Are kids too young to talk politcs?

by Rachel Campos-Duffy (Subscribe to Rachel Campos-Duffy's posts) Oct 31st 2008 8:00AM

Categories: Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, In The News

My husband and I are passionate about politics. Sean is the Republican Chairman of our congressional district and I blog for this site's 'Red Mom/Blue Mom" election feature column. Over the past couple months, politics have dominated our conversations at home and we've watched more cable news than I care to admit. We even attended a rally in central Wisconsin with our kids where Sean addressed 5,000 fellow Republicans before John McCain spoke.

Our airwaves and communities are saturated with the upcoming election so it shouldn't have been entirely surprising when our kids (all in elementary school) began telling us about political conversations that were happening with their friends at school. Who knew that 1st and 3rd graders discuss such things over lunchtime PB&J? Mostly, though, we were more than a little nervous about exactly what our kids might be saying. When I learned that other parents were also dealing with the same thing, it sparked some interesting debates about the kinds of political conversations kids should be having (or overhearing!) at home.

In general, I have no problem talking about politics or current events with my children. If they have a question (and lately, they've had many) I try my best to answer in an age appropriate manner that respects their intelligence. I'm always amazed by their astute questions and ability to understand so much more than I expected. That's why we are also very careful to explain that both candidates want what is best for America. And while the election and their questions have provided an opportunity to convey our families' values (conservative and pro-life - and yes, they know what pro-life means), we make it clear that both the candidates and those who vote for them are good people who happen to have different ideas and opinions. After all we have plenty of relatives voting for the other side, and they know that.

The elections have also given us an opportunity to explain some civic etiquette. Our preschooler asked an adult family friend for whom she was voting and she was rightly uncomfortable with the inquiry. Later that evening, we sat the kids down and explained why that is impolite. Since they have voted with us in the past, we explained that the "curtain" was actually an important part of the process and that unless someone offers to tell you, their vote is private. A few days later I learned that a fellow classmates asked our son who we voting for and our little Jack replied, "I can't tell you who my mom is voting for because that's private, but I want to vote for John McCain."

In my daughter's third grade class, some kids took to putting Obama stickers on their desk, which prompted my daughter to ask me for two McCain-Palin stickers for her and the only other McCain supporters in her grade. I obliged.

And lest you think there's a shortage of political diversity in our home, our feisty four year-old, Lucia, is keepin' it real and living up to her third child independent spirit. For several weeks she said, "I'm voting for the girl!". But now, as the race winds down and Independents like her are making up their minds for good, she's made it very clear to us that she "wants A-Rock-A-Bama!".

Comments (12)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

the goddess anna 10-31-2008 @ 8:19AM

We openly and often talk about politics in our home, even if our oldest is barely old enough to understand. We tell her in basic terms about the election, about what the President does and how Congress works, stuff like that. She's also quite knowledgable about the military, but that comes from having a vet mom and an AD dad.

This Saturday, we're going to a Palin rally with all the kids. I want my daughter especially to see the positive side of this election, the energy generated by that large of a crowd, and I want her to see Gov. Palin in person (my daughter is already quite fond of her). It will provide a nice contrast to how the rest of the season has gone, as my daughter has witnessed the harassment from our neighborhood about our household's political beliefs. I want her to know it's not all hate, screaming, and vandelism.

Uly 10-31-2008 @ 3:07PM

I think it's wonderful to talk politics at home, to model how to discuss it politely and effectively and also how to make your decision based on the issues and the facts.

You might work harder on making sure that all relevant points of view are available to your kids, so they can see how people make informed choices - I'm sure that in your home, like most people, you mostly concentrate on the candidate you prefer, right? And it's always gratifying to have kids like the same guy we do :) But it's a better process to be able to identify, in a non-biased and non-inflammatory way, exactly what the other side wants.

jen 10-31-2008 @ 10:21AM

I agree that discussing politics has been beneficial to our children as well. It has been the perfect opportunity especially to teach my daughter that voting for someone just because "she's a girl" is not a wise choice - that experience and intelligence, and caring about ALL citizens of our country is much more important.

notfooled 10-31-2008 @ 11:25AM

Rachel - you say your children know what "pro-choice" is. But do they also know about rape, incest and the emotional distruction such pregnancies cause to the victim? I doubt it.

Jennifer 10-31-2008 @ 11:54AM

She did not say that her children knew what "pro-choice" meant but that they knew what "pro-life" meant. Two very different things. I am pro-life for myself but pro-choice for others because it is not my place to make decisions for them.

LS 10-31-2008 @ 12:05PM

Her kids are in 1st and 3rd grade. They probably know that "abortion" means "killing an unborn child". At that age, that's all they really need to know. And as for the "rape/incest" argument, those reasons account for 1% of all abortions annually, according to the NY Times. ( http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=950DE1DC1039F930A25753C1A96F948260 ) So can we please stop beating people over the head with that, when it's their CHOICE to be for or against killing kids?

notfooled 10-31-2008 @ 2:52PM

Because they are in 1st and 3rd grade is precisely why they cannot possibly understand the complex nature of the pro-life/prochoice arguement. They are probably also against euthenasia for unwanted/elderly pets or disecting frogs in the name of scientific study, because they CANNOT comprehend why something that is so distasteful to their young minds might have a neccesity in the adult world. I think the "pro-life" arguement is the wrong one to use in order to try to convince a young child why you support a particular political candidate.

LS 10-31-2008 @ 3:23PM

I'm against euthanasia for unwanted/elderly pets, too. Does that mean I don't understand the "complexity" of the argument? No. (and before you run me through for it, I have had to euthanize an old, and extremely sick, pet.)

My point was, they're in 1st and 3rd grade. They don't NEED to understand anything beyond "abortion means killing an unborn baby. It's a medical procedure, and some people think it should be legal, and others think it shouldn't." As they get older, they can be introduced to the finer points of abortion and other political, social, and economic issues.

I'm sure that, when Rachel's family sits down at the dinner table to discuss the political issues with the kids, they don't pound on the table and say, "You will think THIS WAY! You will only consider THIS PERSON!!"

Most *rational* people explain the issues in age-appropriate ways, which usually doesn't include the dirty and gory details. That doesn't make them wrong. It makes them good parents.

Jo 11-01-2008 @ 12:44PM

notfooled, your "rape and incest" argument for abortion is completely inappropriate discussion for a 1st and 3rd grader. Further, as LS pointed out, that is an extremely small percentage of the abortions that are performed in our country...how interesting though, that it is the usual parachute that so many "pro-choice" advocates fall back against when this issue comes up. Abortions have been performed by the millions...it is sadly and disgustingly used as a form of birth control in this country.

When I personally explain my vehemently "pro-life" stand to my daughter, it is with the premise that life is sacred...an innocent fetus (no matter what point of gestation) is a LIVING being...it deserves the same respect and protection as the life of any child on the outside of a womb. Think about it...what is more vile and abhorent than a mother willingly giving consent for her own child to be killed??...that is exactly what a woman is doing when she makes her "choice" to have an abortion...period.

hope 11-01-2008 @ 5:55AM

I think it's wonderful how even the youngest ears are perking up and taking notice of this historic election. I had no idea my 3-1/2 year old was even paying attention until we walked into Barnes and Noble one day and she recognized an illustration of John McCain on a children's book cover! After reading the book to her she became a fan--she likes knowing that she's not the only one who has to move around because her dad's in the military (interesting how she finds him relatable in that respect), and she likes that he "never gave up". It's pretty incredible how much of an impact political and world issues can have on even the youngest mind, and even more amazing that they can process enough information to form an opinion, no matter how small.

Robert Wayne 11-05-2008 @ 6:41PM

I was a little kid when George Wallace ran for President against Nixon and Humphrey in 1968. Wallace won by a landslide in Louisiana and a number of other states in Dixie. Unfortunately, Nixon won with yankees and west coast idiots. But I remember being very interested in the presidential election mainly because my parents and their friends would talk about it. I think it's good to let kids know what the issues are....to a degree that they can understand anyway.

Sifrina 11-03-2008 @ 9:15PM

That's great - A-Rock-A-Bama, especially at just 4 and a very difficult name to say! At least you can be sure she can name our next president :-)

We too had the same discussions at home with our son (my husband is a complete political junkie and will probably have to take Wednesday off from work because he'll be up so late tomorrow night!). Our son's first grade class just had a "vote" (by a show of hands, which made me cringe) and there were 2 McCain supporters and the rest voted for Obama (14 votes). At home we pointed out: (a) you get to vote at 18 and (b) in a real election it's a "secret ballot" so no one will be asked to "raise their hand" (a point I wish our first grade teacher had made by having the voters cast their ballots in secret). We also discussed why we support Obama and not McCain, but stressed that others have the right to vote as they please.

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