Kids say the darnedest things...

[Peter B]

I'm not an Aussie, I just hear it at sporting events.

I've also seen a strange take on the loyalty oath the American kids are supposed to take each day.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-08-21-0060250076-story.html

Ha! Nice one too.

Of course, one other thing about Advance Australia Fair (something I might have mentioned before) is that it provides virtually the only opportunity for English speakers anywhere in the world to use the word "girt".

Which in turn is fodder for comedians ("can you imagine a criminal stuck in a house and the police sergeant comes up and yells, 'You might as well surrender, we have you girt!'") and a great opportunity for kids to butcher: my wife says that the son of a friend used to render the line "our home is girt by sea" as "our home is dirt by sea"...

[gillianren]

I'm not an Aussie, I just hear it at sporting events.

I've also seen a strange take on the loyalty oath the American kids are supposed to take each day.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-08-21-0060250076-story.html

I have to say, our son was instructed very firmly during his last school year that he was under no circumstances expected to pledge the flag.  Of course, he was instructed that by me, while his classmates were doing it.

[Peter B]

Damned by faint praise...

9YOD to Mummy: You're not an elderly hag-bag, Mummy, you're beautiful!

[bknight]

I'm not an Aussie, I just hear it at sporting events.

I've also seen a strange take on the loyalty oath the American kids are supposed to take each day.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1988-08-21-0060250076-story.html

I have to say, our son was instructed very firmly during his last school year that he was under no circumstances expected to pledge the flag.  Of course, he was instructed that by me, while his classmates were doing it.

You have a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance?

[gillianren]

You have a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance?

For starters, I'm quite certain my son doesn't really understand a lot of it, and I don't want him reciting something he doesn't understand.

[bknight]

You have a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance?

For starters, I'm quite certain my son doesn't really understand a lot of it, and I don't want him reciting something he doesn't understand.

So you're telling him to do something he really doesn't understand either.
You sidestepped answering my question.  Do you have a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance? 

[gillianren]

So you're telling him to do something he really doesn't understand either.
You sidestepped answering my question.  Do you have a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance? 

I'm telling him not to say words he doesn't understand just because they're expected of him.

But, yes, I do.  For starters, I have a serious problem with "under God."  I also have a problem with pledging allegiance to a flag, as opposed to the ideals of my country.  Which certainly include liberty and justice for all, but we aren't there yet and I don't think we should pretend we are.

[bknight]

So you're telling him to do something he really doesn't understand either.
You sidestepped answering my question.  Do you have a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance? 

I'm telling him not to say words he doesn't understand just because they're expected of him.

But, yes, I do.  For starters, I have a serious problem with "under God."  I also have a problem with pledging allegiance to a flag, as opposed to the ideals of my country.  Which certainly include liberty and justice for all, but we aren't there yet and I don't think we should pretend we are.

As long as you explain it to him so that he understands your meaning, otherwise you are teaching him to ignore/disregard the schools' program.  That would be a very bad idea that might extend to disregarding any institutional directions including parental.

[Peter B]

Should I be reassured?

= = = =

As I'm heading out the door to the office, I say good bye to the kids.

11YOS: Don't worry, we won't annoy Mum or burn down the house.

[gillianren]

As long as you explain it to him so that he understands your meaning, otherwise you are teaching him to ignore/disregard the schools' program.  That would be a very bad idea that might extend to disregarding any institutional directions including parental.

He has a legal right not to say the Pledge.  Still, we've had several conversations about it and what it means, including actually going through it word-by-word and teaching him literally what things like "indivisible" even mean, which none of his classmates knew when we talked about it.  Or if they did, it wasn't from having it explained in class.  I'd also like him to tell me if he's uncomfortable with any other assignment he's given in class; you don't have to dig too deep to find stories of teachers who absolutely shouldn't be obeyed in certain assignments.

I watch a lot of Ask a Mortician on YouTube.  The other day, we saw an episode where she said, "Did you really think we were going to get through an Iconic Corpse without a 'seeecret embalming technique'?"  To which Zane responded, "We barely get through a normal episode without one of those."

[bknight]

As long as you explain it to him so that he understands your meaning, otherwise you are teaching him to ignore/disregard the schools' program.  That would be a very bad idea that might extend to disregarding any institutional directions including parental.

He has a legal right not to say the Pledge.

Of course he has the right as all citizens do, I have not insinuated otherwise.

Still, we've had several conversations about it and what it means, including actually going through it word-by-word and teaching him literally what things like "indivisible" even mean, which none of his classmates knew when we talked about it.  Or if they did, it wasn't from having it explained in class.  I'd also like him to tell me if he's uncomfortable with any other assignment he's given in class; you don't have to dig too deep to find stories of teachers who absolutely shouldn't be obeyed in certain assignments.

I watch a lot of Ask a Mortician on YouTube.  The other day, we saw an episode where she said, "Did you really think we were going to get through an Iconic Corpse without a 'seeecret embalming technique'?"  To which Zane responded, "We barely get through a normal episode without one of those."

Since I don't watch the series would you mind informing me as to what relevance the last paragraph has to do do with my initial question?

[gillianren]

It doesn't; it's a funny thing my kid said and therefore relevant to the thread as a whole.

[Peter B]

8YOD asked at dinnertime how the Vice President of the USA is chosen (it was part of a story discussing and comparing Kamala Harris and Dan Quayle...no, never mind).

We didn't have time to answer then, but after dinner I took her aside and explained it to her. This then led to further questions, and more after that.

The discussion finished forty minutes later, but only because she had to go to bed...

[molesworth]

... comparing Kamala Harris and Dan Quayle....

"You say potato, I say potatoe" 

[Peter B]

... comparing Kamala Harris and Dan Quayle....

"You say potato, I say potatoe" 

Yep.

And the story about not learning Latin when talking about Latin America.

And the Murphy Brown story.

All three kids were laughing in disbelief.