How I Am Talking with My Children About the Presidential Election

It’s only a few days before the election, and I don’t know about you, but my Facebook feed is littered with political rants. These tirades were becoming so annoying that I wrote about a post over at Mommy on the Spot about my philosophy on talking politics.

It’s hard not to lose faith in the human race when I see how some people have so little respect for those that have differing views, but instead of stewing in my frustration, I have decided that this is a good opportunity to talk to my children about politics.

No, I’m not going to tell them what to think. They have a lifetime to figure out their thoughts on certain polarizing politcail issues. I am more interested in educating them on how the system works. But to be honest, ninth-grade civics class was a very long time ago, and I needed a refresher course.

Luckily, I found Grace for President by local author Kelly DiPucchio. I love this book because it does a fantastic job talking about the election process: campaigning, platforms, and voting.

My favorite part is the explanation of the Electoral College which is such an abstract concept for kids to understand. However, the explanation along with the illustrations is very clear for little ones (and not so little ones, like me)!

I am really trying not to infiltrate their little minds by telling them what to think, but I do strongly believe in giving them the tools to make up their own mind. I am focusing on helping them to understand how our election process works along with teaching them to respect others with different opinions.

How are you talking about the election with your kids?