Talking to Kids About Politics

With the negativity and divisiveness in our current political climate, your kids are counting on you to help them understand the many images, messages, and actions that are occurring all around them.  Here’s how you can help.  

Talking With Young Kids

Listen to what they are saying so you can help ease their specific fears and worries or correct inaccurate information when you can. Use this as a time to help them think about what is right and wrong and as an opportunity to talk about their feelings.

Remind them through your words and actions that there are safe and acceptable ways to talk and behave. Be clear that name calling, aggressive behavior and threats are not acceptable, and can cause harm. A parent’s job is to help children learn how to develop the skills necessary to be a successful adult. Learning how to hear another perspective, to express thoughts and feelings in a helpful, calm manner, and to work toward safe solutions are part of that.

Help children think and talk about the issue at hand. Explain that some politicians and the media can use personal attacks and exaggerated, dramatic statements to get attention, and sometimes go overboard. Talk about how to avoid being overly influenced by exaggeration or negativity and how to talk clearly and honestly about important topics.

Talk about lessons learned and instill hopefulness. Even if you or others they are close to are upset by election results, your child is looking to you to for hope. Talk about what you have learned about the “other side’s” point of view and how that has been helpful. Look for local volunteer or community-building opportunities to demonstrate your values and shape the future in a positive way so your child can see how to take action appropriately.

Talking to Tweens and Teens

Older children and teens can have, and benefit from, more significant discussions about politics, but make sure you stay focused and keep it simple. Talk about current political figures, ads, or media posts in a way that focuses on the issue and is understandable to them. By not overwhelming them with too much opinion, information, and emotion they can gain skill and tolerance for thinking and talking about important and complex issues.

Help your child understand that social media and internet sources may be inaccurate, biased, and negative, specifically intending to portray an incomplete picture. Watch the national news, look at news articles and browse the internet with them to show them examples of news sources that are credible, balanced, and accurate and what is not. Point out productive and healthy political discussion.

Encourage and appreciate their opinion, by reinforcing that your child’s point of view is important. Ask them what they think and how they came to that opinion. Recognize when they can connect the dots logically or when you see their moral compass developing in a healthy way. If you correct their information, don’t speak beyond your knowledge, or blur the distinction between information and opinion. It’s okay to say you don’t know something, or that your opinion might change based on further information.

Keep a level head. While most of us have had a few laughs, thrown political jabs, and respond to political comedy, take care not to cross the line. Kids need to see that the issues at hand are serious and make a difference in our daily lives.

Practice What You Preach

When a parent is worked up over things like politics, it can be scary for a child. It might communicate that threats in the world cannot be understood or solved, and that differences of opinion are reasons to cause others harm. If you find yourself being argumentative, overwhelmed, name calling, or otherwise carrying an alarming tone, stop yourself, because your child will notice. Get support or find healthy outlets for discussion with other adults so that you can be fully present and attentive to the opportunities you have in these discussions with your kids. 

And as always, if things just don’t seem right in your child’s comments and behaviors, take action by talking with them directly about your concerns and seek input from trusted others if these concerns persist.