Who's answering your children's questions on current economic events?

I am 28 years old, I have a 10 year old brother. I was there at my Mother's house when he got home from school today. He began telling me about general discussion in class. It's topic was our current economic crisis, and more specific the credit crunch.

His teacher had opened the discussion in what to me, seemed an intelligent fashion, and opened it to the floor. He said one child asked if it would ever get to the point that her family would be directly affected. The teachers respose was, although true, frightening to this 9 - 10 year old child... She responded by saying, the odds are your parents have already been affected. Pretty much every company your parents work for depend on credit, which results in your father/mother's pay check.She then added, that credit was a scarce commodity and would result in maximum job loss.

The child was still confused,and as children's point of view tends to be quite simplistic, she asked who did it? who's fault is it? This is where I begin to question the teacher's motives,

The teacher responded by telling the child it is the fault of the American people. That it was OUR fault finances were mismanaged on such a grandiose scale. That families were now homeless because 'they had no bussiness owning a home in the first place' and asked the child if her parents had a plan when push comes to shove. This went on and on...


I don't really disagree with this teacher, but I question as to why such graphic descriptions and questions were posed to a child of 9 or 10.


I happen to find it disgraceful how dependant we as a country have become on credit. I do agree that some percentage of current homeowners ought to have considered renting for some time longer,but a child cannot comprehend this thought process.

I think what I am getting to here, is the question of, Are we not being given the right of choice as to who offers the best explanation to the current events? Do you as a parent, give up the right to offer your children an objective opinion/explanation?Is it not in your child's best interest for you to take the resposibility of answering these questions, as you know best how to word the answers in a comprehensible manner for your child to understand?

Or...

Do we sit complacent to the fact that children may receive subjective information that comes from an institution that does not encourage students to form free thought?

I am not a parent, I would like the opinions of everyone, parent or not....

I'm answering her questions. It can be hard to break everything down to an 8 year old level, but I try my best and I'll be damned if her family isn't going to be the one to explain these things to her. If it comes up at school, that's fine; we've already gone over the situation long before the worst of the panic hit the mainstream. She knows the deal.

I'm realistic and honest with her though I temper it with gentleness. She has a basic understanding of how we got here and why it will take time for things to get better. She knows that we're being much more careful with money now and that we won't be able to go out to eat as often, things like that.

I made the choice to educate her, so I don't feel that I personally have given up any rights. If a parent chooses not to explain what's going on as appropriate to their child(ren), well...that's their choice, but kids aren't stupid. They're going to hear about it on the news or at school or just overhearing adults talk, and they'll draw their own conclusions. Whether they're the right conclusions or not, someone aged 9 or 10 has heard at least something at this point.

The way I look at it...I'd rather the kid has a heads-up so she's not shocked if/when we have to change how we live. If we have to discontinue cable TV or eliminate going out to eat, at least she'll know why and it won't come as a scary surprise.

I just think it is dispicable that an educator, would be so insensitive to put a child on the spot like this. It is using scare tacticts on children in what is supposed to be a safe environment, making matters worse on parents when children come home fearfully asking 'will we be homeless'?

I think its funny that children are bing asked to explain and discuss this situation when about 80% of adult American have no idea there is even a problem, or crisis. Its upsetting. People are clueless. Honestly think that the teaher of your child is trying to get the kids thinking like an adult. I am 21, but i remember being in 6th grade or younger, Me and my friends were really smart. Adults seem to underestimate children, especially as they get older. You forget hw smart you were when you wee young. the only thing that changes is life experience.

I think core values are implemented at a young age. I was given my first stock trading account at the age of 12. Yes i initially lost all my money and also mad a killing. i invested irrationally an jsut off of emotion. But i learned alot. by the age of 18 i was a great stock trader. and now i can make 50% gains any day i put the effort into it. Most people my age don't even know what the stock market is. So i applaud this teacher. It gets the children thinking. There not stupid. There more innocent but not stupid. they are very bright. hell, when i was 8 i made a magnetic LEGO train with no idea that this was already invented. It had no wheels or anything, it levitated an was ran by magnets. I was 8!!!! This is an idea most adults cant comprehend.

Just be glad these kids are bing forced to think about something. dont ever assume the kids are too young or not smart enough to be exposed to something. This type of thinking is what handicaps them. they have a mind of a sponge. Take advantage of it rather than assuming...They aren't ready for it. Its BS. Shove as much as possible in their heads, but make it fun, make them want to learn about it. If they find it interesting they will want to learn as muc has they can about itl

I just know the older you get he more you seem to think younger kids are less and less capable of knowing things but thats just because your slow down how much you learn as age goes on. But your mind tells you that their so young they cant possibly know as much as you.

you have a point Haiku....

but i don't think the class instructor (i didn't say 'teacher')
constructed an answer which the 10 yr old, 4th grader could identify with.

Now if the class instructor, had talked about the childs continued allowence or the family cutting back on going to movies & other entertainment like phoning for Pizza delivery...as the results of a tight economy, credit crunch...
then that class leader might have be 'teaching' something usefull...


but what can one expect with compartmentized knowledge... the class leader is told what to cover, at a certain schedule, so as to cover the topics which will be tested.
cultivating intelligence is not part of the cirriculum... regurgitating data is the measurement of learning for all the youngsters in the school systems of today.

The instructor also gained their required certificate in this same manner...
~education & liberal arts sure have fallen on unfertile brain soil~

I'm not so sure this isn't a better discussion than what happened in my local high school about two weeks ago.

They had a full assembly to discuss the 2012 end of the world theories. What the hey is that?

Sorry, but I don't think K-12 educators should be having these types of discussions without pre-notification and input from parents.

Why in the world would a public high school (I am assuming) assemble students to discuss possible events of 2012? Any information, other than the recycling of the Mayan calander is completely subjective.

Is it possibly to instill fear in what will in the year 2012 be a large population of the tax paying masses? These things make no sense to me. Public education openly slaughters free thinkers. Why would they make discussion of such a subjective topic?