aww..how sweet

[michlan]

Are you familiar with this nursery rhyme?

I don't want to go to Mexico
No more, more, more.

There's a big fat policeman
At my door, door, door.

He grabbed me by the collar,
He made me pay a dollar,

I don't want to go to Mexico
No more, more, more.Would you allow your kids to sing it? How would you feel if it was taught to your kids by another

Comments

[michlan]

it accomplishes this without racism
lol.

I'd be perfectly happy if my kids came back from school with this one.
wait. now i can't tell what's going on. serious or sarcastic?

[michlan]

oh okay.

well, i disagree. it clearly seems racist to me, but that's fine. i don't disagree with much of what you say about going to mexico. but i believe that by the time my kids are old enough to decide to go to mexico, they'll know a lot more about the world and will be thoughtful enough to get any more information they need. it's not necessary to teach them to be fearful of something they aren't going to encounter.

young children see many issues in a stark good/bad contrast. "ingrain" here sounds like a euphemism for brainwashing to me. it's certainly a step backward from the broad-minded approach we generally try to show/teach them.

[michlan]

i stated above that it's not necessary to teach them to be fearful of mexican police because they'll never see one.

i also disagree with your prescription for "good" parenting. i don't teach my kids to fear anything, because threats come in every shape and color. i'd much prefer to teach them about how they can recognize risky situations and have the power to help themselves. and respecting authority is not really a part of the picture either.