Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Politics -- sort of....

So I am talking with DD3 about the leader contest, she voted in the primary with her father and has been sort of up to date that there is this election going on.

She asked me yesterday what Obama was planning to do as leader. So I start outlining a policy, then I get "what else" and I outline another policy, again "what else". Now I think I am explaining simply, but pretty well, thinking she is going to get tired. We got through about 5 and I ran out of policies that I could explain to her. But I was surprised she was following me and wanted to know so much about it.

Anyone else's young children following the election and getting really interested?

Ren

My kids wish they could vote They do feel strongly about the election. I've had to explain some difficult subjects (e.g. war, terrorism, abortion) that DD read about in the paper.

Yes, mine's interested in it as well. He started asking the adults in his life how they would vote. I had to explain that it's usually not polite but he doesn't understand why. Come to think of it, I don't understand why.

DS5 has been fascinated with the elections since I took him to do Kids Voting in the winter primaries. He watched portions of both the RNC and DNC. He is really looking forward to the election in November and casting his kids vote (even though he knows he does not actually count). My son also likes to ask people who they plan to vote for! He thinks it's hilarious that my husband and I vote for different parties.

DD8 has been pretty interested. We have a bipartisan extended family She thought it was hilarious to see her uncle and aunt going at it last week when we were all together.

I have to say, I think we were both equally impressed with Hilary and Sarah.

Loved the hocky mom-pitbull joke......lipstick......hee hee.

I think its great that kids get into this.

In '72 it drove my gay uncle nuts that I was working on the McGovern campaign. He'd argue with my mom, that I should not be doing it, who was organizing for Nixon along with him, and with my GM who was doing the opposite. My mom thought it was pretty funny and indulged me.

Once, someone asked me what McGovern stood for, and I told them

"A strong federal McGovernment!"

On election night, all the adults stayed up late to watch the returns while downing jiggers of liquor and arguing with each other. I had bet $$ on McGovern with my mom and uncle and lost most of my piggy bank to them. I lost the rest of it when the Dolphins beat the Redskins a few weeks later. ( My GF gave me some money later because he felt sorry for me. )

My uncle bought a plant with his $$ and everytime I would visit, he'd water that plant and tell me his plant was going to live a LONG time. When Nixon resigned, I asked him if he'd planned on sending it to Nixon in jail.

My 7 year old has been very interested. He went with me to vote and wanted to know about every candidate with a sign at the poll. We went on the internet and he looked at several of the videos and made candidate choices with strong conviction (and some good reasoning).

We also got a survey in the mail regarding our opinion on several "hot" political topics. We had no intentions of returning it so I let him have it. That lead to many interesting conversations so he could make decisions to fill out the survey (energy, Iraq, "reproductive rights", etc.). That'll teach me not to give him the mail without screening it better!

Wow Ren, that's cool your DD is so interested! Maybe she'll want to watch the debates.

My DS, on the other hand, isn't interested at all when I try to tell him a bit of what the election is about. I took him along with me to vote, and the volunteer gave both of us a sticker. DS looked at it and said, "here mom. you're the one who voted, so you take it."

LOL! Yikes, i can't imagine where i'd begin on the reproductive rights. I do not envy you!

DS6 is very interested in the election, but not the politics of it. He is really interested in how they will tally the votes for a win. I told him he could stay up late on election night! He can't wait!