[carolm0108]

I recently read an article in Parents magazine. It was on the topic of politics and children. We all know that what parents believe, children tend to follow in their footsteps. If we as humans and political enemies, attack each other as we do on the basis of political agendas.
What do children learn from this. I am not debating a political philosophy, just the effect we as adults have on the influence of children. Is it healthy for then to hear this stuff? And they do hear it whether on TV, from parents discussing upcoming elections, or even mock elections in school. What do you think?

[BanditFlyer]

Interesting topic. I would think that having a 14-year-old change from , "Jenny's stupid, because she can't afford Guess jeans" to "Jenny supports a position on global warming that has been empirically shown to be falacious" would be a good thing.

[angelize56]

Hi Carol!

I think children are like sponges and it's important we put into them what we as their parents/role models want them to know...and it's also important they be able to absorb bits of what are around them....then it's the parent's job while the children are young to squeeze out the bad and let the good soak in! Of course a child's feelings on politics and religion are going to first be learned at home...it's all the garbage out there to sort through that is discouraging to parents...and confusing to children!

[carolm0108]

thanks and yes for a 14 yr old to take a political stand would be nothing short of a miracle. I am referring more towards the younger ones who are not of an age to form their own opinions but regurgitate the hateful mud slinging gibes aimed to inflame the opponents position or lack there of. That worries me.

[carolm0108]

hey angel

[angelize56]

Hi Bandit!

[Galium]

Hi Sweetie,
Children learn from their parents it's a fact of life. Hopefully the lessons are good ones unfortunately they sometimes aren't. In so far as politics are concerned-it's not always the political party in question but the issues. Some of those issues aren't fit for children to listen to. I certainly would want to debate the death penalty in front of my 5 year old nor gay marriage. Politics can be a down in the dirt wrestling match especially during an election year.

[erick295]

I think that depends a lot on what you mean by "attack each other as we do on the basis of political agendas." If you mean the typical pointless mudslinging that usually goes on around this time of year, then no, I don't think that's setting a very good example. I think they would benefit from hearing some real discussions about issues, though, which TBH are few and far between, especially on TV

Come to think of it, a lot of adults could probably stand to watch a real discussion or two...

[redivivus]

Originally Posted by angelize56

Hi Carol!

I think children are like sponges and it's important we put into them what we as their parents/role models want them to know...and it's also important they be able to absorb bits of what are around them....then it's the parent's job while the children are young to squeeze out the bad and let the good soak in! Of course a child's feelings on politics and religion are going to first be learned at home...it's all the garbage out there to sort through that is discouraging to parents...and confusing to children!

Errrr. Angelize prefers to brainwash children because she is arrogant enough to believe that she is right. Why give your children a chance to discover what they find right, when you already know what is right?

Brainwashing is feeding propaganda or indoctrination and not allowing access to neutral sources of information. This is exactly what you do when you raise children as though they are extensions of yourself, and should live, breathe, think, and conclude what you have concluded. In fact, they will not conclude anything if you are successful, because you are not teaching them how to think rationally and come up with the decision that they feel is right -- merely spoon feeding them your ideals.

As to the topic, i did print off a study on it but never got around to reading it. Maybe il dig it up...

[carolm0108]

Again as I said I started this thread not to perpetuate the already obvious. NO MUDSLINGING I feel that young children should be shielded from harsh realities including the inadidquite candidates "on both sides" I would never want any child of mine to feel he or she has to defend my beliefs because I unwittingly spew them in a less than nuturing environment. I am not all knowing, neither is any one. My concern and reason for starting this thread was in defense of small children and their fragile senses of defending parents who might be unknowingly passing on hated without meaning to.

[iltos]

Originally Posted by angelize56

Hi Carol! I think children are like sponges and it's important we put into them what we as their parents/role models want them to know...and it's also important they be able to absorb bits of what are around them....then it's the parent's job while the children are young to squeeze out the bad and let the good soak in! Of course a child's feelings on politics and religion are going to first be learned at home...it's all the garbage out there to sort through that is discouraging to parents...and confusing to children!

it certainly was not their plan, but my folks taught me to question everything....they couldn't give me "a" foundation in either religion or politics, because they couldn't really agree on either one....the dinner table conversations proved this time and again....to their credit, neither one of them tried to "convince" me that they were right, and the other wrong (they did that to each other! ), but they were both very opinionated people.....

and, sponge that i was, i soaked it all in, where it sat, dormant and unimportant for years, while i explored nature and the neighborhood girls

looking back, their "style" of parenting was pretty cool, and some of it may have been due to the fact that i was just a 'good' kid....but they did strike some kind of balance between who i was and what they expected, which made being a good kid pretty easy....i didn't feel hemmed in by their expectations, but those expectations created a definite set of boundaries for me to knock around in....

maybe what i felt most strongly was that their expectations were based on what they trusted me to be able to do, so they didn't feel so much like arbitrary rules imposed for control as the standards of living in our family....and they gave when you pushed on them (at least up to a point)

but....all of this was made easier for them by the fact that we lived in a pretty sheltered environment and time....it wasn't due to wealth, which was something all the "grown ups" talked but never really had....it was due to isolation and a pervasive sense of safety....

and as this good kid grew up and the "expectations" relaxed to include more freedom, the world slowly became bigger and bigger, and the dormant ideas began to stir, eventually blowing the lid off my sheltered childhood by presenting me with questions i was only dimly aware even existed.

when it came time to choose a college, i narrowed my choices to one which was "unsafe" and provocative, and one which was physically very, very far away....i look back and see how desperately i wanted "something/somewhere" else....and i owe that to my parents, too, because they wanted something better for me, and refused to tell me what it "should" be....they were ultimately very disappointed -not so much with my choices, but in the way i chose to realize them....but in spite of that dissappointment, they respected me for having made them.

as a counterpoint....

a friend of mine growing up wanted only to be an entymologist (insect guy), and he had mapped that dream out for himself.....then one day, he was going to stanford to be a lawyer....the last time i saw him, maybe 10 years ago, he was emminently successful, with all of its trappings -nice home, nice car, etc. - all the perks of wealth and prosperity......it saddened me to recognize this, but there was still the teenage kid inside him, in the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, still hoping to someday find the time to be an entymologist....of all the kids from my old neighborhood, he has been far and away the most uncomfortable on those few occassions when we all manage to get together again....

he seems the farthest removed from his roots

[GoneForNow]

Originally Posted by BanditFlyer

Interesting topic. I would think that having a 14-year-old change from , "Jenny's stupid, because she can't afford Guess jeans" to "Jenny supports a position on global warming that has been empirically shown to be falacious" would be a good thing.

I don't think children should be allowed to use the word "falacious".

[bassetman]

Originally Posted by gbrumb

I don't think children should be allowed to use the word "falacious".

Or pedophile?

[redivivus]

iltos... interesting story there.

[angelize56]

Originally Posted by redivivus

Errrr. Angelize prefers to brainwash children because she is arrogant enough to believe that she is right. Why give your children a chance to discover what they find right, when you already know what is right?

You're pathetic! I voiced MY opinion...I in no way brainwash anyone...especially my child! Do me a favor...don't address anymore of my posts until you GROW UP!