Political Indoctrination of Children

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The word “democrat” appeared in the phonics lesson I was giving today. A student said that a democrat is a “person who does bad stuff.”

I live in a very conservative area, so I’ve heard this sort of thing from kids on numerous occasions.

Polarization is encouraged from a very young age, and I think it’s really hard to overcome.

Only conservatives indoctrinate their children, right.

I wasn’t saying that.

The groupthink is more obvious where a specific party has a strong majority, I think. It could happen either way.

Where is the line between political indoctrination of children and raising them according to one's values?
I suspect it does not exist. We give our children everything we have - healthy and unhealthy.

There is a difference between saying doing thing x is not OK' and people who are x are not OK'

Cool.

Yes, like with sports. Most children will support the team their father supports. Same with religion, politics and often carear choices.
We are a tribal species. It's important that the young know their tribe.

I think raising kids with one’s core values is fine. Ideally, we would raise kids to make their own choices and to form their own conclusions - whether they conform to ours or not.

I don’t like the idea of raising kids to think that other people are wrong or bad just for disagreeing with us.

And yet, I bet if that child (or even the parent) was asked to explain why democrats are people who do bad things, e.g. what bad things they do, the response would be vague, wrong, or even nonexistent. Reminds me of a certain period of a couple of minutes during which a group is hated simply because the dominant group says so. Maybe I read it in a book somewhere? Perhaps published in 1949?

Me too - but isn't it also raising kids according to our values?

Also, kids tend to repeat opinions of their parents without any filter - including opinions expressed in conversations between adults, in kids' presence but not directed at them. If parents believe something, their kids naturally take this belief for their starting point. Trust someone raised by a notorious conspirationist
So, if the parents of this kid were e.g. qanon believers - this kid gets the qanon belief system for their starting point.
I think at this stage, it's natural. Problems start when the kid grows to question their parents' beliefs - how the parents react to this.

The Pledge of Allegiance is political indoctrination.

I agree. I don’t like it.

I agree that its disturbing. "Tribalism" doesnt explain it. Its the polarized times we live in.

If its a phonics class the kids must have been REALLY young. five? Six? Granted a kid that age isnt going understand what either party stands for. But I am surprised that kids have that strong an emotional reaction to names of either domestic political party.

When I was that age I wouldnt have had any response at all if someone had asked me what a "Democrat/Republican" was. Wouldnt have had any bad associations with either party (regardless of the fact that my parents were members of a particular party). I might have thought of Kruschev, or Castro, as being "bad guys", because they were names in the news back then, and I heard my parents and the newsmen on TV talk about them as villians. Though I wouldnt have understood Cold War politics, and thus not understood exactly why they were considered bad by my elders.

He’s 10. It’s a class for students with learning disabilities. He’s of average intelligence.

I was hearing that it's now up to 32 states working on school choice? Some people actually want to give their kids a classic education (like extended Trivium and Quadrivium type stuff) and ATM they have to home school. It's a double-edged sword as well because I'm sure school choice can go in more politically extreme directions but I'd have to hope that this at least gives people who want nothing to do with it better options and that track - ie. 'education' education rather than indoctrination - gets utilized more in practice.

I homeschooled my kids. One of the responses I gave when people asked me why was “if anyone is going to brainwash my kids, it’s going to be me.”

My oldest put herself in high school. They said the pledge every morning. The second week she informed me “ I’m good with it now - “potentially” scans exactly the same as “under god” and I can believe that.” She literally stood there every day and said “one nation, potentially with liberty and justice for all.” That came from her.