Ryan Wilks
A dad was left outraged when his daughter came home from school with a ‘disgusting’ Father’s Day gift.
Trent Howard, from Perth, Australia, received a printed activity dice as a present from his six-year-old child which was meant to uplift his spirits.
On each side of the die, there was a food or item suggestion for the day that was meant to help cheer the person up.
For example, one side showed a banana ‘for the days when you have gone round the bend’.
However, one of the suggestions left Howard absolutely gobsmacked.
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Shockingly, one of the options allegedly suggested: “A bullet to take when all else fails.”
The Howard family has since complained to the school about the gift, as they say it ‘promotes suicide’.
In an interview with 9News, the dad explained: “To create this and distribute this, disgusting. ‘If you’ve had enough, shoot yourself’, what else [could that be interpreted to] say?
“I have a weird sense of humour, [but] that’s not part of any sense of humour to anybody.”
Howard’s wife, Renea, also told the outlet that a teacher explained to her that it was meant to be a joke.
She added: “They wanted to be funny, that was my interpretation of what the teacher had said to me. It wasn’t funny. It’s really not appropriate for kids to be given that kind of topic in a joking manner without any support around it.”
Following the incident, the Department of Education has spoken to 9News and said that the activity was ‘clearly not thought through’ and ‘showed a serious lack in judgement’.
The school has also apologised and vowed that the activity will never be done again.
“We need change everywhere. In this society. We have suicide in our families. It’s not cool. It needs to stop,” Howard has commented.
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As warned by psychologists, it is important to exercise caution with the language we use when communicating with and around children.
Perth-born psychologist and counsellor Bailey Bosch has emphasised that children ‘can take things very literally’ and they may struggle to ‘articulate what’s distressing them’.
She adds: “Let’s also remember there are adults around that could be completely triggered by some words such as bullets or death.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the US at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
In the UK, the Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, emailing [email protected] or heading to the website to find your nearest branch.
Do you have a story for us? If so, email us at [email protected]. All contact will be treated in confidence.
