There's been a lot of coverage in the news about how the election is raising tension even among kids not old enough to vote; chants of "Trump" at games against Hispanic schools, bullying, and probably kids with big blonde hair getting picked on. One redditor decided to bypass the lamestream media and go directly to the source, asking teachers what their students say when they talk about Trump and Clinton. It's fascinating, often funny, and sometimes sad. Here are 15 of the most interesting answers:
1. This kid taught by trepping's friend is moments away from being sued by Donny T.
Got this gem from a friend who teaches 2nd grade.
Little boy said " Trump is dickless" My friend reared back and asked student to explain what he meant. Boy answered something to the effect "Trump wants to build a wall all around the country and it's dickless" .Upon digging deeper, friend realized that the kid meant to say "ridiculous" not "dickless".
2. We can guess two things about this kid's home: it has a Trump sign, and it has comic books. From retiredrabbit.
I had a kid say that Hillary was evil and a member of the Suicide Squad. I asked if he meant Harley and he insisted that Hillary was too.
3. Hillary comes out ahead in bearfoxmousemushroom's Pre-K classroom, but at what cost?
I teach Pre-K and a little girl very seriously informed me that, " Donald Trunk (yes, she said Trunk) was a bad man because he tells people he has lots of good surprises but he's really a big liar".
My other favorite was a little boy who said, "I like the lady one because when she talks real loud her turkey gobble under her chin wiggles."
4. Kids will be kids, which is to say they will be un-self-conscious metaphors for the state of current affairs. From Dasnyde4.
I run a camp for kids. They changed sharks and minnows into Trumps vs Mexicans. Had to shut that one down...
5. According to Arugalaboogaloo, the chilly relations between Americans is even affecting snow forts up north.
It's snowing right now in my neck of the woods in Canada. My nephew and his friend are in grade four. When they are outside playing in the snow, one of the things they like to do is build a Trump wall.
6. Someone should make sure fixtr's kid knows Trump was "just kidding" about this and like 800 other things.
I travel for work. My 8 year old son asked me if I have to go to Chicago ever again. I said not right now. He said good because Donald Trump said people get shot while walking down the street there. My 6 year old daughter didn't want Hillary to win because my daughter want to be the first girl president but now she does want her to win because Donald Trump is mean.
7. Gah! The state of education in this country has gotten so— oh, thank goodness, it's Canada again.
This is high school but one kid said Hillary Clinton did not have much experience in office because she was just a secretary
Edit-this was in Canada so that might be why the kid did not know
8. Either these wonderfully weird kids are from Florida or this is the most well-informed playground in America.
Not Clinton or Trump, but I witnessed a group of children between the ages of 5 and 8 play "Marco Rubio" instead of "Marco Polo."
9. If 2016 was a classroom, it would be YourArchNemisis's classroom.
One of my 3rd graders enthusiastically yells trump sometimes for no reason. Usually one of the girls will yell back NO, HILLARY. I don't think they care all that much.
10. Well at least this will make you feel better: coleslaw74's kids are having a more advanced discussion than the nation's professional pundits.
My students are 11-12 so they're on the older side but are still elementary minded in many ways. They have definitely made comments about "the wall". But the comment that gave me the most pause and difficulty was when we were learning about personal finance. They had to create a budget based on hypothetical salary and I was explaining tax brackets so they could find their take-home income. I told them, roughly, that the more you make the more you pay in taxes. One student raised their hand and asked "if Donald Trump is so rich, then how come he doesn't pay taxes?"
11. Now, sibtalay isn't a teacher, but neighborhood boys wander into their office. We're just going to assume they're Andy Griffith (it's an old show, kids, Google it).
Not a teacher. One day over the summer a couple neighborhood boys, maybe around 10 years old, came to my office. I have an office dog, so if it's slow they can hang out for a bit. One of them asked me who I was going to vote for. I said I don't know yet.
Boy 1: "Well I want Trump to win."
Boy 2: "No way! He wants to send our friends back to Mexico!"
Boy 1: "Oh yeah, nevermind."
12. Here's a really long one from Backandwaiting that gives more insight into the half-developed American mind. It's...odd.
Does Middle School count?
90% of the boys are convinced if we elect Hillary she'll castrate them and sell us to the Jews.
The girls think Trump's daughter is pretty.
God help us.
Edit: huh. All this on an offhand comment with an account I never meant to use. Whoops.
Ok, real additions:
I'm in the CT/Mass area. I'm a long term sub, to be perfectly honest. I mostly just keep kids in line. Most kids aren't very talkative about it. But there's a clear gender divide. Boys, especially nerdy internet using boys and very athletic ones, think Trump is hilarious. They always want groups called team Trump. They talk about making the school great again. They mention building a wall to keep the Portuguese kids out. (Big pop in my school, most of which also like trump.) They seem to think that Hillary is too much like their moms or their teachers. Also, Hillary hates freedom I guess?
The girls, mostly the nerdy bookish ones or the fashion obsessed ones, think Trump is scary. Hillary = girl power, but they mostly talk about Trump. He's angry or rude or rascist. Also, he hates freedom? Boys love to tease girls about Trump. The atmosphere is more "boys v girls" than real politics.
But most kids don't talk politics. And a-political kids say stuff like "Ivankas hot/pretty." Or "Trumps not even like, a real politician"
Oddly, the teachers (in small town New England) are also pretty split. Lunch room political conversations end fast if certain people enter or leave.
It wasn't until this weekend I saw a single pro Hillary sign. But pro Trump signs are Errrrrvrywhere. A few Johnson signs too.
Once again, bluest of the blue states. Elections complex guys.
13. And here's a story from Golightly314 that's also from a blue state, but with wildly different kids.
Not a teacher, but work with kids 5-18.
Middle/high schoolers make fun of Trump and use his name synonymously with "idiot". He's the butt of most of their jokes. Snippets I've heard: "Whatever, Trump, I didn't want your Skittles anyway," "If you weren't being such a Trump we would have let you play." "Looks like either way we'll have our first female president!"
Then little ones haven't said much, although the other day a 6 year old boy told us "Trump doesn't like brown people and I'm brown. He also has weird hair. My whole family hates him cuz he's mean."
I live in a blue state.
14. Meanwhile, in a red state, AryaTS enjoys the second-hand opinions of local parents.
Red state here in a small country school. For the most part the kids say that Hillary would be impeached because her husband was. They will make fun of the way Trump looks but the majority seem to be for him winning. I have only seen one girl openly support Hillary. I honestly think they are repeating what their parents say.
This is in a 6th grade civics class so they are just learning how everything works. I introduced the idea of third party voting and what first past the post was and they had never heard about either.
The one consensus from everyone is how much they hate Obama but literally cannot back it up with one reason as to why. Again just parroting their parents.
15. Doctor-Amazing teaches some kids who seem qualified to go on CNN right now.
4th grade kids I taught were positive that Trump will immediately and deliberately start world war 3 once he's in office.
I had one girl declare that she hates Trump but only because she's tired of him being on the morning news when she's eating breakfast with her dad.
16. Well, that's...deplorable. Thanks, Jessie111, for bringing us all back down.
Not a teacher... But husband's cousin's daughter (6yo) said to me on 4th of July "I hope the bitch crooked Hillary rots in hell" I told her it wasn't nice to curse. She said "Oh no my daddy said it's okay as long as it's about the bitch." Oh...
17. According to this redditor, the election has even forced its way into summer camp.
Not an elementary school teacher, but I worked at a summer camp this past summer with kids from ages 7-10, and it was a very expensive camp, so some of the parents were more conservative. When an older camper (16-17) made a trump joke, this kid (8) said "hey don't make fun of trump! He's going to make America great again and kick out the Mexicans!".
18. Of course, for every kid like that, there's someone who feels differently, like kerpandilla's students.
I am an elementary teacher and my third graders HATE trump. Anytime anything election driven gets brought up, they remind me not to vote for him because he wants to build a wall and hates mexicans. Most of my students are mexican-american.
19. Wow. That's...not something even Trump has proposed. From bledou2.
If Trump gets elected he's gonna send all the black people back to Africa.
20. Let's read something more fun to wash out that last one. This time, it is the confused children of Australia who will save us all. (via)
I'm not American and only a student teacher but I had a good chuckle the other day when a student asked me if Donald Trump, Blake Obama and Hilary Duff all have to live together in the white house.
21. Well, at least dontaskmeifimacat's kids prove there's a silver lining to this whole crazy fall...
Nothing since they started talking about killer clowns.