Children and Elections

[chinchuckchick]

I was surprised today at how many parents were tag teaming with their partners when they were voting. Ran into quite a few parents from my kids school who were quite happy to tell me they were able to leave the kids at home while they voted.

We have always made a point of taking our children with us when we vote, it's another opportunity to teach them something. We have also always dragged them out of bed to attend the ANZAC dawn service, even though when they were very young they had no idea why.

 So do you make a point of involving your children in elections, or do you prefer to "escape" and vote in peace?

Do you take your children to the Dawn Service?

[j*oono]

I don't know about voting but we all loved getting up super early for the dawn Anzac service and they did know why as I'm sure yours did too chinchuck.  We still do it most years.

[chinchuckchick]

Joono, I'm proud to say our children haven't missed an ANZAC dawn service since they were born, as babies, toddlers, obviously they didn't know what was going on, but now at 7 & 12 they set their own alarms to get up for it.

Our own parents never did this with us, so i really hope in future years that I will be attending with our grandchildren. I love the feeling you get as the sun rises and you see just how many people have made the effort to attend a dawn service.

There were a few services in the past when i had to take a whingy/cryiing baby for a walk, but we weren't missing the service because they were so young.

[i-once-was-bump]

I have no children so won't be answering that question however as a child we never went to a dawn service but we went later in the day but being a small country town I don't even know if there was a dawn service.

I was 7 when we moved and I don't think I have ever been to any ANZAC service since then.

My mother had 3 brothers who fought in ww2 and my father had twin brothers who both fought in ww2 but none of them have ever spoken about their time and going to ANZAC Day services was not the done thing.

I think it means more today than it did in the 1960/70/80s and that is a good thing.

[*crikey*mate*]

I never thought to took them to the election polls to teach them anything, but as their father works weekends, they've always come with me. I did start to have a conversation with Big Crikey about the whole thing whilst standing in the queue last year (I think it was) but as his opinions became audible to those around us, I thought it best to continue the conversation at home.

As for the Dawn Service - kids have all been involved in either Scouts, Brigades, Air Cadets or Blenders since they were 6 - so I know they've been every year since then, but I don't think we took them before that.

The ones in Air Cadets participate in the Dawn Service, then they do a service at 9am with the Blenders, then travel to the CBD to March with Brigades.

[catsnknots]

I use to take my kids but now it is their choice... 

Politics should not just be discussed with your kids at polling booths... in my home it is discussed just about every day. Mr 14 has a very proud opinion but as much as I try to convince him anarchy is not viable position to take.... he is well known to make his anarchist views well know in public and I applaud him for it....  

[kyliecrv]

My kids came with me as I was a volunteer at the school on the cake stall or BBQ with the P &C .

i guess they could see how things ran from their time there, but I never discussed actual politics with them out in public and they knew not to ask people who they had voted for.

At 16 and nearly 14 I will be needing to have some talks with them about their voting before long.

[2106greencat]

The ANZAC yes , voting not so much, with cats on that one, I would rather discuss at home.

[twinkles**stars]

Sometimes yes sometimes no....if my then husband and I voted at the same time the children would have to accompany us.

No to the ANZAC service. I have never been myself....I have no need to attend.

[vampire-teddy]

i have thoughts either way about the polling booth.  it would come down to convenience, age of children etc.  i don't thing children would learn anything from attending a polling booth except how all the parties help to destroy the environment by wasting paper on voting info.

as for the Anzac service, though i have complete respect for all service people I have never been to a dawn service and doubt that I ever will.  my grandmother used to take me to the anzac day parade when i was a child but i have never had any involvement since.