How to explain the election to the kids?

[hollysmom]

Holly has been asking questions about the election - which candidate everyone in the family (including my TX conservative Dad, my MA liberal MIL, and my TX-born, but CA-living gay sister) is voting for, what are the differences between the two, what is the difference between Democrats and Republicans,etc.

The child is only 6.

These are tough questions to answer on her level. I think explaining the facts of life would be easier! :D

It is also hard to explain it all from an unbiased point of view. In her mind, 'giving money to the poor people' sounds like a good idea, rather than cutting taxes and letting the free enterprise system do its job.

We don't even discuss Iraq. With a dad who is a airline pilot, the less said about 9/11, the better.

How have other parents dealt with these questions? Any good books or articles out there? Teachers?

SSM

[ellielk]

May parents, when I used to ask who they were voting for, used to tell me that the ballot was secret and would explain why we had a secret ballot and how it was nobody's business but their own.

I used to wonder why they didn't talk about who they were going to vote for but now think that was a good idea. I didn't even know if they were Dem or Rep until I was in my later teens. It allowed me to form my own opinion about the parties and candidatates.

It also avoided those playground arguements where one kid will say that another's parents are 'stupid' for backing a candidate that their parents didn't like - and there's always some of that going on.

[Chefzhat]

My boys are older than your daughter. They also started asking questions during the last election process. We just explained the two party system, who the candidates were, and the basic tenants of each party platform. If they ask who we are going to vote for, we just tell them. No bashing candidates/beliefs are allowed - just straightforard explanation.

Then I say - who wants ice cream! :)

[robinf]

I've been bringing my daughter into the voting booth since she was born. When she got older she asked about why we vote. I explained it that we vote for the people who help make the rules that we have to follow. When she began to recognize you had a choice, I explained that just like all families don't have the same rules, different people want us to have diffrent rules. Voting helps decide who's rules we have to follow. I haven't gotten into parties, platforms, ideology at all - and I am not looking forward to it when the time comes.

This year, she did ask who I am voiting for. I told her with the simple explanation that I liked his rules better. She picked a candidate "because his intials are like mine". In the scheme of things, that reason is at least as good as some I've heard from adults.

I do try to explain that being able to vote is one of the things that makes American such a great country as not every in the world is allowed to do so.

[AndreaU]

Here's a site a lot of my students have been checking out to keep up to date: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/election2004/index.asp They recently had an article in their classroom magazine that explained the electoral college- what a great discussion/debate we had on that topic!! (These are 5th graders!)

[HRJ]

My son is only 3, so I've got a little while on this one.

But, since DH and I enjoy discussing politics and events in the news, I'm sure he'll be witness to lots of political discussions as he grows up -- and I'm sure they'll have a partisan slant. My political beliefs are extension of my value system, and just as I wouldn't hesitate to talk about values with my child, I wouldn't hesitate to explain why certain politicians do/don't represent what I believe. Maybe that's because I was raised in a house in which politics and current events were discussed a lot, and passionately -- particularly when my extended family got together, and relatives with some very different views were in close contact.

But I don't think that explaining your personal politics will *necessarily* mean that your kids end up voting the same way as you -- how many people grow up, rebel, and take up politics that are radically different than their parents? I happen to have political beliefs that are pretty similar to my parents, but DH ended up with politics very, very different from his parents.

I know this doesn't really answer SSM's question. I guess I'm just saying I see no reason to be "neutral" when explaining things to kids, if you have strong feelings yourself.

Helene

[bekki]

I work with 4-5 year olds, and it's really cute to hear them talk about it.

A boy and girl were discussing the "selections," and the girl had a pretty good idea about the two choices

"One man, he's tall, and the other man is not so tall. One is from mahuetes, and one is a cowboy."

It took a couple minutes to figure out what a selection is, but it's a hot topic of conversation around the preschool, we're always getting asked who we're going to vote for. I tell them that the choice takes a lot of thought, and I was still working on it.

[Kathy B]

Originally posted by HRJ
But I don't think that explaining your personal politics will *necessarily* mean that your kids end up voting the same way as you -- how many people grow up, rebel, and take up politics that are radically different than their parents? I happen to have political beliefs that are pretty similar to my parents, but DH ended up with politics very, very different from his parents.



I agree. As a fifth grader, DD and her friends pretty much parrot whatever they are hearing at home, but my eighth grader is beginning to ask a lot of questions about the candidates and their views. He is thinking about things more and actually likes a different presidential candidate than DH. This may be partly due to the fact that we have a lot of discussion at the dinner table, and as DH and I don't always share the same views, the kids tend to hear multiple points of view. (We have a balanced front yard with 4 signs; 2 candidates from each party!)

[eas11]

Helene, I could have written your post- one more reason I think we were separated at birth :)

My sister and I went into the voting both with mom for as long as I can remember, and I did the same with DS. When we talked politics with DS, we told him that these were our views, he would form his own opinions as a voting adult. I must say that I
am pleased, and relieved, that he's grown to share our values and views :) mostly.... he'll never agree that Title IX is valuable legislation. I always tell him I pray he has daughters!