Strollerderby

Are your kids aware of the election?

Posted by Brett Singer

Are your kids aware of the upcoming election?

Here's a topic we haven't talked about yet, at least not that I've seen. Are your children aware at all of the election?

My youngest (3) isn't, but that's not surprising. My oldest (7) is, but I'm not sure how much. A few months ago he told me that a few of his little friends were discussing the candidates over lunch. One of them said that they would never vote for Obama, although he couldn't offer an opinion as to why, at least according to my son. Most of the kids who voiced an opinion were Obama supporters, although they also didn't really have a reason. Since these are fairly young children I assume that they are getting their views from their parents. (I pointed out that neither he nor his buddies were old enough to vote, to which my son said, "I KNOW, dad," the same way he tells me that he knows other things he finds obvious.)

The earliest political memory I have is 4th grade, which for me was around 1980, during the Carter/Reagan campaign. Since I went to a leftist commie-pinko private school, everyone was very much anti-Reagan and pro-Carter. Again, we got our views from our parents, but looking back it does seem like we talked about political stuff quite a bit.

So I'm curious. Are your children aware of the upcoming election, and if so, how old are they?

image: ocblog.net

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Comments

 

Cassie said:

Yes, but they are too little to understand really.  Check this out. Maybe the articles will enlighten them?

www.landoverbaptist.org/.../creationscience.html

September 5, 2008 4:45 PM
 

IAinND said:

My oldest (6) is -- we've taken him with us each time to vote, and he was with us when we went to our caucus as well.  He also has been discussing it with his classmates, and some of the older boys have given him flack for saying he likes Obama (we're in a pretty Republican area), but of course it's all based on what they're hearing their parents say.  He did ask me one night why I was voting for Obama, and I gave him my reasons.

I HAVE made it a big point to tell him 1) people can still be friends even if they don't want to vote for the same person and 2) we don't go around booing or saying mean things about the other candidate.  

We'll see what happens next week when his VERY conservative and politically active grandparents come to visit....

September 5, 2008 4:59 PM
 

carfree childhood said:

My seven year old knows about the election and is an Obama supporter mainly because he knows Obama has daughters about his age.

In 1976 I was six and a Carter support mainly because Amy Carter was about my age.

September 5, 2008 6:51 PM
 

lovedannygansle said:

Yes.  We've been involved in the campaign, have the sign in the yard, bumper sticker, hosted parties for Obama supporters.  Would have been hard for them not to notice.

I've had to censor my son a bit - he asked an adult who they were voting for.  At six and a half, he understands the basics.  My four-year-old seems to like saying "Obama!".  I'm pretty sure my two-year-old has no comment on the issue at all.  

Just need to work on election-season social skills for the oldest...

September 5, 2008 7:22 PM
 

BBBGMOM said:

My second grader, about an hour ago, said, "We like Obama, right?"  I said, "Well, dad and I plan to vote for him, but you may decide for yourself."  I grew up in a bipartisan home so I know what it's like to have political "discussions"... so many of our neighbors and friends are Obamaphiles that I worry that my children will just feel it's the default position.  Though it's eleven years until my second grader can vote so I suspect he'll be better informed about it all by then!

September 5, 2008 8:07 PM
 

sumoo said:

MY 2 year old, on the other hand, laughed and pointed at the screen (when baby Trig appeared) and danced, danced danced thoughout the broadcast the other night.  I told her I would let it slide this time.

September 5, 2008 9:45 PM
 

Maureen said:

My kids (3 and 5) are aware of the election, but don't really understand.  Every time they hear the name Obama or McCain announced on the radio, they ask, "who won mommy?".  We try not to to talk badly about a certain party in front of them, but I'm sure they catch some of it.  I have taken them to the polls every time I've voted (and I vote in every election).  I usually make them their own ballots, which they mark off while I'm doing my thing.  They think it's cool.  Hello Kitty and the Blue Power Ranger made it through the primaries.

The first election I have a memory of was Reagan vs. Carter when I was in 1st grade.

September 5, 2008 11:39 PM
 

Kate said:

I know that when I was in elementary school, we had sample ballots to fill out during class. We were allowed to take them to the polls with our parents, so we could "vote" too. I guess there was a box or something set up at the polls for us to drop our ballot into. I remember really enjoying having a chance to cast my vote after learning about the different candidates, and being pretty upset that my vote wouldn't count.

September 7, 2008 12:47 PM
 

leahsmom said:

I think my kid is aware of the election just because she is aware that mommy has turned into a cranky person lately. . .

September 8, 2008 8:48 AM
 

Yvonne said:

My 2 year old really surprised me the other day by saying "Obama". When Obama came on the screen, he looked at him and said "Obama". His father and I watch a lot of coverage on the election, and talk about in front of him. I guess they really do pick up on everything. I have taken him to vote with me, and I really like Maureen's idea of making a ballot for him. He likes to do the same things we are doing.

September 8, 2008 1:05 PM

About Brett Singer

Brett Singer is a writer and father living in Manhattan with his wonderful wife and two terrific sons (referred to here as Thing 1 and Thing 2). He writes about music for the Boston Phoenix, parenting for Babble and daddytips.com, and other topics for anyone else who will have him.

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