Your children will definitely hear non-stop rhetoric from the talking heads on radio and TV about local, state, and national politics. But it will likely be up to you to educate them about one of the essential rights and privileges of US citizenship: the right to vote. Here are some things you’ll need to consider as you teach your kids about voting:
1. How many people died to secure this right for us. From the colonial minutemen to the brave soldiers of today, countless men and women have given their very lives to secure this right for Americans. Make sure your children know that this right came at a cost, and a high one at that.
2. How it’s essential to making our government work. In a free country, your vote is your voice. Individuals have no real power to shape the government or influence those who make our laws except through the power of the ballot box.
3. It should motivate you to pay attention. An uninformed voter is a sad thing. Use your vote in the most effective way by learning about the issues that affect our world and what each candidate proposes to do about it.
4. Partisanship is only helpful up to a point. Sure, during the election process, we tend to polarize into very defined groups based upon our political philosophies. But after the voting is over and the candidate is sworn in, Americans should pull together and work with one another to find compromises and solutions we all can live with. Continuing to bash the opposition and complain isn’t constructive.
5. How many people would love to be in our shoes. Make sure your children understand that even in this modern world, there are still countless nations where some or all of the people are denied the right to vote. In this regard, we are the envy of the world—treasure it and be grateful.
Related Resource: 8 Ways to Vote Your Values
