#children are PEOPLE

[arctic-hands]

I'm serious when I say the United States is actively hostile to children. Constant school shootings our leaders refuse to do anything about. Child Protective Services that overwhelmingly do nothing of the sort. No healthcare. Our education system is abysmal. Very few areas in the public that are safe for children to be in. Large swaths of states making gender affirming care for trans kids a felony. Child marriages are legal in a lot of states. Treating kids like property parents have every right to do whatever they want to, to the point where the U.S. is one of the very few countries that refused to ratify the U.N.'s Convention On The Rights Of The Child explicitly on the basis that treating children like people erodes the rights of American parents. And now states are enacting laws that overturn child labor laws like it's the goddamn Victorian Age. And even before those laws were made, it turns out that migrant children have been working in factories for a lot of companies, including the supposedly socially-minded Ben and Jerry's.

As complicated as adult life is, I would never want to be a kid again, with no say or agency in my life and completely helpless to the whims of the adults around me.

[hyperlexichypatia]

If childfree people don't stop framing children's personhood -- not even children's rights or liberation, just the objective fact of their basic humanity -- as either forced parenthood or pedophilia, I'm going to walk into the ocean.

"Children are people. Children are members of society. Children are due the same basic human respect and consideration as any other members of society you might incidentally interact with while existing as a human in a society."

"OMG, you can't FORCE ME to share a society with your disgusting crotch goblins! You can't MAKE ME interact with MINORS against my WILL! Why are YOU PERSONALLY coming to my house and dropping off your screaming disgusting brat and disappearing, never to be seen again, and FORCING me to become this kid's new mother, which is a real thing I am somehow at risk of!

"And what do you mean, 'children are people'? You mean people you want to have SEX with, you pervert!? Why do you want children to be in society so bad, huh? So you can have ACCESS to them? For SEX? If I so much as GLIMPSE someone who might be under 30, I run a mile in the other direction, so there's no chance of having sex with them! Because I'm NORMAL!"

[disasterhimbo]

Hey, remember like 10 years ago when many of us were in our teens and twenties? Remember how there were all those news articles making fun of “millennials and their avocado toast,” that they didn’t know certain skills that had stopped being taught in school, that they were ruining the economy by killing various industries?

Remember how we rightfully said that was bullshit and we would be the generation to end it, that we would be nice to the generation after us?

I’ve seen a couple posts shitting on gen alpha kids. Don’t do that. Remember that they’ve already been through climate disasters, political unrest, and a global pandemic in their young lives. Talk to them. If they’re being rude, it’s probably because they’re struggling, not because they’re evil. Treat them as we wanted to be treated when we were their age. Children are people.

[paranormeow7]

I think adults who “joke” about how they want to verbally abuse, beat up or kill misbehaving children for annoying them should die painfully, actually. especially the ones who grew up in abusive households and advocate for such abuse to continue because they think a child treated kindly will become “bratty”. Any time you think that children aren’t an oppressed group ask someone if they think a child will become spoiled if they aren’t beaten or if physical violence is child abuse or just “corporal punishment”

[noballoonsinspace]

Misbehavior is not a reflection of merit Misbehavior is not a reflection of character Misbehavior is not a reflection of intelligence Misbehavior is not a reflection of work ethic Misbehavior is not a reflection of morals or values

Misbehavior is a reflection of well-being Misbehavior is a reflection of environment Misbehavior is a reflection of power dynamics Misbehavior is a reflection of support systems Misbehavior is a reflection of how someone is treated

“Bad” kids don’t misbehave hurting kids misbehave traumatized kids misbehave abused kids misbehave neglected kids misbehave scared kids misbehave lonely kids misbehave grieving kids misbehave stressed kids misbehave overwhelmed kids misbehave burnt-out kids misbehave

Its not a “tantrum” or a “fit” or a “bad kid” with “unacceptable behavior,” it’s a cry for help

When kids misbehave, stop “punishing” and “disciplining” and “reprimanding” them

When kids misbehave for the love of god just help them

And P.S. this basically applies to adults as well

[twelvebooksstuff]

One of many, many cool things about the Jurassic Park Novel is the kids’ first impressions scene

I love Tim (and arguably Lex’s) first impressions of the adults when they land on the island. One of the best scenes. It’s so great how the horror of meeting strange adults at an event you didn’t really want to go to is evoked here-brought back some little-kid memories LOL. But the first impressions are brilliant. Grant and Sattler make very good impressions, with their excited and outdoorsy vibe. Nedry makes a bad first impression (as a messy slob) but Tim does take notice of how young he is, too. Ed Regis makes a bad first impression for being so extroverted and forcing the kids to meet the rest of the adults, even after Lex protests multiple times. Gennaro and Malcolm end up in a third/fourth sort of category. Tim instantly notes Gennaro’s name and how he’s very argumentative with Hammond.  How Tim sees this depends on how you interpret his relationship with his grandfather!Malcolm doesn’t shake the kids hands but nods and presumably smiles from afar. Which is kind of funny considering the borderline hyperactive way he introduces himself to the rest of the cast earlier on the plane. I think this is his way of respecting how the kids are off-put by meeting the guests. Either way, this gives Tim the impression of very weird but friendly which is spot on. And really, all of the impressions are spot on. It’s brilliant and I love it. 

[ziggy-solarecreator]

reposting because original poster no longer exists

[vampjasper]

Infantilisation sucks. I hate it so much.

I am not a child. No matter how much I may act like one, think like one, or have needs like one, I am not and never again will be a child. I have more life experiences than a child does and that is important.

Sometimes I may need to be treated similarly (pt: similarly) to a child but I never want to be treated like I AM a child.

I do not want you to talk to me in such a babying voice but I appreciate that you are trying to be considerate of me even if you're going about it wrong.

I do not want to be treated like I'm some "innocent little baby" because I am not. I can make and understand sexual jokes (sometimes because i have trouble processing jokes and sarcasm). I can engage in and enjoy sexual content. I can also take part in sexual activities/interactions (though I won't because I'm ace).

The only people I'm OK with treating me similarly to a child are my parents because they're not actually treating me like a child, they're treating me like the autistic teen that I am who happens to have needs similar to a child's.

The difference between being infantilised and how my parents treat me is that; my parents acknowledge my autism, they acknowledge (most of) my needs, they acknowledge my age, they acknowledge my life experiences, and they acknowledge that how I need to be treated changes; people who infantilise me don't acknowledge any of that and treat and think of me as though I am a child as if I'm "less-than".

Also, the fact that being treated like a child is like being treated as "less than" is horrible. Children are people too and deserve to be treated as such.

Children are humans, they are people. Disabled people are also humans, we are people, but we are also not children (except for the ones that are actually children). Disabled people should not be treated as children unless they are ok with it or want to be treated that way. (Disabled people that need to be treated as or similar to a child are completely valid of course)

[unwelcome-ozian]

[anti-kink-queen]

the radshits hate to see me coming 😻

[ezekiel13]

Why do people forget that children are like… people?

Idk if it’s just because when I stopped being really young I stayed volunteering with and then working with kids but like. They’re human beings man.

Sure they’re smaller and can’t quite grasp as much as you (probably). But, frankly, a random 7 year old can probably tell you more about Minecraft than I can. Some of them are probably better at maths than me. A lot of them can definitely draw better than me.

[thatstormygeek]

One thing I really hate about kids these days is how they are pushed to specialize and limit their options earlier and earlier. Kids entering middle school and high school should not have to select a career track. This is when they are supposed to be learning all kinds of stuff to give them a solid foundation.

Instead, we're pushing kids so hard they feel like they have to have their life figured out before they've even had a chance to experience it. This lends a sense of urgency and seriousness to every decision that adds so much fucking stress to their existence.

Some unsolicited advice for the young 'uns: you have more time than you are being led to believe. It's okay to not have everything figured out right now. Try your best to get to know you despite all the pressure to do otherwise.

It's not easy. And I'm sorry. This is not the world we wanted for you. And hey - it's not your fault, okay? Just, if you take away nothing else, please believe that. It's not your fault.

[blogofsara]

Anti-Surrugacy Law

Straight from my country, surrogacy will be considered a "crime" and children born through artificial insemination will be considered "children born from a crime", one of the most b1got&d countries is Italy 🤡.

[pumpkin-the-girlie-girl-vixen]

Ghost From My Past

At eleven years old, my world fell apart,

The man I called father was nowhere, no start.

His laughter, his warmth, a love I had craved,

Invisible, like whispers, leaving me enslaved.

As a little girl, I spun dreams in the night,

Wondering what he looked like, searching for light.

What is he doing? Does he think of me too?

Will he ever come looking? Does he ever feel blue?

Does he hate me for questions I dare not ask?

Did he forget all the moments, the love I would bask?

Is he pretending I’m lost, just a shadow of time?

I sat with these thoughts as I tried to climb.

Then at nineteen, he resurfaced, or so I believed,

For a fleeting moment, I felt a reprieve.

But now here at twenty-eight, he’s gone once again,

A ghost from my past, with no way to amend.

Haunted by echoes of what might have been,

Each passing year feels like a cycle of sin.

It’s like mourning a death, yet he’s still out of reach,

A ghost in my heart, with no words he'd teach.

Where is he now, in the depth of the night?

I know that he’s there, just beyond my sight.

This torment, this longing, it cuts to the core,

With questions unending, I keep wanting.

So I sit and I wonder, just a girl in a dream,

His little girl still, though he’s lost in the seam.

I search for the answers in shadows and light,

Hoping one day, we’ll reunite.

Mamaa's Poem

Mama, oh Mama, the memories flood in,

A childhood of struggle, where do I begin?

You were my anchor, my light shining bright,

But the years slipped away, fading In & out of sight.

You held me close when the world felt so cold,

Yet your presence was fleeting, like stories untold.

At sixteen, I lost you, our bond started to break,

In search of affection, my heart learned to ache.

You bought my love when the price was just right,

But I craved something deeper, a warmth that Felt bright.

Yet every time I reached out, you built up a wall,

You’d turn away quickly, leaving me feeling small.

Now here I am, at twenty-eight years old,

Trying to create a life, a family to hold.

But your voice has to echo softly, filled with disdain,

For the man that I love, who you think brings me pain.

I wish I could tell you how hard it’s become,

To navigate life when I feel so alone.

I mourned our connection for the very first time,

Realizing I had to let go of the climb.

I cut off the contact, it hurt me so deep,

But I learned that this silence allows me to keep

The love for myself that I’ve fought hard to claim,

I wish you could see me, but it’s just not the same.

You’d make the same choice for the man you Know, So I wish you knew,

I had to be brave and finally break through.

I’m building my future, with dreams that are mine,

And though it feels heavy, I know I’ll be fine.

Mama, oh Mama, I hope you can see,

That I’m growing and thriving, just trying to be me.

I’m sorry it’s come to this, but I’ve learned to let go,

And though I still miss you, I’ll continue to grow.

Goodbye To My Childhood

In the quiet of night, I whisper goodbye,

To the ghosts of my childhood, the dreams that ran dry.

A little girl’s laughter, now echoes in pain,

Yearning for love, just to feel whole again.

Daddy, oh father, you were never quite there,

A flicker of hope in a childhood unfair.

I chased your reflection in the depths of my mind,

But the warmth I imagined, I never did find.

Mama, sweet Mama, you held me so tight,

Yet your love was a flicker, lost in the night.

You bought me your affection, but the price was too steep,

In the silence surrounding, my heart learned to weep.

Now I stand here, a woman reborn,

With the courage to shatter the chains that were worn.

I grieve for the childhood I longed to embrace,

But my journey is mine; I’ll carve out my space.

In the depths of my sorrow, I gather my strength,

To finally say farewell, to go any length.

The shackles of silence, the burdens of blame,

I refuse to let them define who I am.

So here is my farewell to the parents unmade,

To the love that was absent, the memories that fade.

With each step I take, I release the old pain,

Embracing the future, where hope will remain.

I’m shedding the echoes of neglect and despair,

With a heart full of dreams, I’ll rise from the air.

Goodbye to the shadows, I’m ready to soar,

For the girl who was lost is now wanting no more.

In the courage I find, I reclaim all my worth,

I’ll build with the fragments, a life from this earth.

With love as my compass, I’ll navigate free,

Goodbye to my past, I’m finally me.

[shewhotellsstories]

Maybe it’s because I don’t enjoy seeing people I love distressed, but I hate this Elf on a Shelf thing. If you play a prank and it results in someone else crying, you went too far. If the person crying is three and believes in magic, it’s just mean.

When I was in elementary school my school made a big deal out of every holiday, no matter how arbitrary. We got apple cider on Johnny Appleseed day. The teachers had someone dress up like Santa and walk by the window the last day before Christmas break. Our school even had its own leprechaun, his name was lucky. Our teachers warned us about mischief. “Lucky,” rearranged our name tags and left us chocolate coins while we were at gym class. No 7-year-olds cried.

The way people are willing to risk their relationships for clout astonishes me. There are gonna be a lot of folks crying about their children be NC with them in 20 years. Making your kid cry for fun and then putting it online is bad parenting.