The children are watching.

 Yesterday afternoon my little friend P. came by my desk with his mom as they were leaving for the day. While his mom stepped into the principal's office to chat with him for a minute, P. and I talked. I asked him about his day at school while I half listened, as I was finishing up sending some emails and such. At some point I realized P. had gone quiet and when I looked up at him, he came close and leaned against my side and put his head on my shoulder. Then he said, quietly, "Mrs. Barlow.........who is the President?"

Slightly taken aback, I replied, "Of the United States...?"

"Yes" he said.

"Well, right now Donald Trump is the President. But starting in January we'll have a new President, Mr. Joe Biden, because he won the election we just had."

P. just looked at me for a few seconds, and he seemed troubled. Then he said this:

"But I heard that Mr. Joe Biden is supposed to be President now. And I heard that Donald Trump won't give him the money he needs to become President!"

I was surprised and only had a moment to try to explain that No, what you've heard isn't so. President Trump is just unhappy that he didn't win, but he has to leave in January. That's how elections work here, the vote is taken in November but the winner doesn't become the President until January. He still looked doubtful as his mom emerged from the principal's office ready to leave. This got me thinking.

What a damn shame it is that our current President can't ever be a role model in any way, shape, or form for the kids in this country! Even an 8 year old child is noticing the stress he's putting the country under by acting like the sore loser thwarted bully that he's always been. The man can't even summon the grace or decency to concede and is refusing to give the incoming Biden administration the daily intelligence briefings they're entitled to (that's what my little friend was referring to when he thought it was "money" they were withholding). It's a danger to national security, how he's acting, and more than that, what kind of example does he set? 

I know that as for my friends' children, that I love like nieces and nephews, I would be so disappointed in them if they acted the way our President is because they lost something they had hoped for! I know that their parents either are or will be teaching them to lose with grace and to win with humility. Too bad our Commander in Chief never had anyone to teach him those lessons! This country should have never allowed that man to become President. I hope the parents out there that voted for him (especially this second time) are enjoying the example he's setting for their kids.

The children are watching, folks.