Did you explain the elections to your kids?

[Cheepo]

This writer did... though I am not sure if she herself understands it.

 

 

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNew...510-277950.html

 

My son teaches me how to vote

My son summed up for me what it means to be a voter: to use your head, as well as your heart. -myp

 

Tue, May 10, 2011

my paper

 

By Clara Cho

IT'S not easy explaining politics to a kid.

 

This, I found out, during the recently concluded General Election season, which marked my five-year-old son's political awakening.

 

"Mummy, why are there so many signs around our block with the same picture that is on my school uniform?" Julian asked me one day, pointing to the lightning bolt on his PE T-shirt.

 

Trying to think of a simple way to explain the electoral system, I said: "There's going to be a big competition, in which everyone in Singapore is going to help choose a winner."

 

I added: "The people competing are from groups called political parties."

 

Julian then asked, referring to a story from the Thomas the Tank Engine series: "Is it like the competition that Gordon joined, on who was the best dressed?"

 

I replied: "Um... yes, sort of. And the contestants are like Gordon, Percy and all the other engines in Tidmouth Sheds."

 

Over a long dinner, the Supportive Spouse and I explained to Julian how political parties worked.

 

In Politics 101 for kids, we introduced him to "the Government", which was made up of "people we chose to take care of Singapore, making sure we have homes to live in, jobs and workers to keep the roads clean and tidy".

 

Putting things so simply tested my understanding of the system. But it also demonstrated that the principle of it was logically sound, so that even a kid could grasp it.

 

We told Julian that Singaporeans were going to choose people for the government, from a pool of people who wanted to represent various parts of Singapore in the competition.

 

And we told him that the Government, since independence, has been made up of People's Action Party members, and they have set up towns, hospitals and schools - such as the kindergarten he attends.

 

We told him about opposition parties, and how they wanted to be voted into Parliament, so as to provide a different way of doing things.

 

Different parties believe in different things, we said, and have different things they want to do for the country. The boy wanted to know more. And more. Rather than give him black-and-white answers, we felt it was important to explain things so that he could make up his own mind.

 

We told him about how political parties would try to get voters to choose them, by promising them things. And the key was in deciding for yourself if the promises are what you want, and if the promising party is capable of delivering on them.

 

"If two people ask you to vote for them as your parents, and promise that they'll buy toys for you and not scold you, would you choose them?" I finally asked my son.

 

Julian shook his head: "No. I want you and Papa to be my parents. Because I love you."

 

And, just like that, my son summed up for me what it means to be a voter: to use your head, as well as your heart.

 

 

For more my paper stories click here.

Edited May 10, 2011 by Cheepo

[Alpha78]

Don't teach the kids how to vote... teach them what's politics. Like this.

 

A son asks his father, "What can you tell me about politics? I have to learn about it for school tomorrow." The father thought some and said, "OK, son, the best way I can describe politics is to use an analogy. Let's say that I'm a capitalist because I'm the breadwinner. Your mother will be the government because she controls everything, our maid will be the working class because she works for us, you will be the people because you answer to us, and your baby brother will be the future. Does that help any?" The little boy said, "Well, Dad, I don't know, but I'll think about what you said."

 

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, the little boy was awaken by his baby brother's crying. Upon further investigation, he found a dirty diaper. So, he went down the hall to his parent's bedroom and found his father's side of the bed empty and his mother wouldn't wake up. Then he saw a light on in the guest room down the hall, and when he reached the door, he saw through the crack that his father was in bed with the maid. The son then turned and went back to bed.

 

The next morning, he said to his father at the breakfast table, "Dad, I think I understand politics much better now." "Excellent, my boy," he answered, "What have you learned?" The little boy thought for a minute and said, "I learned that capitalism is screwing the working class, government is sound asleep ignoring the people, and the future's full of crap."