I totally agree!!
Grip shifters for a FD on a kids bike is negligence. Neither of my kids could ever move them.
I replaced the left shifter with triggers on my kids bike and it made a world of difference.
I get that the price points of kids
Bikes mean cr@p components. But no kids bike should ship with grip shifters for front derailleur. Do they even try the bikes with actual kids?
I get grip shifters used on craigs list. In one case I bought a $25 bike just for the triggers.