As we raise the next generation of voters, we have to decide as parents and educators how to teach our kids to think carefully and critically about the complex issues facing our country. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to appear on our local Fox news station to talk about what kids can learn from politics.
Below is the interview.
Some of you may have made the decision to guard the younger, more sensitive ears in your household from what was discussed last night in the debates. (Are they going to have to start rating political debates as PG-13?)
As we head into the final weeks ahead, keep listening to what your kids say and ask. Keep encouraging them to consider different sides. Ask open ended questions like: “How would you solve this problem if you were president?” “How would you make it fair?” “What do you think?” Every issue affects different people differently depending on what is going on in their lives. Help your kids listen to learn in order to build empathy, understanding and tolerance.
In turn, listen to their concerns and address their confusion when people who are supposed to be role models, aren’t. Our kids know that it’s important to treat others with dignity and respect. We teach them that every day through manners, managing conflict and learning to be good friends to others. (Much of this I discuss in my book Happy, Healthy & Hyperconnected.)
There’s no question that the debates we’ve witnessed so far lower the bar of polite conversation. But if you do watch together, use these events as examples of how not to treat other people. We live in a very competitive country. Everyone wants to win. Conflict is a fact of life. But in real life, our relationships suffer if we hang onto an opinion like an angry bulldog and lash out at those who disagree with our stance.
Agree to disagree. Learn to walk away. That’s not weak. It’s smart. It’s sane. It’s thoughtful. Return to the conversation if it feels safe to do so. Apologize if you said something you regret.
These are ways we can role model and teach our kids to manage conflict in a positive, proactive way. They’ll learn to recognize the people they need to move away from and the people who they can trust with their sacred hearts, friendship and time.
When we teach our kids to build bridges, to find common ground and negotiate, we’re giving them a gift. We’re showing them how to thoughtfully solve problems and how to build up rather than tear down. And in that lesson, we’re offering them a path to more joy in their relationships and their lives. Don’t we all deserve that?
