Navigating Presidential Elections as a Family
As debates are heating up for the Presidential and other elected official campaigns, it is important to remember to educate yourself and your family, especially children, in the process.
When children are bombarded with messages in the media (newspapers, news channels, radio, and television) it is beneficial for them to have some understanding of what they are hearing.
The first step to educating your children is to simply discuss what the roles and responsibilities are for the United States President and why it should matter to each individual citizen of the United States. This understanding can be enhanced through activities, quizzes, and games.
The second step to including your children in the election process is to encourage open discussion within your family about values, priorities, and morals. It is important to remain open-minded and to allow children to explore different views on issues. Discuss each candidate’s policies and standpoints so that the child can try to relate to the different contenders as they develop their personal preferences and viewpoints.
The third step is to introduce children to the extensive process of elections. This process includes pre-primary campaigns full of fundraising followed by primaries or caucuses from January to June at which convention representatives for candidates are decided.
National party conventions are held during the summer where official party nominees are determined. The general elections for all states and the District of Columbia are on November 4th.
Next the U.S. Electoral College votes in December, and ultimately Inauguration Day for the new president is on January 20th.
As you can see, the Presidential election process is an intricate and complicated procedure which can be difficult for many adults to understand, much less children. By educating children and getting them involved at a young age, children will be more equipped in the future to be competent voters and to have their voices heard.
In addition to encyclopedias, magazines, and books there are many valuable educational tools that can be accessed via the internet. The following is a list of helpful websites:
