written or otherwise. That is how language works. People are not limited solely to the dictionary definitions of the words that you use, when determining your meaning. Communication is a multifaceted exchange, whereby different cues are used to interpret meaning.
When you analyze a text, you are reading the word at face value, yes, but you are ALSO reading the underlying subtext. You are reading the broader context inside which the statement is being made. You’re reading which words the writer chose to make their point, as well as which they did NOT use.
Word choice, contextual information, and subtextual implications are all aspects of the analysis that go into interpreting what a writer actually meant and intended when they write a particular sentence.
No matter how upset these children are that other people can (and do) interpret their meaning beyond the literal face value of their words, they will inevitably learn that this is how communication works. Context and subtext exist, and they are used to analyze your intent. Get used to it.
Alternatively, they do know that already and are just pretending not to to defend the indefensible.