How to Talk to Kids About the Election

Politics can be a difficult subject to discuss with children, but as they grow and begin to understand the fundamentals of civics and how people choose their local and national leaders, the subject is hard to avoid. Voting allows people to come together as a community to make a collective decision; it fosters democracy and allows for a fair process in electing local and national leaders. How do you talk to kids about voting and the election, though? Here are some resources kids can use inside and outside the classroom and how they can foster their curiosity at home, as well as tips on how to talk to kids about the election.

1. Start small. Explaining politics is a daunting task, but the best way to start is to take small steps. When introducing complicated topics, experts suggest asking kids about what they already know about voting and where they’re hearing about it. Experts suggest taking a “civically-minded” walk outside. Talk about what institutions are public and what are private, and which things we have decided as a community that we’re going to support, like road-building, parks, or libraries.

2. Show them an example at home. Experts suggest to show kids how the voting process works is by exemplifying it at home. Take a vote over menial family matters, such as what everyone feels like eating for dinner. Chicken, pasta, or pizza? Take a vote and make a secret ballot, then announce the winner and explain the results. End up with a tie? Have a runoff election.

3. Leave space to ask questions. Allow kids to voice their curiosity and concerns in a safe space. Start by asking them what they know and how they feel about the topic. Tough and uncomfortable topics should be taken head-on and answered as honestly as possible with age-appropriate restrictions. You don’t want to overwhelm kids with gory details, however, so know when to hold back or generalize.

4. Remember you don’t have to know all the answers. Parents or caretakers can get stumped when it comes to answering tough questions surrounding political topics during election time, but it’s okay not to know all the answers. It is perfectly acceptable to say, ‘I don’t know the answer to this either. Let’s look at this together.’ Model how you find out things when you don’t know the answer; doing it with your child makes that a powerful experience for both of you.

5. Don’t demonize the opposing side. Kids will have their own opinions on various subjects, and some can be opposing to that of their families. Researchers advise parents to expose a range of opinions to kids to teach them how to respect all opinions and respectfully argue their own. Make sure you’re using appropriate language and suggest that kids be respectful of the fact that what they are saying could be tough for somebody else. Students must refrain from making offensive remarks, and if they do, it’s crucial to explain why it’s offensive. Sometimes, children may repeat something they’ve heard or seen online without realizing that it is offensive to others.

6. Utilize resources. Answering difficult topics of discussion is one thing, but knowing about the topic is another. Not all parents or guardians are info savvy and up-to-date on current affairs, however, but there is an abundance of resources parents and kids can utilize and find together and introduce trusted news sources that can be evaluated independently. Here are a few:

• BrainPop is an educational website that hosts over 1,000 short animated films for K-8 students.
• The Week Junior is a magazine subscription kids can read current-event topics with age-appropriate language and information.
• PBS is packed with information that is catered to children and adults and can help with tough topics.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services