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www.FredericksburgParent.NET 15 RESOURCES Talk to your kids about the democratic process. Play nice—in politics?! Poli cal rhetoric may be diffi cult for your child to comprehend, but behavior in poli cs can o en parallel real-life situa ons your child can relate to about how we should treat each other and who we can trust. "Here we are: two poli cal fi gures. They're going to say their beliefs right out front, but wouldn't it be nice if that was all they were doing," Walfi sh says. "Instead what they're do- ing is using put-downs, cri cisms (and) willing to go forward at all costs to win." Perhaps the vindic ve nature of poli cs will never change, but parents can use examples of how poli cians conduct themselves to teach values about what it means to win honorably, treat others with respect and be a trustworthy friend. For example, on the playground, a child might promise your child that he can have the ball next, but then passes the ball to an ally or con nues to hog the ball. Even a young child understands that the other child's ac ons are unfair. "A good friend is someone who treats you right all of the me. And that's what we're looking for in poli cs," Walfi sh says. "And a lot of mes people will say anything to get what they want, which is to win. Our job is to try to fi gure out who's telling the truth, who's going to deliver on the goods." Civics 101 Talk to your kids about the democra c pro- cess. Take your child to the vo ng booth and follow the results on elec on night together to help her see the elec on process in ac on and the connec on between your vote and why it ma ers. Explain that poli cians are public servants and they usually enter the poli cal process in an a empt to make a diff erence in the lives of ci zens. "Parents can off er examples from their lives to illustrate giving to others as a posi ve way to explain poli cs," McKi rick says. "A er all, poli cs exist in our families, communi- es, schools and workplaces—not just at the ballot box." Websites Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government bensguide.gpo.gov/iCivics.org Scholas c Elec on 2020 classroommagazines.scholas c.com/elec on.html Library of Congress State Government Informa on www.loc.gov/rr/news/stategov/index.html "1776" (ages 8+) "Young" Mr. Lincoln (ages 10+) "Gandhi" (ages 12+) "Dave" (ages 12+) "Knock Down the House" (12+) "All the President's Men" (ages 13+) Source: CommonSenseMedia.org Children's Books about Politics and Government "My Vote, My Congress, My President, and My Supreme Court" ~ Ci zen Baby board book series by Megan E. Bryant and Daniel Prosterman "A Vote is a Powerful Thing" by Catherine S er "Elec on Connec on" by Susan Ring "Cons tu on Decoded: A Guide to the Document that Shapes our Na on" by Ka e Kennedy "The Suff ragist Playbook: Your Guide to Changing the World" by Lucinda Robb & Rebecca Boggs Roberts (release date October 27, 2020) "Duck for President" by Doreen Cronin "This Li le President: A Presiden al Primer " by Joan Holub (board book) "That's Not Fair! Ge ng to Know Your Rights and Freedoms" (Ci zenKid) by Danielle McLaughlin Political Movies for Kids Interested in Politics