November 4th is Election Day! The moment that defines who we are as a democracy. It's easy to overlook how significant voting is--especially when the election day coverage has been going on non-stop for what seems like over two years. But, this is it folks. November 4th is also the day to teach your child how citizenship, democracy, and just how important it is to vote... and we better teach them.
The percentage of youth who vote has been dismal. This is the first in a long time that kids are even showing an interest in the democratic process. For shame! Kids learn attitudes and behaviors early in life and they learn them best from parents. So here are ways to turn Election Day into not only a learning process but also a fun family tradition.
1. Take your child to the polls. If you haven't voted early, bring your kids to the polls. Show the booth and ballot. My girlfriend's kids said their mom always did this stressing it was her obligation as an American citizen to vote. Her adult kids have never missed voting in an election since.
2. Tune up red, white and blue. Hang up an American flag. Younger kids can make a construction paper flag replica. Explain what those 13 stripes and 50 stars mean. Make cupcakes dazzled with a red or blue sprinkles or frosting.
3. Choose your candidate and make campaign posters. Little ones can cut out pictures of their candidate from newspapers. School age kids can make campaign posters for their candidate. Tweens and teens can analyze their candidate's views online. Some families make a ballot box (a shoe box with a slit on the top) and have each member vote on a paper slip then add up them up.
4. Hold family political debates and learn to "Fight F.A.I.R." The primaries were interesting in the Borba household, because every of our five family members supported a different candidate. The fun part was listening to one another's views and some of those state measures make for "fascinating" discussions. The trick is making heated discussions calm. Here are four Fighting F.A.I.R. rules to get your opinions across:
FREEZE if anyone gets a bit hot under the collar
ASSERT yourself by stating your position
"I" MESSAGES cut down on the blaming that can heat a discussion
RESPECTFULLY listen to each other's views
5. Watch the election night coverage. Even if it's only for a few minutes, watch the TV coverage. Explain how the commentators are reporting who is to be the next president. When I was growing up this was a big time family event.
6. Throw in political lessons. Hang up a map of the U.S. or print one off from online. Do a quick lesson on the two party system: Obama is the democrat and McCain in the republican. School age kids can color in "red" or "blue" on the map. An older kid to add up those electoral votes on a calculator and make the democratic process come to life.
7. Save the next day's newspaper. Make sure you put the next morning's headlines announcing the new President of the United States front and center in your household. Regardless of who won, let your child know this elected man is the leader of the free world for the next four years.
Whether or not your candidate comes out the winner, please convey to your children that there are many countries in the world who do not have the privilege of choosing a candidate. Don't ever let your children take their democracy for granted.
Make sure you vote!
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Dr. Michele Borba is the author of over 22 books including
12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know .
译文:
让选举日成为家庭趣事
11
月4
号是总统选举日！作为一个民主国家，那将是界定我们身份的时刻。我们很容易忽视选举的重要性---尤其是当关于总统选举日的新闻报导在这两年内没有停止过的时候。但是这只是在民间。11月4号也是个可以教你的孩子什么是公民的职责和权力，什么是民主以及选举的重要性的日子…我们最好教他们这些。 青少年的投票率一直都不高。这是有史以来孩子们对民主的进程感兴趣。遗憾！孩子在人生的早期就开始学习态度和品行，而他们从父母身上学到了最好的态度和品行。这里有些方法可以把总统选举日变成不仅仅是一个学习的过程，还是家庭的一件趣事。
1. 投票时带上你的孩子。如果你没有提早投票，那你投票时要带上你的孩子。让孩子知道选票和投票箱。我女伴的孩子说他们的妈妈总是这样做，她强调说投票是她作为一位美国公民的义务。她的已成年的孩子从来没有错过投票。 2 调整红、白、蓝三色。挂上美国国旗。年轻一点的孩子可以用纸来做国旗。向他们解释13个条纹和50颗星星代表的意思。做一个纸杯蛋糕，在上面撒上红的或者是蓝的屑末，或者糖霜，让它看起来闪耀夺目。
3. 选择一位候选人，并制造他的竞选海报。小朋友可以从报纸上把他们的候选人的相片剪下来。已经上学的孩子可以为他们的候选人制作竞选海报。十几到二十几岁大的青少年则可以在网上解释他们的候选人的观点。一些家庭还设有投票箱（一个在顶上开口的鞋盒），然后每个家庭成员把票投进去，再统计票数。 4. 举办家庭政治讨论会，学会“Fighting F.A.I.R.”。在波尔巴一家，初选很有意思，因为我们家的五个成员分别支持不同的候选人。我们听别人的观点，某些陈述还引发了“吸引人的”讨论。有些技巧可以让在激烈辩论的人变得心平气和。这里有四条Fighting F.A.I.R.的规则，它们可以让你把你的观点清楚地表达出来。 如果有人发怒时要记得及时降温。
坚定你的立场
尽量避免有指责他人的信息，否则将会加剧讨论的激烈程度。
尊敬地听他人观点
5. 观看大选之夜的新闻报道。即使这只有几分钟，也要看电视新闻报道。解释评论员怎么报导谁将会是下一届总统。在我成长的过程中，这是件家庭大事。 6. 添上政治课程。挂上美国的地图或者是从网上复制一份。迅速学习两个政党的体制：奥巴马是民主党的；麦卡恩是共和党的。已上学的孩子可以在地图上标上“红色”或者是“蓝色”。大一点的孩子可以用计算器统计选举团所投的票，在生活中感受民主的进程。 7. 保留第二天的报纸。确保你收集了报纸上的宣告了谁是新的美国总统的大字标题。不管是谁赢了，都要让你的孩子知道这个当选的人在接下来的四年里将会是自由国度的领导人。 不管你的候选人是否赢了，都请告诉你的孩子：在这个世界上有很多国家连选择候选人的权利都没有，不要让你的孩子觉得他们有民主权利是理所当然的。
确保你投票了！
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