Dear Parent Coach,

We have quite a bit of rivalry going on right now over the candidates running for president and vice president. Our kids (ages 10, 8 and 5) are hearing talk from friends at school and are forming opinions based on playground hearsay. At home, they’re chanting their candidate’s name and arguing about who’s best, causing disruption. We’re glad they’re interested, but we’d like to direct their enthusiasm in a more positive direction. We’d love some of your ideas.

Signed,
Parents Policing Politics

Dear Parents Policing Politics,

When it comes to politics, most children overhear their parents’ opinions, and tend to echo these in conversations with friends. Of course in a family when one parent leans to the right and the other to the left, children hear opposing opinions and are not educated enough to decide on their own.

Therefore, some children hop on the bandwagon of a good friend’s candidate, or base their choice on insignificant details like the kind of pets a candidate’s family has, or are impressed by a revelation in the media concerning a candidate’s personal life. Rarely is it about issues.

This is mostly a young child’s attempt to be part of a very exciting election year that has drawn widespread attention. Because of the historical significance of electing either a black president or a woman vice president, it deserves the interest children are giving it.

Since your children are enthusiastic about this election, you have a great opportunity to turn this into a teachable moment — or month. A first lesson might be about how people can have differing opinions, but need to be respectful of one another at the same time. Even though your children are rooting for different candidates, they can learn to do so in a manner that isn’t argumentative. Perhaps instead of loudly chanting, they could each make a campaign sign to put on their bedroom door.

The dinner table is a good place to have family discussions about what the current issues are. Parents can describe in simple terms about the economy, the energy crisis, the conflict in Iraq, and how the candidates differ in these areas.

Another interesting sidelight might be what the qualifications are to become president, and what the job entails. There are several good children’s books that report interesting details about past presidents and life in the White House. The book, “So You Want To Be President?” points out the pros and cons of being Mr. President, such as never having to empty the trash (pro), but having to get dressed up every day (con).

Another charming book, “It Happened in the White House”, tells intriguing details such as Franklin Roosevelt building the first swimming pool, John Quincy Adams skinny-dipping at dawn in the Potomac River, and Abraham Lincoln’s son, Tad, setting up his lemonade stand at the entrance of the mansion as his pet goat, Nanny, wandered freely through the White House.

Parents can explain the voting process to children, the primaries and conventions, and culminating on election day, every four years on the first Tuesday in November. Those who take their children with them when they go to vote, allow future voters to observe the process first-hand. At this time, a parent can explain what democracy is, and that not all countries have the privilege of choosing their leaders by voting.

Parents have a prime opportunity to instill renewed patriotism in their children. In spite of the foibles of our government, the human mistakes of our leaders and the differences of opinions between party candidates, we are all fortunate to have inherited the incredible legacy of our founding fathers. Parents, your children are blessed to be living and growing in the United States of America. Help them understand what a privilege it is!

TRY THIS:

1. Purchase children’s books about the presidency and election process. Read them with the family.

2. Play a presidential trivia game based on the book, “Smart About Presidents” by Jon Buller.

3. Use family dinner time as a forum for children to be able to ask questions and learn to discuss respectfully.

4. The week before the election, ask your children to help you put up your flag.

5. On Nov. 4, make a red, white and blue dessert. Ice a rectangular cake and make it into a flag using strawberries and bananas for the stripes, and blueberries and star fruit.

6. Check out the website, www.kidsvotingusa.org, to see if your children would benefit.

Jan Roberts is an educator in La Cañada Flintridge, an accomplished speaker, author, and she provides individual parent consultation. She has been an instructor for the Parent Education program at La Cañada Presbyterian Church for 14 years, is a former Palm Crest Elementary School teacher and a mother of three grown children. Readers may send parent questions to TheParentCoach@sbcglobal.net.