Raising Politically Savvy Teens

By Sue Henninger

Election season is upon us once again with its energy and sense of possibilities. This optimism is often accompanied by the question of what Americans have the right to expect from those that they choose to lead our country.


In 2008, the level of increased interest and involvement of the younger generation in the electoral process presented a golden opportunity for parents to talk with their teens about politics, a subject that can't help but fascinate kids. With an intriguing cast of characters, a Survivor-like elimination of all but the most determined (and sometimes ruthless) participants, the often unexpected twists and turns that occur, and the strong feelings the topic can arouse in adults around them, politics can be dramatic enough to satisfy even the most blasé teen.

Most kids love to analyze, question, and debate, so what better forum exists than an election season to be able to do all of these things-- at the same time! And what better way for a parent to learn, not only what their teens think is important, but what issues they prioritize as well?

Our three boys were blessed (or cursed!) from the beginning with a "mixed marriage" family. With one parent a registered Democrat and the other a registered Republican, from day one they have been forced to realize that there are two sides to every election. Over the years we have debated and discussed every possible angle in every election, from local to national. Our family looks forward to election season and all of the excitement building up to the final decisions the way other families look forward to baseball season and the World Series.

Though our "discussions" aren't always easy I've always believed that a crucial part of a parent's job is to teach their kids the skills of civic involvement and politics is a great starting place!

WHERE TO BEGIN
Discuss the Pros and Cons of Each Candidate (third party ones too!)
Encourage your kids to see politicians as real people, not just a one dimensional caricature. Reading candidate's biographies, autobiographies, or one-on-one interviews of them as a family is a one good way to get a sense of a candidate, with less media influence. Take time to evaluate some of their current actions and words as well as past positions that they may have taken on issues to see if they are consistent.

Praise Critical Thinking and Practice it Yourself
Instead of accepting blanket statements about, or criticisms of, candidates, try to take teens to the next level. For example a candidate's choice of a running mate is a good chance to talk about what they were hoping to accomplish or what types of voters they were trying to attract by choosing that particular person. Play devil's advocate with your kids once in awhile to open their minds to different levels of possibility.

Visiting political web sites together, watching debates or conventions speeches together, reading various newspaper and magazine viewpoints and evaluating their accuracy, and analyzing the media (especially the commentators input) are other ways to do this. A good question to ask your kids is if they believe that just because something is in print or said by someone "important" on television than that makes it true or accurate.

Educate Teens on the Nuts and Bolts of the Political Process
Define governmental terms like Electoral College, primaries, conventions, and delegates and explain why they're important in a democracy. Take advantage of past or current issues like the dilemma of Michigan and Florida holding their primaries too early or the potential impact of "super" delegates on a convention to discuss what's working for America and what may need to be revamped by the next generation of voters.

Make sure that the kids grasp the concept that what happens in state and local elections can affect your family just as much, sometimes even more.

Don't Be Afraid!
Talk about politics with family, friends, teachers and anyone else who wants to and encourage your teen to do the same. Remember, if you can't discuss your convictions for fear of offending or upsetting someone then you can't expect your child to learn how to either. It's ok for kids to see people disagreeing, how else are they supposed to learn to do it themselves?

Political discussion with people from various political parties also offers the opportunity to emphasize how it's possible to like someone as a person while still disagreeing with their choices and/or political views. This offers an excellent analogy to other teen issues that can be prone to peer pressure such as sexuality and substance usage and abuse.

However, don't forget to make sure that they (as well as the adults that they debate) are respectful of one another. If you laugh at or minimize a teen's well thought out opinion you run the risk of alienating them from future serious conservations.

Show Them how Politics are Relevant to Their Future
In all probability, today's candidates' platforms will not only impact your teens, but their children as well. Campaigners positions on issues such as the death penalty, global warming, affirmative action, and sustainability can provide hours of scintillating dinnertime conversation.

Ethics also enters the picture, such as the dilemma of voting for a pro-choice candidate (your position) who does not support stem cell research (which you do). How do you go about weighing that decision out?

For kids that are interested in a more "macro" approach to politics, take the discussion one step further and look at the special interest groups such as labor or teachers unions, NRA, NAACP, or AARP that are endorsing each candidate and what implications that might have if that candidate is elected to public office.

Systemic issues like campaign finance reform can also be of great interest to some kids.

These are just a few suggestions to pick and choose from. Our family has found the payoff of practicing some of them to be immense because it allows us to feel that we're sending our kids out into the world with the decision making skills they need to be contributing member of a democratic society.

Who knows maybe one of them will even decide to run for office one day!

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