Here in the midwest, the leaves are changing into brilliant orange and red colors, the air is crisp, dry and smells of wood burning fires and dried leaves. But, there’s an underlying, almost electric, tension in the air. Have you noticed it? With the presidential election only a few weeks away, many of us are closely watching the debates, critiquing national polls and news, and analyzing the candidates. Some friends and family will announce their positions loud and clear, while others will hold their cards close.
Your children may also be arriving home with playground talk along the lines of: “Jr.’s dad says (X candidate) is an idiot. Who are you voting for, Mom?”
While you may instinctively want to curtly respond that Jr.’s dad is actually the person with dust bunnies for brains, do your best to refrain. No doubt, politics are emotional, which is why we find ourselves getting angry. But, this is an excellent opportunity to teach your children how to think for themselves, talk about the issues diplomatically and begin forming their own opinions without calling the opposing side –or Jr.‘s daddy– bitter names.
Check out my article “5 Lessons Kids Can Learn from Politics” on ParentingSquad.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts as well!
Coming up next week, I’ll talk about how to manage hot-button issues at social get-togethers — a personal challenge of mine.
