Profound.

Every day my kids have a "warm-up" to complete which helps to get them settled and focused. It is usually in the form of a question or short activity. Last Wednesday I asked kids to comment on the President's State of the Union Address. If they watched it, they had to tell me what they thought was the most important part of his speech. If they didn't watch it, they were supposed to tell me what they think the President should cover when he gives a speech to the American people. Most kids commented on the war, poverty, drugs, etc. One child wrote this:

"I would like the president to talk about the issue that is happening. Like that sneakers are getting more expensive."

Looks like I have my work cut out for me.

(Actually, this is a very genuine concern. At least he recognizes that material items like sneakers are expensive and difficult for parents to spend money on. There is a lot of pressure for kids to have brand name clothes and costly game systems like the Xbox 360. These are items that are very visible to their peers.)