Obama-fever may have shaken up this year’s election, but that’s far from typical. What’s your responsibility when it comes to teaching kids about politics?
By Samantha Cleaver
When Oklahoma blogger Shannon Lowe’s nine-year-old son overheard a discussion of the primary election on a radio program in March, he wanted to know more. “Tell me something about each of the guys running,” he asked.
“They aren’t just guys,” Lowe replied and told him about former First Lady Hilary, former Olympics director Mitt Romney, New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, and soldier John McCain.
“I think you should vote for the guy who was the soldier,” he said, “he sounds very brave.”
Lowe makes it a point to take her four young children to the voting booth, entertain their political questions, and watch the debates. But, even in this election, where it may seem that everyone’s ballot-obsessed, Lowe may be among the few parents that are taking time to give their kids a political education.
Politics Comes Home
Look at it one way and politics is painfully boring, especially when there’s a new episode of Hannah Montana on TV, or a meet up at Webkinz.com. Look at it another way and it’s the greatest fight on the planet, two brilliant minds battling it out to control one of the world’s largest powers. Regardless of how they see it, today’s kids are tomorrow’s voters and these future voters we’re raising aren’t known for their civic participation. In fact, by the time their first election rolls around, many are cynical, pessimistic, or apathetic about politics.
With the exception of those few election years when a particular candidate or issue gets people to the polls, the vast majority of young people don’t vote. And why should they? Many of them didn’t see their parents vote. “We’re now in a situation where the majority of young people are growing up in households where their parents don’t vote, and a large majority never discusses politics,” says Curtis Gans, director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University. Among people age 25 to 50, less than 50 percent vote in an average election.
Blame it on not having a good example, not discussing politics at dinner, a decline in the civic education in school, or a society that’s more individual than community oriented, whatever the reason, it's important to find ways to keep kids engaged.
Kids and Election 2008
Your kids will likely get interested in politics at the start of adolescence, says Dr. William Damon, professor at Stanford University and author of The Path to Purpose, when they start becoming concerned about governments, rules, and laws. They might start out thinking idealistic, utopian thoughts about how to make the world a better place, but these days, that’s not always happening.
Instead, says Damon, kids are starting out cynical, making it all the more important to get them involved. After all, if voter turnout doesn’t change, politics will.
“Voting is a lowest common denominator act,” says Gans, “if people don’t vote they don’t participate in a consistent community.”
Get Involved
No matter who wins, there are larger lessons to be learned for kids in politics. Lowe’s priority is to teach her kids respect. “I hope [my kids] will be courteous, and engage in discussion with people with whom they might disagree and still be respectful,” she says. So, whether you’re raising Democrats, Republicans, Independents (or all three), here’s how to get your kids involved in politics at any age:
Take them to vote: It’s the easiest and most important thing that you can do. Nancy McElwain, assistant professor in child development at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, takes her six-year-old daughter to vote in national and local elections. “She knows what means to physically cast your ballot,” says McElwain, and, “she likes the stickers at the end.”
Make it fun: Throw a party on election night and let them stay up late to see the results come in.
Go local: Get them involved in local elections, bring them to campaign rallies, or support events for a local candidate.
Get the classroom update: Find out what your child is learning in school so you can anticipate questions at home.
Use dinnertime: McElwain’s daughter learns what’s going on from hearing her parents’ discussions, and the family table is a proven opportunity to talk to your kids about anything and everything, including polling results.
Take a break: If your child is getting too overwhelmed with political coverage take a few days break from the constant news frenzy. Use the media, but don’t follow it. Show kids what you’re reading in magazines and newspapers, and watch the news with them. Ask their opinions about candidates or election topics, but don’t be as cynical as the media is, says Damon, and never bash candidates.
Track the election online: Kids Voting USA has information from polls of how kids would have voted in various campaigns or issues. Scholastic News tracks the 2008 election using their kid reporters. Time Magazine for Kids also covers the election with age appropriate material.
Samantha Cleaver is a freelance writer in Michigan. Read more from her at samanthacleaver.com.