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By Zhen Ming
KIDS Say the Darndest Things was an American television series my wife and I once followed faithfully when our two daughters were growing up.
This popular show was hosted by comedian Bill Cosby and co-hosted by Canadian TV personality Art Linkletter. (This show first aired in the US from 1998 to 2000.)
My family used to howl at the humour spouted by the kids being 'interviewed'.
The premise of the show is that the host would pose a question to a child (around the age of 3-8) who would then respond in a cute (and even outrageous) way.
Out of the mouths of babes oft times come gems (of truth), or something like that.
So, with even the most informed economists everywhere still struggling to understand today's recession, what do children make of it all?
The UK's Daily Mail last week posed a few questions about the current downturn to pupils at Knowle Park Primary School (in Bristol) and St Michael's C of E Primary (in East Sussex).
Here are some hilarious highlights:
What's toxic debt and how do you deal with it?
I would deal with toxic debt by getting my dad's gun and shooting it. He shot a rat that was eating the white bit on my gym shoes.
Billy, 6.
I had some sweets called Toxics so I guess it is something like that. You put them in your mouth and they all fizz up. They could well have been poisonous.
Kai, 6
What is the credit crunch?
It's a cereal, a bit like Rice Krispies.
Joe, 6
The credit crunch is if you don't have much money. Last year my dad said Father Christmas didn't have much money to buy presents.
Millie, 6
It's definitely a bad thing, because you can lose your money and everything. I've heard grown-ups say they don't like it at all.
Millie-May, 7
Where's the best place to keep your money?
I wouldn't put my money in a bank. I'd put it under my bed. But my little sister looks under there when I'm at school and there are always things missing. Then I look under her bed and find them there.
Millie, 6
Banks are a good place to put your money, but you could put it in your wardrobe in your bedroom. If you left it downstairs near a window then a robber might see it and crash through the window and take it.
Kai, 6
You shouldn't keep your money in a bank because someone could break in and steal it, like in the movies.
Katie, 7
Do you know what a banker is?
Bankers are bad people, because they could steal your money. So don't trust a banker. I heard people on TV say they think that. They were grown-ups in suits. It's best to hide your money away - I keep mine in a glass bottle on my shelf. I even hide it from my parents.
Tia, 7
I think bankers are baddies because baddies are people who try to steal money. If you work in a bank there is a lot of chance to steal money. In the bank near us there are only two people who work there. Sometimes there is only one. So it would be easy.
Henry, 7
A banker is someone who owns a bank. He's a good person because he doesn't steal stuff.
Solomon, 6
What's a hedge fund?
It's where a hedgehog lives.
May, 6
I think you might find a hedge fund in a shop. It's definitely a better thing than a credit crunch.
Millie-May, 7
This article was first published in The New Paper.
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