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I have clear memories of going to vote with my parents when I was young. I remember the lines, the curtains separating the booths, my mom taking forever to talk with everyone, and of course, I remember the stickers. 

As I got older, those memories changed from voting with my parents to talking with my teachers. I remember walking into Mr. Bergman or Mr. Spring’s history classes the day after a presidential debate, a State of the Union address, or most excitingly, after an election. I knew we’d toss the lesson plan out the window and spend the class talking about what had happened the night before. It was exciting, it was engaging, it was fun. Maybe not everyone thought it was fun (hello, fellow nerds), but at the very least, people knew they’d spend a class period debating and talking instead of using textbooks. I genuinely enjoyed watching the night before and anticipating what the debate would be the next day in class. It taught us hugely valuable lessons; among them, the importance of being an engaged citizen. 

Parents are worried about a whole range of issues affecting our kids right now, from behavioral and emotional challenges to isolation and educational concerns. Engagement in our democracy might not be on that list. But, watching the debate on Tuesday, it struck me that with kids out of school and most people voting by absentee, our kids are missing out on valuable lessons in civic responsibility right now. How are you getting your kids to engage during this strange time?

It doesn’t matter where you stand politically, involving kids of all ages in our democracy is an important part of their upbringing. My husband is an immigrant. He just got his citizenship a month ago and his voter registration arrived yesterday, 4 days before the voter registration deadline here in Florida. He’s too late to request an absentee ballot, so we’ll be going to the polls in person - with masks and sanitizer. I haven’t voted in person since high school and I’m weirdly excited about it. Not as excited as he is though. This year, he finally gets to vote in a country he has lived in since he was 18. For the first time, he gets to use a right that so many of us take for granted, and he gets to vote for the future of his son and soon-to-be-born daughter. 

We’re all overwhelmed, drained, and burnt-out. Maybe you already got your ballot and are planning to fill it out late at night, after your kids got to sleep. I get that, I really do. But as I think back to my experience growing up, I have a sinking feeling for all the kids missing out on the community and school experiences of an election year. I understand that voting and political engagement may not seem like a big thing for kids to miss with everything else they’re already missing this school year. But it is. I also understand how tired we all are. The idea of opening a discussion on the train wreck that is politics in this country with your kids probably feels like something you’d rather skip this time. There’s just one month left before the election though, now’s the moment to talk to your kids about it if you haven’t yet. I’m not someone to add something to parents lists, I spend most of my time helping people lighten their load, but this one is too big to skip. 

Everyone has a different view on politics, on how they talk about it with their families, and how they choose to participate. No one can tell you what is best for your family. But a huge part of learning about politics and our democracy is talking with other people - be it peers and teachers or neighbors and family friends. Right now, thanks to COVID, that’s not happening. Which means your kids have...you. When you’re thinking about education, school, and raising your kids, remember this aspect of it as well. It might be a train wreck, but it’s happening, and they should be part of the conversation.