Kids & Bugs

What is it about kids and bugs?  Preston and Emory, ages four and almost two, are both infatuated with them.  This past spring, Emory found “crunchy worms” (as we fondly called them) and continuously put them in her mouth!!  Any time she was spitting out something with a disgusted look on her face, I would find another “crunchy worm.”  Why in the world would she continue to put them in her mouth?!

In May, shortly before the kids got out of school for the summer, Preston got a bug keeper as the toy in a kid’s meal.  One morning before school, Preston found a roly-poly and wanted to put him in his bug  keeper to take to school for Show and Tell.  Not knowing how else to care for a roly-poly, we placed a drop of water in the container and off to school he went.  Preston was so excited!  On the way, he determined that his name would be Rolo, the Roly-Poly.

When I got home from work, I asked Preston how Show & Tell went.  He was excited to tell me about it, but then his demeanor quickly changed.  “I left Rolo in Daddy’s car!”  Out to the garage he raced, and much to his dismay, he found Rolo dead in the hot car.  Preston was deeply saddened that he had lost his new pet, so we said a prayer for Rolo and for Preston.  He mentioned him occasionally throughout the summer, and then again just last weekend.  Rolo made quite an impression on Preston.

As for Emory, she loves to hold bugs and squash them.  “I quash it,” is a phrase we hear quite often when we are outside.

Last month, we were at a pool party where Emory saw a huge beetle.  She walked to her shoes, proceeded to put one on her foot and then walked back to the bug so that she could “quash” it.  She was so proud!  She then removed her shoe and went back to splashing in the water.

Another big discussion this summer was about locusts.  We go locust hunting on a weekly basis.  Both kids look for them, pick them up and “quash” them either in their hands or crunch them under their feet.  Preston has been so involved in locust hunting that we have done research on locusts and watched videos until he can almost quote them!

I’ve learned quite a bit this year about kids and bugs.  I am proud that neither child is afraid of bugs, but shouldn’t there be a healthy fear of some of them?

Julie Swink is a Sr. Marketing Specialist for Texas Health Resources and Mom of two.