Parenting kids and elections

[Kosmik]

So I'm curious. For those of us myBB's who are parents, are your kids old enough to understand the elections? How are you explaining it to them? Do you carry your political party support accross?

So for example, my boys are 9 and 12 respectively. They have been to the voting with us before but obviously younger, last muni elections.

This time however they can see the posters and all signs and ads and are asking questions. So we explained the basic premise of what it is and whats done, how your vote is private and yours to make.

They asked questions like who are you voting for and we replied that a person can tell you but there is no need to and your vote is yours alone, no matter what anyone may say.

Then they asked how do you decide? We said, you look at the parties and listen/read what they have to say and of you agree with it. You also look at whether they did what they said they would or strived to, explaining about election promises vs reality.

I think they are far more aware than previous generations or even other cities because we have nee through the riots, covid, load sheding and if you follow my water thread, monthly water shedding.

Their simple answer, "OK, we'll vote for whoever stops all that".

How do you explain/educate yours?

 

[3WA]

Told my niece that everyone who votes ANC or EFF is an idiot. She told me I shouldn’t call people idiots. I told her I wouldn’t have to if they didn’t vote like idiots.

 

[SauRoNZA]

My 9 year old has a fundamental understanding of how it all works.

The 6 year old actually isn’t too far behind but at a much more basic level.

My far bigger concern is how I’m going to manage them on election day.

 

[Sepeng]

Yeah my 10 year old obviously hears things at school, they'll talk but they'll talk about what their parents have said - so some have strong opinions on EFF and ANC and DA. Has just led to fights.
I don't tell my kids who I'm voting for or who I think is good or bad, just the mechanics of it all and how to try figure out fact from fiction. Beyond that politics is not a big talking point in our household in general so they're not too interested in it all.
For what it's worth, both my kids like the EFF posters best.

 

[Stinkbeaver]

Just told them that everything political is full dishonesty and plays on people's emotions to make them believe what is being said instead of what is happening but I don't think they fully understand it even though I try to show them that no one and absolutely no one in this country is acting in their best interest.

 

[R13...]

Do you carry your political party support accross?

I should hope no parent does this or has a party they support. This is not sport, the party you vote for should be based on promises (if they've never held power) or track record of the day before if they're in power. They must earn your vote, not have it promised as a party supporter.

 

[Priapus]

My son is far too young to understand such things. But that day will come at some point.

 

[Kosmik]

I should hope no parent does this or has a party they support. This is not sport, the party you vote for should be based on promises (if they've never held power) or track record of the day before if they're in power. They must earn your vote, not have it promised as a party supporter.

Personally I don't disagree and have kept the same mindset but I have heard of others that don't.

But keep in mind, block voting is a thing in this country, look at the encouragement by unions etc. Your vote is private and yours alone to know is something I am drumming into their heads.

Yeah my 10 year old obviously hears things at school, they'll talk but they'll talk about what their parents have said - so some have strong opinions on EFF and ANC and DA. Has just led to fights.
I don't tell my kids who I'm voting for or who I think is good or bad, just the mechanics of it all and how to try figure out fact from fiction. Beyond that politics is not a big talking point in our household in general so they're not too interested in it all.
For what it's worth, both my kids like the EFF posters best.

Poster art is definitely a thing but oddly enough the questions really got asked when the posters for the manifestos never got taken down and they like. "But it still talks about March and we are in Maaaaaaaayyy!".

 

[RedViking]

I just point to everything that's broken and tell them who is responsible for it. Then I point to everything that is working and tell them who is responsible for that.

So they know now that people who drink tea is responsible for everything that is falling apart, and people who drink coffee is changing the world for the best.

/sips baby chino

 

[DapperDanMan]

They asked questions like who are you voting for and

... when I told them at I'm voting for FF+ they screamed something about totally wasting my vote - then they grabbed me and threw me onto the ground and stomped on my hand, breaking my finger.

 

[Kosmik]

... when I told them at I'm voting for FF+ they screamed something about totally wasting my vote - then they grabbed me and threw me onto the ground and stomped on my hand, breaking my finger.

No, it was the armadillo vs penguin in this years mob vote that did that.....

 

[Neuk_]

I tried to explain the elections and votes and democracy to our nearly four year old but he just kept yelling that Chase was the best Paw Patroller Sounds good to me s they have my vote.

 

[Went_For_Beer]

I should hope no parent does this or has a party they support. This is not sport, the party you vote for should be based on promises (if they've never held power) or track record of the day before if they're in power. They must earn your vote, not have it promised as a party supporter.

And currently not one has earned my vote.

My kids are too young to understand and quite frankly I dont really understand it completely

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

let me flip the question around, when you voted the 1st time, who explained it to you?
maybe take a leaf out of their book?

 

[RedViking]

I tried to explain the elections and votes and democracy to our nearly four year old but he just kept yelling that Chase was the best Paw Patroller Sounds good to me s they have my vote.

That's a good start. Now it is time for the real lesson and ban him from wathing paw patron and force him to watch Generations.

 

[RedViking]

And currently not one has earned my vote.

My kids are too young to understand and quite frankly I dont really understand it completely

IFP is not too bad. Has a bit of everything.

 

[Cius]

My kids are 13 and 15 and this is the first election they are taking some interest in. Covid lockdowns I think made them realize how much government can impact our lives. This elections because its so close seems to be generating a lot more talk than some previous ones so they are asking more questions. I do not mince words on how bad the ANC and EFF are for SA in my opinion.

 

[Sepeng]

I tried to explain the elections and votes and democracy to our nearly four year old but he just kept yelling that Chase was the best Paw Patroller Sounds good to me s they have my vote.

1. It's Marshall, and it's not even close
2. Who elected those puppies to be able to close down roads, interfere with the good democratically elected Mayor's duties?
3. Where do they get the funding for all their fancy high tech stuff? Follow the money - it's clear they're being bankrolled by sinister third forces bent on sowing discord in Adventure Bay.
4. All those "emergencies" are far too convenient - see above.

Paw Patrol is rife with politics. And the bad guys aren't who they seem.

 

[Kosmik]

let me flip the question around, when you voted the 1st time, who explained it to you?
maybe take a leaf out of their book?

We actually had education at school and a fake elections simulation. We were the first "school class" of the new democracy really as '94 happened when I was in Std 7/form 3/Grade 9.

So we actually had things like parties explained, manifestos , part of our studies was to research the various parties and give brief summaries and overviews of the top 5 I think it was? ANC, DP, NNP and IFP were the ones I remember.

Basically too young to vote but old enough to have seen the death of apartheid, integration of schools from senior primary, we watched the release of Mandela live from the school auditorium as it was history in the making. I think was my std 3 year and I recall racial integration began the following year. It didn't feel like much of a deal to us at the time tbh but that's also Durban for you.

Main concerns were actually ANC VS IFP and internal struggle violence. Those were some very bad times and bought out real horrors.

My first election was '99 and have ever since.

 

[Goosfrabba]

1. It's Marshall, and it's not even close
2. Who elected those puppies to be able to close down roads, interfere with the good democratically elected Mayor's duties?
3. Where do they get the funding for all their fancy high tech stuff? Follow the money - it's clear they're being bankrolled by sinister third forces bent on sowing discord in Adventure Bay.
4. All those "emergencies" are far too convenient - see above.

Paw Patrol is rife with politics. And the bad guys aren't who they seem.

PAW spelt backwards is WAP

It's Cardi B behind it all!!