Talk to children and young people about elections and government

Even when we limit media, children learn about elections through radio, pop-up ads, classmates, and signage. They absorb attitudes and biases, often without context or information (or disinformation).

“It’s never too early to talk to your child about politics,” Hoyt Phillips, now at Learning for Justice, told PBS during the last presidential election. Through political conversations, children can understand your value system, your decision-making, and your voting.

When children ask their parents about current events, ask back, “What did you hear?” and “What do you think?” Children perceive election stress and the strain it puts on relationships. Hecklers interrupt a speaker. Assassination attempts and security concerns. Loaded verbs like “lie,” “stolen,” “incite,” and “can’t be trusted” often used in ads.

This language can be unsettling to children who need to be reminded of basic truths. This means that most people are good and trustworthy, caution is wise for safety reasons, careful decisions work better than hasty decisions, and helpers have an open ear to talk to or ask questions.

According to the Fred Rogers Institute: “During election times, it can be helpful to talk to children about what it means to discuss different ideas while respecting those who disagree.”

Especially when it comes to rancor and advertising attacks, it is important to show how discussion and active listening contribute to problem solving. Attack ads are designed to grab attention. They may only represent part of what we need to know, or may even be exaggerated to emphasize what is NOT helpful.

Children and young people benefit from understanding the questions you ask yourself, how you find the answers you need, and how you determine the values ​​that guide your political thinking. The values ​​you instill in your children are evident throughout the year in the reactions they see in your own emotions and body language.

Explain elections to preschool children

“An election is an opportunity for all people in a community to decide who wants to be a leader in their neighborhood or country. “The period leading up to an election is where we get to know the different people who want to be leaders in a community,” according to the Fred Rogers Institute.

Fred Rogers was a huge proponent of reading with children, for the educational value but also for the connection and bonding.

In most years the titles reflect the candidates. My little golden book about Kamala Harris as well as Penguin’s Who is Kamala Harris? were written before Ms. Harris became a presidential candidate; Donald Trump In the US Presidents Series for school libraries, this is the only children’s biography available. V stands for vote by Kate Farrell is available in bookstores and can also be read aloud on YouTube.

This year’s election is history. But children can learn that other women have paved this path and believed in themselves enough to run for office. Shirley Chisholm Dared: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress by Alicia D. Williams and April Harrison is a picture book that takes youth from New York City to Barbados and back to the States, where people began to stand up for their rights. Through her actions, Shirley rebels against limitations and shows perseverance by going to college, asking for jobs, and never taking no for an answer. She organizes after-school programs, rallies voters, and wins a seat in the New York State Assembly before doing the same and becoming the first African-American woman elected to Congress.

Conversations in primary school age

Allow your children to see you reading about current events in newspapers, magazines, and books. Discuss significant historical events and the emotional impact they had on you or your family. Instead, focus on getting along to counteract the children’s witnessing of resentment.

“Children really rely on us to set the tone, be role models, and show them that we care about them getting along and accepting each other for who they are,” Fred Rogers once said. “They (children) certainly understand what it means to disagree. We can help children see and realize that we can respect each other even when we have deep disagreements.”

Books for this age/level include: Call for Equality: The Story of Suffrage in America by Deborah Diesen as well Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act 1965 by Jonah Winters.

Show children how to vote by taking them to the polls to see a voting booth. Make this plan for election day and even initiate games around the elections.

While family members have different ideas about what’s for dinner, make signs with crayons and paper to convince each other and vote if you don’t all agree. Keep it light and fun and show how you get along.

Another tangible teaching tool is Election Night: Learn your way to the White House, A game where children practice addition and multiplication on different sides of the game board. As the Electoral College becomes increasingly important – and its complexities have challenged many adults – this board game brings to life the strategy needed to garner the 270 votes needed to win the presidency, while strengthening basic math Skills. CivicEducator.org named this one of the top ten teaching resources on elections.

Teenage rebellion, particularly as it relates to politics

Until the age of 12 or 13 and beyond, children often parrot their parents’ political views. Enter puberty.

Teens and young people often use politics as a means of self-definition or differentiation. This means that their choices begin to diverge from those of their parents. Grandparents, on the other hand, the baby boomers defined by Vietnam and Watergate, may be able to capture a teenager’s attention far more easily.

The key at this age is to listen before sharing your own thoughts. And when you share something, incorporate history and culture and make it less personal. Share experiences that have shaped your beliefs, but avoid telling your teens what to believe. Understand the role of rebellion or a minor setback that is developmentally appropriate for this age.

Also, realize that adults are still strong role models. According to the American Psychological Association, if you focus too much on your politics, that fear or anger could unsettle others.

Express your feelings in first-person statements such as, “Women’s rights are particularly important to me because I remember the 1970s when a woman couldn’t even get a credit card without her husband’s permission and signature.”

This type of explanation provides greater understanding and enlightens about the history, advocacy, hard work and the struggle for acceptance that achieved success. Because teenagers are so visual, there’s the Hulu series Ms. America is a must-see gem of the women’s movement with pioneers like Shirley Chisholm, Gloria Steinem and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (who is the subject of a Little Golden Book for young people). This movement actually made this 2024 election possible.

When it comes to campaigning, you can tap into teens’ critical thinking skills and encourage them to ask deeper questions:

• Who creates these advertising messages? Adults can point out that it’s not always the election campaign, but rather a PAC or political action committee that pools contributions and spends money for or against candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation.
• How does advertising try to convince me? What do these people want me to believe and what context could be missing when a quote from one candidate is juxtaposed with an ad from another? And where can we get facts instead of opinions?

After all, fun at this age can also consist of games or interesting facts, but above all humor. Teens will be drawn to comedians, comedy skits and impersonations. So use these as teachable moments to share your likes and dislikes and even point out where something crosses a line.

Copyright © 2024 by Loriann Oberlin, MS