My grandson said "You mean that outlaw church with the Jewish gibberish?"

[LAS14]

He is 7. My son and wife took our 7 and 8 year old grandsons to a Shabbat service for social justice reasons this weekend. They tried to explain the reason they were attending the service. We are Christian and they are sympathetic Christian almost agnostic. But they've all been to church with us a number of times. After the service the parents asked the seven year old what he thought of the service and that was his response!!!! Both boys are absolutely sweet, and have regularly gotten school awards for modeling caring behavior. This has to have come from someone in school. They don't see anyone else. It's a middle class suburb of Boston. Mom is a physician and Dad is a teacher in Boston.

What is going on?????? This is just horrifying to me.

[Glamrock]

1. I'm guessing it's a teacher....

How many 7 year olds you know who use the term gibberish?

[RelativelyJones]

2. A seven year-old used the terms "outlaw church* and gibberish?

[Mariana]

12. My kid often "tried out" new words when she was seven.

"Gibberish" especially would be one that would be easy for a child to misunderstand, if the kid heard someone say it in some other context. The kid may have no idea that the word is usually used negatively.

"Outlaw church" is weird - have you ever heard anyone say "outlaw church" or read it anywhere? I sure haven't.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. If you're not actively educating kids against racism and bigotry, they'll pick it up from the world

around them. Being "sympathetic" or "agnostic" or "sweet" is not enough. Time to step it up.

[LAS14]

16. It's the kind of family that takes its kids to a Shabbat service after Pittsburgh. nt

[WhiskeyGrinder]

19. That doesn't necessarily mean they talk actively and explicity about being anti-racist rather than

non-racist, cf. Angela Davis.

[LAS14]

20. The one child that visits regularly is black. She has explained to them...

... the difficulties she faces. It's talked about a lot. But I don't know that they've been educated about anti-semitism.

[Raven123]

4. Wow. That's a jaw dropping comment

If I ever heard that, I too would be horrified. If I got over my horror fast enough I think I might ask the youngster to explain what he meant. Maybe it’s naive, but it seems like he is echoing words, without understanding their meaning.

[unblock]

5. Yeah that calls for an outraged "where on earth did you hear *that*?" follow-up

[uponit7771]

6. +1, that's not what 7 yr olds care about ... they're into Gumball and Teen Titans Go not bigotry

[SCantiGOP]

7. An outlaw is one who doesn't accept the established rules

So, if anything, the Jews are authentic and it is the Christians who are outlaws, since they rejected their faith to establish a new religion.

[Leghorn21]

8. Yes, that IS horrifying, L - but someone's feeding this child this disgusting language - he's

just a little fella, and could never invent this on his own, no way.

(“You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught”!)

I am an old lady, and when I was about 10-11 (1960 or so) I saw a movie called “Hand in Hand” that profoundly shaped my attitude about religion...and I was fortunate, of course, that my parents (just like your son and daughter-in-law) never ever espoused prejudices one way or the other about religion, either.

So I wonder if your dear grandbaby might be able to see this film, too, and maybe be influenced the way I was...of course, I was older than he is when I saw it...but really, this is the only suggestion I can think to offer here!...

Hang tough, LAS - this is awful, but there’s plenty of time to gently steer this little fella in the right direction!!!

Hand in Hand:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053889/

[matt819]

9. What did your son say?

I would hope he and your daughter in law were as horrified. If so, then they might want to bring it up at their kids’ school. As others have observed, this kind of hatred doesn’t just come out of nowhere. Keep us posted.

[LAS14]

17. Definitely horrified enough to call and tell us. Unfortunately my husband...

... took the call and didn't inquire about the follow up. I'll get the full story at some point. I think they should talk to his teacher at school, just for a heads up.

[randr]

10. Did anyone ask the boy where he heard that?

[Mariana]

11. Are you sure he knows the definition of those words?

Especially "gibberish" - did he hear someone use that word and misunderstand its full meaning? Clearly he knows it applies to speech, but does he really know what it means?

My kid said some pretty disturbing sounding things at that age. She was just trying out new words and wasn't clear on the definitions and the negative connotations some of them have. Most of the time it was harmless, I corrected her usage and it was done. Occasionally I had to take time to explain that you really, really should not ever use that word in that context.

[Blue_true]

13. You should follow up with the grandkid, even if that mean a special visit or phone call.

Repeat what he said to him and innocently ask why he feels that way. He is a seven year old kid, his answer is going to point you to who taught him that.

[Bluesaph]

14. Watch their friends

If their friends live in a household where this speech is used then they likely have guns and ammo lying around too. Keep them away.

[LAS14]

18. It's a different world than when I was young. Twice a month we pick...

... them up at school and ALL the children are picked up by their parents. They don't walk home with friends. Playtime outside of school has to be formally arranged. It's depressing.

[NNadir]

15. My father freaked out when I was a small child and used the word "rape."

I know at the time I had no idea what the word meant, which my mother pointed out to my father to calm him down.

I have no idea how I heard that word, nor the context in which I said it, but I do remember my father's reaction. My father was in general a gentle person, except when he lost his temper, which he did on that occasion.

I am of a generation where kids managed to not know the mechanics or either sex or rape until they were at least approaching puberty, if not experiencing it, so I'm sure I didn't know what it meant. I may have seen the word in a newspaper without knowing its meaning and sought to try it out.

If this were my family in your case, it would call for some discussion among the adults, and a calm discussion with the child to explain what these words meant and how they could hurt people and even lead to violence of the type we've regrettably seen of late.