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]They're preschoolers. Of course they want to be police officers and firemen and nurses etc. The places where they see examples most often are cartoons and books where those characters are always positive. There are no bad cops in kids books. Mr. rogers called them "helpers". Teach your kid about the world and introduce reality and what's happening as it's age appropriate. [/quote]

OP here.  I'll respond to this post which was constructive, unlike many posts just calling me crazy.

I understand that kids might want to be police officers and it might be too much too use this to call into question what they are generally teaching their kids because of the things you mention.  That makes sense.

[b]But it still strikes me as tone deaf to submit those videos at this moment given what the country is going through.  Sure, it isn't a statement that All Lives Matter or the kid wearing a MAGA hat in the video, but I never would have submitted that video right now.  And if the video was done pre-nationwide protests, they had almost two weeks to submit something different.

Why submit/stick with something that could be interpreted as thumbing your nose at the current protests and be triggering to some people?[/b][/quote]

Because these are children, not adults, and their parents are not confusing their childlike perspective of the police with the more nuanced perspectives that grown ups have. They are not using their kids as pawns to show how woke they are.

Also, as I reflect on my child's friends, I would welcome any of them to be police officers. They would be true "good guys". If they were old enough, they are the type of people who would be joining the protests right now.

I think OP, this concern is more about you and your concern how other perceive you. Try to separate your responsibilities as an adult from the responsibilities of your children.[/quote]

But presumably the 5 year olds did not record the video and submit it to the school.  That's action by the parents and the parents should be aware of the context.

Little kids can do all sorts of things, such as make comments that could be viewed as racists or ableist, not really understanding the nuance and context.  A parent can't control what is said in the moment, but you'd like to think they wouldn't broadcast one their kid's unknowing foibles for the world to see.[/quote]

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