This summer, the Olympics are providing lots of great family entertainment. The opening ceremony's parade of nations inspired my son to plop his globe on the kitchen table for an impromptu geography game. The gymnastics and swimming competition stirred discussions about health, discipline and sportsmanship. But it's the Olympic host country itself that is generating the best conversations.

My kids have always been fascinated by China. Evidence of their love for all things Chinese abounds. My Chinese bathrobes have been absorbed into their play clothes collection; they beg to use chop sticks (even if we're having spaghetti); they can be convinced to eat new vegetables if I proclaim them "Chinese"; they love Mulan; and my four year-old regularly breaks into a foreign language she claims is Chinese. We have high hopes that the Beijing Olympics and accompanying coverage will expand their knowledge of China beyond Kung Fu Panda and Chinese restaurants.

Thanks to years of careful planning on the part of the Chinese government, China put on the most spectacular opening ceremony in recent memory. Viewers were rightfully dazzled by the combination of Chinese artistry and technology. If my kids are any indication, interest in China is at an all-time high.

But what about the other China? The one that holds more that 300,000 dissidents in "reeducation camps" and fiercely controls the Chinese press. The China that puts surveillance cameras in tourist hotel rooms and convinces Google and Yahoo (shame on them!) to restrict internet material and identify users posting dissenting views. The China that viciously enforces a one-child policy and persecutes anyone who dares to worship outside of state sanctioned churches?

Well, I'm talking to my kids about that China too. As it usually happens, kids grasp more than we think they can and our discussions have far exceeded my expectations. It didn't take long for me to realize that my kids are not too young to understand the difference between democracy and communism. (i.e. "In China the government tells people what to do. In our country, we tell the government what to do."). We talked about freedom, human rights and representative government.

They asked why the Chinese people don't revolt against their government like we did against the British, which led to an interesting conversation about our founding fathers and the right to bear arms. Finally, we talked about the plight of Christians in China and how we can enjoy the Olympics without forgetting those who are persecuted.

Hopefully, when they hear the Star Spangled Banner play in Beijing, they'll appreciate and understand why they have more than just Michael Phelps to be proud of.

To learn more about Rachel, visit her website at www.rachelcamposduffy.com.