We teach our kids to play nice with each other and not to pick on each other or call each other names, but as adults so much of that goes out the window and so much more so with this coming election. I am going to try hard not to be overly political but I am fully standing tall on my soap box this week because truthfully I am tired of it all and this is coming from someone who is a full political junkie, I even worked as a congressional intern and as a legislative aide in my previous life before kids. I have multiple signs in my yard for a certain presidential candidate.
I don't care who you vote for but please be nice about it when others tell you who they are voting for. I admit sometimes when I hear how people want to vote, it takes all my effort to not slap them silly but I remind myself that is why this country is so great, we are allowed to have opinions but we still need to be nice about it. Politics and religion are those two topics that will incite something in people and spark so much passion. Passion is good but when our kids are seeing so much negativity with it, it basically undoes a lot of what we as parents are trying so hard to teach our kids when it comes to respect.
Kids pick up so much just by the few minutes they are watching the news. My daughter caught a story about bacon shortage and was so upset because she wanted to know if that also would affect other pork products (the kid loves pork). Just a two minute story upset her and I know she wasn't the only one getting their undies in a bind about it as well. So if they see that, how does all the other stuff affect them and how are they internalizing it.
I have had so many friends comment about how a political ad in Wisconsin (our home state) taught their kids the phrase “Damn straight”. Yeah not so cute when it is coming from a two year old. Kids are like sponges and I know my own six year old knows what is happening in the election for President and has her own opinion on who people should vote for and because I am a firm believer in having a valid point for your choice, so she has a valid point and tells people why they should vote for her preferred candidate.
Even though I am reminding people to play nice Tuesday, I dread seeing people called morons because of how they voted. When I was following a recall election awhile back, I was shocked at how intelligent people showed such ignorance and disrespect when the election went the way it did. Democracy might not feel fair but it is and it is something we all take for granted because that is all we have ever known. There are so many countries that don't have this luxury.
On the eve of this historical election, make sure you play nice when talking about it which includes social media. You have the right to your opinion and vote with what works right for your family and life. Include your kids in open discussions and let them know why you vote they way you do. Remind yourself that the person who votes differently than you isn't wrong, just that of a different opinion and they have a good reason as to why.
Remind your kids that opinions are great things to have but they need to conveyed in a respectful manner. Yes I have a preference on how this election will play out on Tuesday and I will be respectful no matter how it turns out. This is a great way to remind our children of who we are not through our words but through our actions.
Rebecca Benson is a League City stay at home mom who has lived here since 2003 when her husband took a job on the International Space Station program. She followed soon after working on the same program for nearly six years when she started staying home with the kids. Rebecca loves to craft, scrapbook, sew, and embrace motherhood. Rebecca has a blog called Mommiedom ((http://queenmommiedom.blogspot.com/) where she talks about all the things in her life not just those “confessions”.
