Kids say the… most inappropriate things.

The posts have been a bit kid heavy.  This ought to change when I am done teaching.  For now, I would like to share some of my findings pertaining to inappropriate comments and comics from children:

I am teaching three classes of “Creating Comics” to children ranging from seven to eleven years of age.  Most of my students really like me.  Their reasoning is that I’m immature like them.  GREAT.

I have a class of rising 5th and 6th grade students who one day started with the innuendo.  A student made a comic that had some inappropriate implicit meaning and he knew it.  I confiscated the comic and threw it away.  Just kidding, I kept it to show my friends that 10 and 11 year old boys are pervy.  It didn’t stop there, soon other students had joined in with innuendo about licking pretzel sticks and other nonsense.  I had to stop it.  Kids aren’t supposed to think or talk like this (in front of responsible adults)!!!

I’ve had to curb a lot of inappropriate discussion in this class.  I’ve actually thanked a student for not saying “sex” or “penis” in class.  It’s a lot to keep track of.  Sometimes I don’t even get what these kids are saying but know by the tone of voice that it is meant to be implicit of something sexual.

Then there are my younger classes.  These kids are young and mostly sweet.  One little girl had no clue how implicitly sexually taboo a panel in her comic could be.  I couldn’t confiscate this, then I would have to explain to this young girl what R Kelly does to young girls.

She had delightful, imaginative characters sharing a silly conversation which makes one laugh aloud, if one has spent enough time with kids to again appreciate bathroom humor.  The last few panels go something like this:

“Do you want some water?”  asks round spirally guy.

“No.  I have to pee!” responds little fluffy guy.

“Now do you want water?” repeats round spirally guy.

“No, but I could use a shower!” suggests little fluffy guy.

Little fluffy is seen under a stream of liquid from a showerhead.

“Hey, that’s not water!  That’s more pee!” exclaims little fluffy guy.

And that is how a 7 year old girl makes a reference to “golden showers” in her comic.  And this is when I declare that art should not be censored and hope her parents know nothing of pop or fringe culture.