Reply to Kid's friends want to be police officers -- how to handle

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, we had something similar happen at our pre-K graduation (live, via Zoom). The teachers had asked each child what s/he wanted to be and they reported the answers when each child was recognized.

Of 35 kids, probably 5-7 wanted to be police officers. All white, all boys.

We didn't discuss it in relationship to the graduation. We have talked to our son about what happened to George Floyd and we have been to protests of it together. He's seen police drive by our protests and honk in support. He's seen police drive by and scowl. He will get it all, eventually.

I would not engage or critique the pre-K kids' aspirations, with them or with their parents, as a path to helping your kid grapple with the issues posed by the racist overpolicing of our society. Adults with power are the people to address. Have your kid see you doing that.[/quote]

I actually think this situation merits further investigation.  What’s happening in the classroom such that so many kids are coming away wanting to be cops?  Seems concerning to me.[/quote]

It was two classrooms, and I don't think there is anything so surprising about this. Kids have no power, and in pre-K they are constantly angling for how to get some. Whining, wheedling, negotiating...and dreaming about having a job where everyone has to listen to them and what they say goes.

The glorification of policing to young kids is real and it's pretty pervasive. Shows, toys, even clothing--it's surprising how hard it can be to avoid clothes and toys that are cop-themed. You might not notice unless you're trying to avoid these themes. [/quote]

That was my fear.  I think it is worth talking to the teacher and asking the school to be more conscious of what police-themed media the kids are being exposed to.  [/quote]

You HAVE to be a troll.  They are being exposed to POSITIVE police models.  You can't honestly think this is bad. [/quote]

OP here.  (I haven't been here in hours, so there are some other people who share at least some of my concerns.)

I don't think it is bad for them to be exposed to positive police models.  I do question whether it is appropriate for parents to share these uniformly pro-police videos at this particular moment in history.  Maybe if this had happened a month ago or a month from now, it wouldn't rub me quite the same way.  But, at this moment, when the country as a whole is finally waking up to the need for serious police reform given many abuses (which is not the same as saying all cops are bad), i[b]t seems somewhat in bad taste to share these videos with the whole class where people will have very different personal experiences with the police and could be viewed as a subtle rebuke of the current movement for change.[/b][/quote]

OP- Read this: PRESCHOOL!!!!  A 4 year old is not making a "subtle rebuke of the current movement for change."  And the parents are being encouraging of a FOUR YEAR OLD'S aspirations, like those that want to be giraffes and unicorns.

OP- 12 pages of posters disagree with you, a rare consensus on DCUM save one other person.  Get over yourself and do something productive! (And productive is not lecturing a 4 year old's parent for a preschool video saying he wants to help others).  You are giving a bad image to the whole BLM movement!!!![/quote]

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