Could we be more patronizing?

I had to go to the monthly site director meeting last week.

There's always an agenda about half a mile long. It's really not a waste of time, there's a lot of information handed out, a lot of stuff we need to know.

This time, in addition to site management, we were instructed on how to handle political discussion and the kids who were worried post-election.

Now at my site, we've been discussing the election and the political process since school started. The 24/7 in-your-face coverage of Hillary! The outrageous things Trump said. There was no way the kids could miss what's been going on.

Some of my children come from families who supported Trump, other kids had families who wanted Hillary to be their president. So we talked. A lot.

There are a lot of adults who could learn from my kids. The ongoing discussion was respectful, interesting and engaging, and I think everyone learned from it. I tried to let them talk without intervening unless they asked me a question, then I tried to make sure I did not say anything to divide them. They wanted to talk.

There was some discussion about the electoral college, the slanted media coverage (the biggest Hillary fan in the bunch, six year old Billy said that 'they really want her to win, they only say good things about her and they say bad stuff about Donald Trump all the time') and a lot of commentary about how 'none of the political guys know what it's like to be poor or have to rent a crappy apartment or not have groceries'.

This was my opportunity to tell them that there are things we can fix in our lives and things that are beyond our control.

That the politicians and the people in charge really don't have a lot to do with our daily lives. But we can do things to make our lives and the lives of our families better.

And then?

I didn't tell them what those things were. Instead, with more discussion, more courtesy to each other and some very deep thoughtfulness, they told me.

They told me about opening doors for people. About asking their mom if they could help with the dishes after dinner or maybe put some towels away. They told me about inviting a boy from the special needs class to sit with them at lunch. "He's really an okay kid, he's just different," Colin told me earnestly. "He just needs people to be his friend." They told me a lot about being kind and taking opportunities to do good things for their families, friends and people they don't even know.

Together they came to the conclusion that although they can't do anything to affect the outcome of the elections, they can make their part of the world a better place. A place where everyone treats everyone else with simple respect.

Lots of adults out there who could learn from that, am I right?

I'm about fucking sick of the idiots on Facebook whose reaction when they disagree politically is exactly the same as the response of a five year old on the playground who was passed over when it was his turn on the zipline. "You're not my friend anymore!!!"

Oops, almost digressed.

Is open and respectful dialog what they advised at our site director meeting?
Sadly, no.

Instead, complete with a booming tone of voice and a hearty smile, one of the guys suggested saying, "Oh, you don't need to worry about THAT!! Your job is to be a kid!"

Or, one of the other people said, "We are NOT GOING TO DISCUSS THAT HERE!!! THAT TOPIC IS OFF LIMITS!!!"

Okay then.
I can't speak for every child, of course. 
But when I was a kid (and even now, as an adult) someone telling me, "Oh don't worry about that!!" is the verbal equivalent of a condescending pat on the head. And does it work? Does it stop me from worrying or thinking about whatever it was that prompted the supercilious reaction from the head-patter? SHIT no.

And I am not going to let some 20-something liberal arts/women's studies/would-you-like-fries-with-that bubblehead tell me how to handle children or delicate discussions with children.

They wouldn't know a teachable moment from a peanut butter sandwich.

Sheesh.