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NOT TOO YOUNG TO BE POLITICAL

NOT TOO YOUNG TO BE POLITICAL

kids voteEXPOSE THEM TO THE PROCESS

Your kids, the young ones, get to vote – well, sort of. If they’re the size to reach the practice voting machine and if they’ve got the strength to punch the ballot card with the little gadget, AND if you take ‘em with you to polls, they’re well on their way to becoming responsible citizens.

All of those irritating mailers flooding our mailboxes can be turned into teaching tools. Not that the message on any of them tells a story to be relied on; but they can be used to start a simple age-appropriate conversation and can be used to build a new kind of vocabulary.

Most likely, words exposed to the household youngsters via the mailers won’t be used for communication with their age-similar friends.

But then, friend vocabulary is most likely a set of words parents haven’t got a definition for. Turnabout here is fair game.

Let’s not wait until the high school years when a civics class is where our kids learn about the process.

How many of the following are elusive terms in our household: Democrat, Republican, Independent, Progressive, Libertarian, Conservative?

Is there mystery surrounding State Senator, U.S. Senator, County Supervisor, State Assembly, U.S. Congress,?

Then there are ballot initiatives, voter registration, primary and general election, party conventions and election day.

Ah, election day, when the little ones get to vote on the practice machine which is not recommended for kids old enough not to be impressed with this exercise.

Oh, is there an app/a game teaching young household members about the political process?

Darn, my age is showing. I thought conversation, creative game-playing with words, mailers and a trip to the polling place with Mom or Dad could work wonders for the kids.

This Post Has 3 Comments
  1. I agree, I think you learn by doing. My parents were very political, and so when my kids came along so was I. The grandkids also got lessons not only from me and my husband but their other set of grandparents were very active politicalyl so they got a double dose, and are informed and I know will vote this next Tuesday.

  2. I work at the library and have a young boy volunteer. He is in the 9th grade. He is very smart, in my opinion. I have been teaching him about the elections. I even told him yesterday that I will bring all the political mailers tomorrow for him to see. I showed him my sample ballot and also what a voting-day ballot looks like. He is very interested.

    1. kids are eager to learn – adults just need to get on the band wagon and expose them to the positive and constructive parts of the life journey

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