That's telling her!

Shouldn't the point and the discussion be about homelessness, not about whether the girl has been primed to say what she did or not?
I've now looked at a few of the mother's blogs, and I do not think the daughter was primed.
Her husband has a brain tumour and she has another video about that. That was put on two weeks ago.

In five weeks time there is going to be a lot more homelessness because of the new benefits cap.
The girl is right. Theresa May can do something about it.

When you walk past someone sleeping in a doorway and your grandchildren ask about it, do you tell them not to talk about it to people?

Here's the mother's response to internet trolls.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pc-r0ckAXY

Received a leaflet from Shelter today.

2500 - the number of people sleeping on the streets in England every night.

55000 - families currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation in England - 11% higher than last year.

Lots more single people are not counted as homeless because they can usually find a friend's floor to sleep on for a night, and then move on to another friend's floor, but nowhere permanent to call home.

www.greathomedebate.org.uk/?reserved_appeal_code=20160402-GHD-IG-10&utm_source=Shelter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=GHD_shelter_referral

Yes, you're right durhamjen - I'm sorry to have gone off on a tangent but, in my view, it was inevitable that people would focus on the age of the girl rather than the very desperate issue of homelessness.

Apart from the people who are actually sleeping on the street, there is a huge amount of "hidden" homelessness - individuals and families who are in temporary accommodation - either provided by Councils or by family and friends.

And I read yesterday that Gavin Barwell, the Housing Minister, is thinking of getting rid of minimum space standards for private housing. What a terrible idea. British homes are already the smallest in Europe and he is proposing allowing developers to build even smaller homes. No wonder so many people have mental health problems.

Well it's got us discussing homelessness - and maybe many more - so what's not to like? - as they say.

The child's reaction to homelessness could well have been spontaneous and concerned. I find it difficult to believe that her performance was however. Could a 6 year old do that in one take?

That's true Luckygirl.

You have not met enough 5 & 6 year olds! Yes some can really think independently. My kids grew up going on demos and rallys and we always explained why we were doing things and what it was about. I doubt I would have chosen to share a clip of them but they could have argued a simple case for anti- war, equality etc.

Perhaps the reason so many people are politically disengaged and /or feel 'unheard' is because we do not teach our children how to express their opinions loudly and clearly,how to appreciate that not all that comes out of the media is true (nb Media Studies!).

I also think that if a Labour PM had been in power the little girl would have railed against them too..it was not 'party political' it was fury at the powerful for not helping the weakest.

There are no simple solutions for complex problems. I think the reason so many people are impressed with this child's expression of her viewpoint which, as pen says, would probably have been the same against any prime minister, is because they have simplistic views too.

Some (many even) politicians do try to help disadvantaged people all their professional political lives but because everything in human society is very complex it's not easy to make lasting and effective change quickly. Even so, although there are still many problems, in actual fact things are improving in general terms for human beings all over the globe. Bad stuff is being reduced as we speak. See ourworldindata.org for info.

I'm all for encouraging kids to think. I've done it all my life with good results. Cute exposure on social media? Hmm. Not so sure about that.

' What's not to like ' is the fact if the supposition the child is deemed as being accutely aware of what she was saying and intelligent enough to know who Theresa May is the child is seeing the world with a monochromed view and a belief the government is to blame for everything. If she is a smart child have the parents informed her of the reasons why we have ' street sleepers' and the complexities for example? It would appear the child is doing exactly what kids do, copy what they hear and pick up at home maybe. I don't know which but I do know her parents have been happy to make public the clip so they must be aware the public will make a decision as to how they view it.

It is the fact she is attacking the government that appeals, to some adults to others it is an uncomfortable video to see a child being tantamount to being used for a political point to be made, some may see it as a cute and funny clip .

We will all see it differently but I simply think if adults want to raise the issue of 'rough sleepers' then start yet another thread on the subject we don't need to use the child to do so and I admit I am annoyed with myself for perhaps doing so.

I honestly don't know what the OP was hoping for but it has brought up many issues and at the end of the day I remain uncomfortable using a child so will now bow out of the thread.

I totally agree with you DJ which is why I was trying to point out what it was this child saw that day. I was shocked myself. Yes, sadly you see the odd homeless person but not this many, in such a small area, still in sleeping bags in doorways in a main shopping area. POGS might consider this the norm in towns, but I've never seen it so bad.

I'm also agreeing with Penstemmon that some may not have 'met enough 5 & 6 year olds' ... there are certainly those who can express themselves forcefully. Her language was that of a child and her delightful naivety that something could be done about it quite easily.

djen I am not sure that the discussion should concentrate on homelessness, although that was what the child's rant was about. The topic of the discussion is irrelevant, at least as far as I am concerned, in this case - and I do not mean that homelessness should not be a topic of discussion and concerning us all.

Rather, it is that a 5 year old is being exploited on social media by her mother for whatever reason. Perhaps this is how this family live their lives, but in a week when we hear of yet another young boy committing suicide because of dreadful online bullying, I think this mother is totally misguided to expose her five year old daughter to the potential hazards of social media. The child herself would have had no clue about the extent of her 'lecture' - strange that mother was there ready to film!

Of course this child is not aware of the complexities - no-one would expect that of her. But sometimes children cut to the chase and make us think, and that is no bad thing. Hence the phrase "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings..."

Jalima I think most of us are in agreement about posting it on social media.

That just leaves us with the question of homelessness though.

The child is being brought up to believe that the best way to be heard is to shout, wag your finger and show total disrespect.

Probably a politician of the future but she's not going to be the most popular kid in school.

Quite a lot of five year olds could do a discussion like this. They do have a concept of fair and unfair and are capable of explaining it.

Little girls are often quite "bossy" as well. Forget the finger wagging she is only five. Lots of small children do it.
Did any of you see the TV series "secret life of" (children from 3 to six I think.) Many of them were well able to discuss issues.

My daughter was a "barrack room lawyer" at about two. "I can't do that because****"

I really admired that little lass.

Gosh Penstemmen what a fun childhood your kids must have had.

I agree*Jalima*, the girl has been exploited by her parents as she had no choice as to whether she was put on youtube or plastered across the papers. I doubt whether she has any conception of social media at 5 years old.
Homelessness as a topic is not actually "taught" or discussed in school until age 8 and in a most sensitive way, as it often involves discussion about the breakdown of the family unit too, (not necessarily the fault of the government). POGs you make an accurate evaluation. At the age of 5 children are learning about homelessness from stories about lost or runaway animals. People are very naive if they think this little girl has not been coached in her presentation.
The sad thing here is that the message has taken on far less importance than its delivery.

She saw homeless people - for herself.

As I suggested before, if your child/grandchild asked about homelessness having walked past people sleeping in a doorway, would you say don't worry your head about it yet, it's not on the curriculum for another two years?

The girl asked who was in charge and thought it was the Queen. She was told it was Theresa May. She didn't know who it was.

speye.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/the-benefit-cap-the-proverbial-hitting-the-fan-even-before-it-begins/

Lots more homeless going to be on the streets near you soon.

Indeed she did Anya, and it may well have troubled her, but to align her thinking with blaming the government is not at all likely at that age. And erroneous.

Not erroneous at all to blame the government.
11% rise in homeless families living in temporary accommodation over the last year. Who else is to blame but the government?

This is not about homelessness per se, it is about the appropriateness of exploiting your child on social media.

But Lillie she thought it was the Queen to blame at first!

Jalima I think we've all agreed on the social media element of it.

Oh, has it changed into a homelessness thread now?

Sorry, threads do tend to do that.