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Talking to Your Kids About Politics

By Stacie Hutchinson, Editor/Publisher Macaroni Kid Lakes Region October 17, 2016
It is an election year and we can't go anywhere without seeing images, with the name or the face, of a political candidate. The images are on signs, on bumper stickers, and at the checkout stand at the grocery store. If your kids are anything like mine, they are genuinely interested and ask A LOT of questions. So, what is the best way to talk to our kids about politics? I know I have a lot of questions regarding the subject, myself. For instance, with so much emotion surrounding the subject, and so many different opinions, how do we share our beliefs with our children while ensuring that they form their own informed views, and not just adopt ours? And how do we talk about politics, and all the negativity that it entails, without being negative ourselves? And most importantly, how do we teach our kids to be respectful of other people’s political views?

Here are some ideas to keep in mind the next time one of your children asks a question of the political nature. 
  • Use this as a teaching opportunity. Give the kids a history lesson. Discuss the differences between the political parties and the ideals that each party stands for. Talk about past Presidents and their respective parties. Dig deeper and chat about the accomplishments of each of them. What were their successes? What were their failures?
  • Get Local. With all of the hubbub surrounding the Presidential campaign, it's easy to overlook the fact that there are many other campaigns happening right in our own communities. You may even know someone who is in office or running for office. This is a great time to teach kids that the political process starts at the local level. 
  • Get them involved. Include the kids in conversations that you may have about the political process. You may even consider bringing them to the voting polls. By getting the kids involved in the election process, they will discover a multitude of things, such as how the process works and also how it affects them and the community as a whole.
  • Be positive. There is no getting around the negativity of political campaigns. Not only are we subjected to the negativity of the political candidates themselves, but we are also subjected to the negativity of the media. Our kids are bound to see or hear some of this talk. It’s important to keep it positive and to reinforce your family values. Make it clear when a candidate’s behavior is not an acceptable behavior for your child or your family.
  • Let them have their own opinion. It’s important that our kids know that their opinions matter. And they need to have the space from us to formulate their own opinions. Even though we may have our favorite candidate, we need to present all sides of the political coin to our kids – meaning we must, as difficult as it might be, try to be as unbiased and as honest as we can. The goal here is to teach our children how to formulate their own opinions and not just adopt ours.
  • Agree to disagree. Teach your kids that even though others may not have the same political opinions, it is still important that he or she be treated with respect, and that all opinions should be heard in a polite and courteous manner. We need to model this behavior so our children will learn how to disagree respectfully in the political realm. We are also teaching them how to disagree, civilly, in all other areas of life as well.
The most important thing for us, and our kids, is to keep the line of communication open and to keep it simple. Let your kids start the conversation, and use it to your advantage, to teach them some important life lessons!