Monday Teeny Poll
By Glinda
Last week I asked how important you thought it was to raise children with a religious background. Forty percent said they felt it was “extremely important” while the next top vote getter was “not important at all” with twenty six percent. Twenty percent felt it was “somewhat important” and a smallish thirteen percent felt it wasn’t important at all.
My thougts echo what more than a few said in the comments, which is that whatever manner you choose to raise your children, it has to be authentic. Kids can smell a fake a mile away, and if you aren’t fully convinced about your choice, then chances are they won’t be either.
And this week I am going to jump onto that other taboo topic, politics. Wheeee! Breaking rules is kid of fun! This is a presidential election year, and the political talk/rehtoric is just beginning to rise to what will probably be a fever pitch.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Politics are part of life in this country and I see no reason to “protect” children from it. Of course, I assume we would be adult about it and not resort to arguments and name-calling. That should be avoided no matter what topic is being discussed. And as you say, how else will they learn? Certainly not from mainstream media.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:58 am
i voted yes, but i also think it is important to talk about it, how to put this, evenly? i mean, i’d love for my children to agree with me politically, but what i truly want is for them to be able to critically look at an issue, analyze things, make a decision, and be able to discuss that decision rationally. when my 8 yo asks me about obama vs. clinton and why i prefer one over the other, i try my best to explain it to him without character bashing. (mccain isn’t on his radar yet)
June 9th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I didn’t vote- I think it’s more important *how* you talk about politics, than whether you do it or not. Foam at the mouth-ers (from any side of the aisle) are not going to shut up no matter what, and they’re the type to do the most damage. Intelligent, reasoned conversations are always a good thing, with room for the child to mull things over.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Everything mamafitz said. Discussing politics with them is just as important as teaching them how to make clear, reasoned decisions on every other matter of great import. How they vote will affect them, and will affect us, so it is vital that they learn to critically assess political candidates.
June 9th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
What the others said. If you’re going to talk about politics with your kids, do them a favor by not trying brainwash them. Teach them to think critically about the issues rather than expecting them to adopt your views. Expose them to different ideas.
That’s sort of how I feel about teaching them religion, too.