with animal husbandry, who have seen animal slaughter many times before, may not be as negatively affected when they see animal slaughter during Eid al-Adha as children who live in cities and only see meat in the market. However, in general, the points we need to pay attention to when explaining the behavior of sacrificing an animal to children vary according to age groups.
Tell Children about the Meaning and Beauties of Eid-al-Adha:
The ability of abstract thinking is not developed in preschool children. Thought systems are visual. Therefore, it is difficult for them to understand the religious dimension of sacrifice and death. Instead of giving detailed information to children in this period, it is more useful to focus on the social dimension of Eid al-Adha. It should be explained that people help each other during the holiday, visit each other, and donate meat and money to those in need. They should be kept away from images that may affect them, especially during the Eid.
Children Should Not See the Moment of Slaughtering the Sacrifice: A child does not need to watch the slaughter in order to understand the Eid al-Adha and the importance of sacrificing a sacrifice. It should not be forgotten that even if children begin to make sense of the abstract part of the holiday, it is healthier for a child, regardless of age, not to see the moment of slaughter. After Eid-al-Adha, applications increase due to sleep disorders, fears, insecurities, and night wetting. In such cases, it is correct to seek expert help. Nowadays, where there are special slaughterhouses and many options are offered for slaughter, slaughtering animals by making them suffer and having children watch this is a common practice. r cannot be a tradition.
To prevent children from being negatively affected during slaughter, parents should pay attention to the following: They can perceive. Leaving the animal helpless by tying its eyes and feet can cause emotional depression in children. As a result of this situation, which may have the opposite effect, aggressive attitudes may arise in children and this may cause children to harm other animals. Slaughtering or allowing an animal to be slaughtered by a child's parents in the presence of a child who is not conscious of killing may cause the child to perceive killing animals as a correct behavior. Additionally, this may cause children not to eat meat. Children who witness the sacrifice may have disrupted sleep patterns, nightmares, and their views on animals may change completely. Children should not be allowed to watch news bulletins, especially during the holiday week. During the sacrifice, parents should use descriptive expressions towards their children. I wish everyone a holiday full of love, peace, understanding, tranquility and health.
Read: 0
