For years, kids have gotten credit for saying "the darndest things" but, sometimes, the things they say are actually quite intelligent. Luckily, for all of our readers, I've scoured the internet (mostly, Reddit), and I have managed to accumulate a collection of times that children have done or said things that were wise beyond their years. Without further adieu, here are the examples that I've chosen of kids who are much more grown-up than we give them credit for...
"She Knows It Wasn't A Red Card, Right? "
"our soccer ref didn't show up so one of the moms on our team had her 9-year-old son ref for us (he had a whistle) and a completely adult woman on the other team argued with one of his calls and he yellow-carded her in front of everyone and she had to sit in her car to calm down."
- reddit/Upbeat-Head-3363
- reddit/Upbeat-Head-3363
Clearly, the player on the other team had underestimated how serious the kid was about his refereeing duties. Considering the kid had his own whistle, this is a mistake that should not have been made.
"It Really Is Simple Concept"
Said by a kid in Grade 4: "Why gay people should be able to get married is you can't stop two adults from getting married because they're grown and it doesn't matter if it creeps you out just get over it. And you should be happy for them because it's a big moment in their life. When I went to my grandparent's wedding it was the happiest moment" - reddit/raptor1776
The unbelievable thing is, a large number of adults in the world aren't able to comprehend the simplicity of what this kid wrote for their assignment.
"I Don't Want Your Life"
For fear of being judged by those around us, as we grow older, many people opt to keep their thoughts to themselves. One of the things that people think is adorable about children is their ability to say exactly what's on their minds... "After helping out with the nativity at my TBM parents' house with all my TBM siblings and their kids, my 5-year-old daughter loudly proclaimed, 'I believe in science, not Jesus.' I was so proud." - reddit/i_fuck_fish420
Seeing as how TBM stands for True Blue Mormon, there's a chance that this kid's comment sparked quite the holiday debate amongst family members - hopefully, it was a cordial one...
"Getting It Right"
Kids have this great nack for asking questions that only they could get away with, but, sometimes, as in the case of this man's 8-year-old daughter, they ask the important questions as well... "I have a homework question about which of these items are man-made. I don't understand why they say man-made when these items could be made by a man or a woman... We should call it human-made... I'll tell my teacher about it. They should correct it." - reddit/RollWithTheBrunches
This 3rd grader is absolutely right. When it comes to people having the same ability to build things these days, gender shouldn't be a factor. Even in the old days, everyone had their own role in the building process.
"That's What You Want To Hear"
Every year, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, millions of children around the world ask their parents to take them to visit the Jolly old Saint Nick. However, not all children are as keen about seeing Mr. Claus... "Asked my 5yo if she wanted a pic with Santa. She laughed and said she is not into pics with 'random dudes.' " - reddit/shadynasty
If that isn't music to every parent's ears, I don't know what is. All they can do now is hope that their little girl's mindset never changes, but we all know the chances of that happening...
"Braid To Your Heart's Content"
Due to the education system's attempts to right the wrongs of the past by educating the youth, children have become confused as to what is okay to do... "One of the cutest things was when my daughter was about 7 she didn't want to wear braids because she was worried she'd be culturally appropriating them. I had to explain they are not exclusively a closed cultural Indigenous practice. Still took some convincing though. In her mind, it was braids=Indigenous male hairstyle." - reddit/GingerLibrarian76
Educating children about what's right or wrong is an important factor for the growth and survival of humanity, however, we don't want kids to be too afraid of offending people that they no longer live normal childhoods.
"A Distant Memory Or A Wonderful Dream? "
As tough as the past few years have been for everyone, think of how hard it must be for the children who can't remember life before wearing masks and social distancing themselves from their friends... "7-year-old: It's not fair that you and Daddy got to have a coronavirus-free childhood. Most of the years of my life that I can remember were coronavirus years, and I'm scared that the rest of my life will be a coronavirus life too." - twitter@JessicaCalarco
Now, more than ever, it's important for parents to speak with their children about the things that might be troubling them. A little reassurance can go a long way with a child.
"Maybe It Was Gas? "
Some parents like to brag about how much quicker their children are developing than the other kids their age... "Mine yelled 'nonsense' in church on Easter Sunday when she was 8 months old. To be fair, I had watched a documentary series which had stated that that particular gospel got it wrong, or at least was written differently than the other gospels."- reddit/rokemay
There's bragging, and then there's blatantly bending the truth. By 9-months-old, most babies are capable of comprehending basic words like 'yes' and 'hello'. It sounds like this parent might be the one speaking nonsense.
"Christmas Wishes"
"Dear Santa, I know it's late but I wanted to get my Christmas wish to you. I'm only 5 years old so I don't want anything for myself. But only for our great country. Secure our borders. Get our independence back. Bring back our soldiers left behind. Stop the crazy out-of-control spending. Try to stop this pandemic. Keep our POTUS awake at the green energy conferences..."
- reddit/Cat_Marshal
- reddit/Cat_Marshal
Is it just me, or does it seem as though this kid might have had been influenced a little as they were writing their letter to Santa?
"Sometimes It's Better Not To Understand"
There comes a time in all parents' lives when their children come to them for some clarity on why things are the way they are in the world... "Talked to my daughter (8) about the covid situation this morning. She said 'It's just like climate change. They won't do anything because they say it's too expensive, but it will end up costing humans.' She's more correct than she knows, the parallel's run deeper" - reddit/stoophneontiger
Children comprehend a lot more than we give them credit for, sometimes, however, it's just difficult for them to understand how anything can be prioritized over the well-being of our planet or the lives of the people who live on it.
"All I Got To Say To You Is Time And Time Again I Say No! (No! )"
It's always nice when a parent can share the things they love with their children... "I told my 4-year-old daughter how they used the beat of this song in the Spongebob movie (which is her favorite movie btw) and I played this video for her. She is now watching this while throwing devil horns and saying Twister Sister is cool" - reddit/AWESOMELEGOGAMER
It sounds like both, the parent and child, had "the music shootin' through them" because there was "nothin' they would rather do" than "Rock! (Rock!)"
"You've Been Lawyered"
Just like a bowl of fruit, mornings are only as bitter as we make them - and it sounds like this next child has forgotten that not all fruits are sweet. "Daughter now refusing fruit for breakfast saying she doesn't 'like sweet things in the bitter morning' so I guess it's safe to say that 3rd grade is when reality first kicks in." - reddit/the_simp_kings
Parenting 101: Use the child's logic against them and fill a bowl with some of the more sour, or tart, fruit like pineapple, kiwi, and blueberries.
"When The Going Gets Tough The Real Heroes Step Up "
"Honestly, one of my kids went for a flu shot a few years ago and literally cowered in a corner screaming 'I don't trust any of you!' He willingly went first (of his siblings) and didn't even flinch with his covid shot. He knew it was the way back to some sense of normalcy and he really wants that. He's 11. 11-year-olds are far from dumb"- reddit/Houseofmonkeys5
The events of the past few years have been quite eye-opening when it comes to evaluating how brave the children of today are. Let's just hope they could go back to being kids sooner rather than later.
"You've Been Enforced! "
In the COVID world, in which we live, wearing masks all the time isn't something that anyone wants to do, but for now, it is a necessity. For some reason, they are people who feel as though they are the exception to the rule... "Toddlers make the BEST face-covering enforcement officers on trains 'DADDY! DADDY! THAT MAN DOESN'T HAVE A MASK IN! HE'S BREATHING VIRUS ALL OVER ME!' (man embarrassedly puts the mask on, toddler happy)" - reddit/MuskyBear1886
Children, like this one, have a wonderful way of calling adults out for the things that they shouldn't be doing (or, in this case, should be doing).
"A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet"
Around the time kids get into 1st or 2nd grade, they tend to start thinking about more outside the box... "Me: 'How was your day?' 8yo: 'I just worry they are doing it wrong.' Me: 'Doing what wrong?' 8yo: 'They separate everything so we can't understand anything. Who says music isn't really math or math isn't science really? Someone made categories but the world is mushier than that.' " - reddit/lanababyyyyy
It's children like this that are the reason so many parents get stuck telling their kids that they'll "understand when they're older". The truth is, parents have no idea about most things, they just wing it.
"Real Men Wear Pink"
"Back in October my 7 year old son broke his arm. When the doctor asked him what color cast he wanted, my son proudly pointed to the hot pink one. The doctor was like are you sure? Pink is a girl color... My little guy looked at the doc and said 'There are no girl colors or boy colors, I want a pink cast because it's breast cancer month' The doc turned red." reddit/NotOutsideOrInside
This is a great example of how much children have to teach the older generation. The time of "gender appropriate" colours is over. Kids wear what they want because they want to - and that's it.
"Why Won't They Listen? "
We can only assume that this next person meant their 5-year-old and not their 5-month-old child. Either way, the kid sounds like they understand things better than a large majority of the adult population. "My 5-month-old son just asked me about the new variant. He said 'daddy if we all wore our masks and got our boosters we could end this pandemic, why won't people listen to the science?' Never been so proud in my life." - Twitter@Logan_sado
If we can take a positive out of the past few years, at least, a whole generation of children won't be questioning why it is that they need to study maths and sciences.
"Now, That's A Hero"
"Dear United States Veteran, Hello! I'm Zoe from Stuart Florida. I wrote my letter to you because my uncle served in the Air Force and thankfully came back safe and flew Helicopters for a while. But enough about my life. The reason I chose the Air Force out of all the other Branches is that ׳hat you do is VERY dangerous... if your plane gets damaged you know you're done for. Thank you for protecting us." - reddit/TheDeepBlueZ
Everyone should be as thankful as this child for the things that the armed forces do for their countries. They put their lives on the line to protect people they'll never meet.
"The Family That Laughs Together, Stays Together"
When times are tough, it's important for parents to stay strong for their children, believe it or not, they recognize the effort... "Dear dad, So let's reflect on this year. Actually, let's not. It'll make us sad. We all hoped 2021 would be great. When those dreams were crushed everybody lost their spirits...except us because we had your 'Funny' jokes. Have a jolly good birthday."
- reddit_CodyB
- reddit_CodyB
This is quite refreshing to see because, over the past few years, families have been put to the ultimate test - they were forced to spend time with each other - and many didn't pass...
"Someone Is Always Watching"
When we're young, there are some things that we learn not from our family, but from watching the way our favorite public figure presents themselves. "My dad asked why I wear nice clothes to all my games. He said none of the other kids are dressing up. I said, Dad, you never know who's watching you."- reddit/sasquatcheater
It's important to present ourselves in the way in which we want others to view us. Whether that means dressing up nicely, or simply sitting up straight at the dinner table.
"Sharing Is Caring"
Adults may think that children are selfish, sometimes, and don't understand the world, more often than not, kids display more empathy than most grown-ups... "Me: 'What are you doing with your toys?' Toddler: I'm putting them in the bag for Santa Me: 'Why?' Toddler: 'When Santa comes he can take these toys for the boys and girls who have none.' " - reddit/Starsquid22
Throughout our lives, we are in a constant state of education. As children, we learned from our parents and our teachers, but, as adults, we learn the most about life from listening to the unjaded wisdom of kids.
"There's No Substitution For Quality Education"
Book fairs were amazing. You could go in with $10, find 2 books, a cool poster, and some candy, and still leave with change. " *my 6yo spends her book fair money on a pen* me: 'but when I was little I'd get so excited to pick out a book!' 6yo: 'uh that was YOUR childhood, mom. not mine. it's my body and it doesn't have to read if it doesn't want to.' me: 'wait...shit...fuck...' - reddit/Notjustin
Unless that kid plans to write a book with that pen, the parent's response seems a little off. Their kid's body might not have to read, but their mind does.
"Yup, That's Her 'Mini-Me' "
For the most part, kids complain about kid things, but, on occasion, they go to their parents with grown-up issues... " 8yo: 'Mom, you don't understand. It bothers me deeply when people say I have done something wrong, when I know I haven't.' Me: I understand more than you know, bug..' I have never felt more connected to this child, as I have in this exact moment."
- reddit/Squidwardsuglycousin
- reddit/Squidwardsuglycousin
As much as kids are their own person, it's amazing how children can do things, sometimes, that cause their parents to see themselves in them.
"Always, Forever"
"Hello!... This is mommy I'm posting her picture. Ssshh.. Hi mommmy! I love you so much... You always put me as the most important in your life. You are my mommy and daddy at the same time now. Well, daddy left me..let's not talk about him. I'm really upset but I have you mommy and we always have each other. Okay thank you for reading. Bye, everyone."
- reddit/DeviantDahlia
- reddit/DeviantDahlia
The kid who wrote the message above, actually, took a picture of their mum, while at lunch, and posted it to social media along with that message.
"You Did This To Me! "
This kid gets it. All because we can do something, that doesn't necessarily mean that we should. Some risks just aren't worth taking, especially, when it comes to public health. "My kid stayed home and did virtual school for 2020-21 and went into this year VERY aware of public health directives on masking. This is what happened when the school photo company advised she could remove her mask for her picture." - reddit/gregagaynor
The look in that kid's eyes tells the story of a child who is placing blame, solely, on that photographer for the year they had to spend at home.
"It's Time To Step Up"
Sometimes, we do things in life that we don't want to do, or are afraid to do, because we know that someone whom we love will benefit from our actions. "As my 10yo got his @pfizer vaccine tonight he was nervous but kept whispering his (high risk) friend's name over and over. And I have zero regrets that my kid was scared and yet did something out of love for another person anyways."- reddit/FullOfHopkins
And yet another child leading the way by doing what's right, this time, by protecting the high-risk population. After all, it's all of our responsibility to do what's needed in order to protect those who can't protect themselves.
"Harness The Power"
There are two ways that people can put a spin on things, positively or negatively, this next kid opted for the former of the two choices... "My 12yo just tried on a pair of snow pants that were too small and said 'I think my thighs & butt are too powerful for these pants' Just think how quickly the #diet industry would fail if more of us thought like her." - reddit/Classy-Freya
There's nothing wrong with being larger than the other kids. There is something wrong, however, with being made to feel bad about by others - who are they to place judgment on anyone?
"The Hero Within"
There are a lot of phrases, or terms, that people have been using for decades, if not centuries, that, in today's world, are not considered to be politically correct... "My six-year-old daughter asked me what man up meant when listening to the Today program this morning. She had exactly the same response ...' they should say person up or be brave, it's not about being a man or not.' " - twitter@jennyross101
This kid is perfectly correct - bravery can come from anyone. Everyone is capable of displaying the characteristics of a hero no matter their gender, race, or nationality.
"Dream For A Better Future"
Life has a wonderful way of teaching some people the lessons they need to learn in order to become the people they are meant to be. But the lessons don't always come from where we think they will... "I spend yesterday at a camp for children - ages 8 to 11 who have cancer. When asked what they wish for next year they didn't say 'cure for cancer'. They said 'end racism'. I cried." - twitter@roberta1013
Even when faced with the most difficult of situations, the selflessness that children are capable of displaying is, simply, unbelievable. This is yet another example of something that adults should be learning from children.
"So? What If It Is? "
It truly is unfortunate when we hear about children who have learned the wrong lessons from their parents, like the one that this next kid ran into at school... "My 9yo told me that a kid at school told him something was 'gay.' My kid said 'you know being gay isn't bad, right?' To which the other child said 'you should read the Bible.' He replied 'I haven't read the whole Bible but I know God has no gender" - reddit/stopXstoreytime
It's enough that adults are at each other's throats about issues like religion, but there is no place for that on the playground - kids need to be kids.
"Take A Look At Yourself And Make A Change"
It's always a wonderful sight to witness when a grown-up is put in their place by a child, especially, when the child is the same age as the adult is acting - it evens up the laying field a bit... "Just walked my 5-year-old to Kindergarten. An Anti-mask protestor outside the school shouted, 'Kids, you need to protect your bodies!' My son quietly responded, 'That's why we are wearing masks.' " - reddit/Admirable-Ad-6198
People are entitled to the ability to decide what is best for their own children, however, there is something quite wrong when fully grown adults are pestering children about the decisions that the kid's parents (as their guardians) have made for them.
"Son, Not The Right Time"
Their parents' opinions are something that most, if not all, children hold in high regard, and, while some of these opinions are accurate, it's best to keep some of them to ourselves... "My 9yo son has just responded to his girlfriend's Valentine's day text with: 'I didn't get you anything because it's capitalist nonsense.' The theory is sound, but he might have to work on the tone..."
- twitter@vonny_bravo
- twitter@vonny_bravo
I wonder where that kid got his idea about Valentine's Day? If dad is going to teach about the capitalistic nature of the holiday, he should also teach his son the consequences of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person...
"All The Feels"
"So I came home late from a night shift to find THIS note from my 7-year-old son on my bed. he's more of a man than some 30-year-olds. 'I'm so proud of you for being strong and slaying all day every day. Daddy was an idiot for letting you go!! P.S. I made you a Playdough heart with our initials. I love you, Mommy. xoxo" - reddit/Joe00700
Working multiple jobs and raising a child on your own cannot be easy, but when notes like that are waiting for you at the end of the day, it no longer seems quite so bad.
"That Is NOT How You Wake Someone Up! "
Everyone is faced with a moral dilemma at some point in their lives, and the path that they choose is, usually, decided by the lessons they had learned as children... "Last night I watched Sleeping Beauty with my 8yo boy. 8yo: 'omg he just kissed her!' Me: 'yeah to wake her up' 8yo: 'you can't just kiss people you have to ask first. #myjobhereisdone"
- twitter@NerdyPam
- twitter@NerdyPam
It's great to see that children are being raised in a society that teaches the next generation that it's not right to do something without the consent of all those involved.
"We're Not Gonna Take It"
Teacher: 'Write 3 things you dislike about yourself...Ciara, why aren't you writing?' Me: 'Because I refuse to promote self-hate. Because some people in the world can fill out 20 of these front and back with no blank spaces and this can trigger someone.' Teacher: 'Ciara, you have to do it or I am sending you to the office.' Me: Okay. *gets up and walks to office* "
- reddit/FarmOk814
- reddit/FarmOk814
Punishing a child for standing up for promoting self-worth instead of self-hate is all the proof we need that there is something wrong with the education system of today.