Anyone else have a kid obsessed with bug catching?

Dec 191 min read

My 7yo wants to catch every single bug he sees and I get it, he's curious, but we're doing this like 10 times a day and I'm tired. We got him a butterfly net and specimen containers which helped a bit but now he wants to 'study' them which means keeping them in jars. I'm not trying to be mean but I also don't want beetles everywhere. How do you balance the nature curiosity thing without letting it take over?

10 comments77 views

Comments(10)

TTodd N.RegularDec 20

The specimen containers are clutch. My 5yo was the same way until I made it a "collection quest" - now he draws each bug in a notebook instead of catching them constantly. Still gets the curiosity fix but it's like 2-3 times a day instead of 10.

BByron S.RegularDec 21

Have you tried redirecting to photography instead? Gave my kid an old phone with a macro lens app and he's been obsessed with taking pictures of bugs rather than catching them. Honestly the photos are incredible

MMatt J.RegularDec 21

Honestly this phase is better than a lot of alternatives. My kid was obsessed with bugs for like 8 months and now he's genuinely interested in entomology. Could be worse - could be video games all day

RRick H.RegularDec 21

lol the butterfly net was the best and worst purchase we ever made

LLuke N.RegularDec 21

the specimen containers thing is genius though, at least he's got a legit hobby and not just destroying stuff. Could be worse

IIsaac T.RegularDec 22

My 6yo is the exact same way. The specimen containers are great but honestly we just started a bug journal where he draws what he caught instead of keeping them. Takes like 5 mins, he feels like he documented it, and then we release them. Cuts down on the repetition

TTony L.RegularDec 22

10 times a day sounds exhausting but also kind of amazing that he's that curious? Have you tried setting like specific bug catching hours - like "we do bugs after dinner for 20 mins" so it's contained?

NNeil C.New DadDec 19

Wait are you letting him keep them in the containers or does he want to constantly go outside? Because if it's the going outside part, we literally just have a "bug time" after school and that's it. No bug time before 3pm rule saved my sanity

AAndy T.RegularDec 22

lol this is my life. 7yo caught a cricket at 6am last Saturday and needed to show me immediately. I feel your exhaustion in my bones

WWill S.RegularDec 19

The net was definitely the move you made right. But real talk - the 10x a day phase peaks around 7-8 and then kinda naturally burns out. My oldest was EXACTLY like yours and by 8 he was over it. You're not far from the finish line