Children are not Mini Adults

My two teens have participated both as research participants and research partners over the last year. They often comment that they are more confused after attending project meetings, but don't feel like they can admit it to anyone on the research team everyone worked so hard to put the meeting together and they don't want to be rude.

I recently came across a call to submit a chapter for a book that would serve as an essential resource on participatory action research with children. It asked for a 300-500 word abstract excluding references and key words within a 2 week deadline.  It then explained that the deadline for the 5000-8000 word chapter draft would be 4 months later and that manuscripts written by child researchers are highly encouraged! 

I don't know if it's just me, but this ask seems crazy and completely unrealistic for a child (or for anyone who isn't already a full fledged researcher who happens to have oodles of time to write an abstract followed by a whole book chapter). If this is the process to produce the book, will the end result really be useful resource on how to engage children in research?  

Another project my kids recently participated in involved reviewing a 55 page digital health tool, taking a survey about the tool and then attending a zoom meeting to answer more questions. Both of my kids could see how much work was put into the project, but felt it wasn't their place to tell the researchers that they had lost interest after the third page. 

When it came time to discuss over zoom 4 weeks later, the researchers starting asking all these questions and my son had to interrupt them to ask what tool they were even talking about. My daughter begged them to bring up the tool to jog her memory.

If it were me, I would not be able to recall what was written on a 55 page health tool that I read a month ago either. It wouldn't matter if it was written in plain language and had sparkles and pictures on every page. It's 55 pages! NO ONE WILL REMEMBER!!

That said, both my kids DO remember Tanara Mallory's TikTok video from over a year ago

Words of Advice to Scientists

If you want someone to remember a key message it needs to be concise and memorable, so put on your marketing hats and repeat this mantra:

It won't go down easy if it ain't cheesy!