My Husband and My Son Have a New Hobby. It Involves Terrible Cruelty.

"Butterfly collecting ( lepidopterology) is one of those throwback activities associated with joyful innocence (think of laughing children racing through a golden meadow with homemade stick-and-pantyhose nets). But in this age of empathy and kindness, it comes off as slightly barbaric. (There is an active Reddit message board debating the ethics of the hobby. Spirited!) And despite your protests and discomfort, it is a legit hobby-even an educational one."

"However, I agree with you that catching and killing butterflies, even in the most scientifically agreed upon humane ways, which include f reezing them to death, crushing their thorax, or gassing them, is not my idea of fun. But let's get right to what I believe you're thinking (and what I'm thinking): Will this turn your son into ?"

"No. He'll be fine. Maybe he will hunt down serial killers and NOT torture and kill them. I can almost guarantee you that he will be well-adjusted and normal, and that he will probably remember this time as one of his fondest memories with his dad."

A parenting advice response addresses a parent who objects to a husband and 7-year-old catching and mounting butterflies for display. The response frames butterfly collecting as a nostalgic, childlike activity that can seem barbaric in an era focused on empathy. The hobby is described as legitimate and educational, including scientific approaches that are considered humane, such as freezing, crushing, or gassing. The response rejects the idea that killing butterflies is fun and aligns with the parent’s discomfort. It then reassures that the child will be fine and well-adjusted, likely remembering the experience as a fond memory with his dad rather than developing cruelty.

Read at Slate Magazine