how many days to prejudice?

7:15 am every day, sanjana (with backpack on shoulders and water bottle slung across) and i watch the people passing by our gates on their way to making their days. and some stop and talk, some smile and pass, some scowl while some pretend we aren't there.

2 days ago.

person a: so, do you enjoy school sanjana?
sanjana: yes (with a smile).
person a: maybe now you do. when you grow up, you wont.

next day.

person b: do you like school?
sanjana: yes (with a smile).
person b: maybe now you do. i teach in a school and i dont like it. you wont either.

next day.

person a: so, did you like school? (to me)
yes, i did, thank you.
person a: maybe you liked to study.
person a: so you like school uh? (to sanjana now)
sanjana: yes (with a smile)
person a: wait and see, when you get to fourth grade you wont like it.

excuse me. but is the world ganging up against a four year-old and brainwashing her into thinking school is a pain? i mean, where is tact? and where is positivity? the poor kid loves going to school, always has. and now every morning at the bus stop she is told she will hate it.

think about it, growing up is all about conditioning. being told things. a completely trusting child is made to distrust, not like, hate, be biased and believe other people's beliefs. like believing being fat is a bad thing. sanjana has nothing against fat people or things. yet. but all around her people (including me) moan "oh, i'm fat." "yuck, she's fat." "i dont like her coz she's fat." with this all around, i wouldnt blame the child if she adopts such opinions. as it is, she's started asking me "mommy, am i fat?"

and in the case of school, it has happened only 3 times so far, but god forbid if the kid starts abhorring school, or believing that she should.

i have come to believe that a child is like a walking, talking conscience. questioning prejudices, devoid of biases or cynicism and with sincerity towards all. and in the face of this nascent innocence, the adult looks bigoted, cynical and shallow.

how long until this child is sullied completely?