Children often express an eagerness to understand how our government functions, so by beginning with basic concepts you can help your young ones learn all aspects of our system of government.
Beginning by teaching children how to cast a ballot is a great way to introduce them to our country's government from local to national levels.
Political Parties
Politics may seem off limits to young children who haven't reached voting age yet, since discussing political parties and policies can seem like more homework than fun. Discussing them may be outright intimidating or may just not interest them at this time.
Politics education for children of any age is vital. Books such as Charlie and Lola I Would Actually Keep It by Lauren Child and Potty Politics by Terry Deary provide great ways of sparking conversations about these subjects with kids.
As children become older, they become increasingly interested in how their country is run and begin learning more in depth about it at school. This can be used as an opportunity to discuss both major political parties as well as demonstrate that not everyone will agree with them.
Elections
Although kids may not yet be old enough to vote, they still make an enormous impactful statement about politics. From an early age they will notice and pick up on any political conversations their parents engage in - and how those discussions are structured.
Children tend to get most of their information about politics from media sources, which may promote specific viewpoints or defame candidates' reputations, leading them to form false impressions of politics that can cause fearful misunderstandings as they begin learning how to think critically.
Explain to them that politicians are just like us, with both virtues and shortcomings, while offering strategies for staying informed on issues that matter to them most. Demonstrate to them how to use various news sources in order to compare different viewpoints. Help them recognize that politics, like the economy, can be complex - small changes can have big effects - while working locally could help make an impactful statement about something like environmental conservation or conservation efforts.
Voting
Politics and kids may seem an unlikely pairing at first. After all, they don't qualify as voters yet and learning about political parties and issues can seem like homework! But these experiences could provide invaluable opportunities to teach our youth something useful about politics - or at least give them some exposure!
Kids often take an interest in social issues. They may be inspired by disability advocates handing out poppies, veterans seeking donations for homeless people or children asking passersby for change at malls - opportunities to discuss how society's problems are being solved using various systems like communism and capitalism as well as philanthropy and charity.
As part of their civics education, children should learn about voting - something so many fought and died to secure. Show your kids how local and state elections work, what a ballot looks like and how bills become laws. Help your kids develop critical thinking by reading reputable news sources and creating their own opinions based on facts rather than what they've heard elsewhere or from their friends.
Politics in the News
Politics may not seem like an obvious topic to introduce to children. Too young to cast ballots themselves, learning about political parties and platforms may feel like extra homework on top of schoolwork (something many may opt out of doing altogether). But politics doesn't need to be intimidating! It can provide valuable learning experiences without becoming onerous school assignments (something some children may opt out of doing anyway).
Children don't remain unaware of current events entirely; whether it be watching someone sleep rough on the street or witnessing a viral video showing an online troll confronting a woman, children have ample opportunity to engage in meaningful political dialogue.
As children learn about what's going on in our country and its consequences for their world, they need access to multiple perspectives in order to form their own opinions and understand that there are multiple viewpoints on issues. NPR offers an impressive archive of resources for kids of all ages regarding politics and government - you can check it out here.
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