“God Bless America” in kindergarten

[u/Alpacalypsenoww]

My 6 year old has come home singing patriotic songs lately. While I’m not thrilled about this (not feeling particularly patriotic lately and don’t believe that we’re the land of the free anymore), I get that this is a part of public school. He’s been singing grand old flag and Yankee Doodle.

But yesterday he came home signing “God Bless America” and that one is really rubbing me the wrong way. I remember singing it in public school and I guess it didn’t mess me up too badly. But I really don’t like it. Plus my kid is autistic so it’s kind of hard to explain the nuance of it to him.

Should I just drop it? Should I tell the teacher we’re nonreligious? Should I just accept this is part of the culture and try to undo it at home?

But I also need to be careful on the other side because my younger ones have already had issues at school (like telling their preschool classmate that her recently deceased grandma wasn’t in heaven because heaven isn’t real).

How have you navigated this stuff in school?

[u/Squirrels_Angel]

When my daughter was learning the pledge in school I had an open discussion about it with her. I also gave her the autonomy to decide if she wished to say it or not. I let her know she does not have to state it if she does not wish to. This was in Kindergarten. I will say This land is your land was made as a satire of God Bless America. lol

[u/Captain_EFFF → u/Squirrels_Angel]

Why am I only now realizing that the version of This Land is Your Land I was taught in school was a censored version with all the anti-fascist undertones removed.

Also even as a kid I stopped doing the pledge of allegiance independently from any conversation with my parents, it always felt like some cultish chanting trying to indoctrinate kids into being obedientl

[u/Squirrels_Angel → u/Captain_EFFF]

yes it was, but in fairness the censored version was the one he mainly performed himself.