America’s incredibly long election season means we have many opportunities for our children to hear about politics. Listening to speeches, debates, the news, or grown-ups talking may raise questions for children about how our democracy works, who is running for office, and how to make sense of it all. When my kids were younger, they often asked me, “Is that person good or bad?” when discussing candidates. I explained that no one is “good” or “bad,” that I agree with some points, but not all a candidate makes, and that their decision-making is complicated. Other times, there were clear messages that I wanted to address with my kids to ensure they had context and an explanation. I wanted our family values to guide them in thinking about this topic.
During this US presidential election, I am also listening for any messages about ageism, racism, and sexism to address with my children. It’s crucial for them to recognize these (sometimes coded) statements so they don’t internalize them. I want them to evaluate candidates based on their merit, past decisions, and goals for the future. Our communication about these topics and people will shape the foundational beliefs of our children. We can provide hope and action steps while encouraging them to think critically about the world they want to live in.
It’s important to take a break from the news.
Yes, it’s a sign of privilege when we can take breaks from life’s challenges, but we all deserve these breaks. The 24/7 news cycle can create a distorted view of the world. Limit when and how long you check the news to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the headlines. When we do come across upsetting stories, take time to process your feelings before reacting. Kids will want to know what we’re upset about, and it may only be appropriate to have those conversations once we can center ourselves a bit.
Talk About Politics
Politics affect everyone. If I find myself feeling that I want to ignore politics or disengage, I remind myself that this is an act of privilege. Many people know that political decisions will have daily impacts on their lives. The more we all realize this, the stronger our involvement can be.
Listening and wondering with our children will be powerful places to start. If our child brings up something they heard, you might begin by asking, “What do you think about that?” Kayla Craig interviewed Hoyt Phillips, Deputy Director of Learning for Justice for PBS Kids, about discussing politics with kids. He suggests asking children questions when seeing political media, such as “Who created this message – and what do they want me to think or do?, How are they trying to persuade me? Are they using facts, fear, stereotypes? How can I learn more so that I have an informed opinion?”
Differentiate Between People and Decisions
Thinking back on conversations with my parents and teachers about politics, I realize that I often did not know how the grown-ups voted. We had civil (most of the time) discussions about the issues. Navigating challenging, emotional conversations repeatedly in family life teaches our children how to communicate compassionately as adults.
Our schools also foster listening and speaking respectfully. We will need to handle dangerous speech or actions. We can condemn someone’s actions without speaking hatefully about the person. Building empathetic muscles and reactions may be our most important action. These conversations help us frame our family values. Allison Briscoe-Smith writes for Greater Good Magazine that we should “directly tell them how you feel about it, as their parent: We are not a family that believes that we should use violence to get our point across.”
Sometimes, we will read or hear speeches that need to be more informed. “To be active, empowered citizens, kids need to be able to sort fact from fiction, especially when that fiction is coming from our own elected leaders.” (NPR) We can model fact-checking to ensure we genuinely think about what is being shared instead of mindlessly following. We might say, “Hmm. I’m not sure that’s correct. Let’s check some reputable sources to learn more about this.”
Make the World a Better Place
Taking action can help our families realize that we have power in our communities. (Read our earlier post, Finding Your Purpose, for more details and suggestions) We will see others pitch in and remember that the world mainly comprises people who want to help each other. Civic action is political. We can all write letters to our candidates, urging them to act with empathy and in support of those causes important to us. Our children’s work with others will humanize complicated problems they hear about on the news.
Resources
Picture Books
Equality’s Call by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Magdalena Mora
Kamala Harris by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Laura Freeman
Lillian’s Right to Vote by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
V is for Voting by Kate Farrell, illustrated by Caitlin Kuhwald
Sofía Valdez, presidenta tal vez por Andrea Beaty
Yo voto por mí: La campana electoral de los animals por Martin Baltscheit
Books for Young Adults
A Firehose of Falsehood by Teri Kanefield, illustrated by Pat Dorian
Drawing the Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Voting in America by Tommy Jenkins, illustrated by Kati Lacker
Radical by Sofia Warren
Represent by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau
Run by Andrew Aydin and John Lewis, illustrated by Nate Powell and L. Fury
Running by Natalia Syvester
True or false: a CIA analyst’s guide to spotting fake news by Cindy L. Otis
Whose Right Is It?By Hana Bajramovic
Books for Adults
How to Raise a Citizen by Lindsey Cormack
By Megan McQueen. Spanish translation by IRCO’s International Language Bank.
Megan McQueen is a warmhearted teacher, coach, consultant, and writer. She grounds her work in empathetic education, imparting a strong sense of community and social skills to those with which she works. Megan prioritizes emotional learning and problem solving skills. When not at work, she is most likely playing with her husband, two children, and pup.
Learn more about the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative and read our blog!
