INTRODUCTION: “Mommy! Daddy! Where does capitalism come from?”
Children always seem to ask the wrong questions at the worst possible times, don’t they? How many of us have been interrupted while filling out our family’s tax returns by our inquisitive four year-old? According to clinical political analysts, mathematicus interruptus is quite common among families with small children.
A vast majority of parents are unprepared to discuss politics with their children. Whenever the subject is brought up, a terse, “Go ask your mother,” or, “When you’re older, you’ll understand,” is as far as many parents will commit themselves.
Yet, politics is an integral part of our lives. Good politics, like good sex, is important to an individual’s well-being. It is now clear that political attitudes are developed at a very early age. Since our attitudes are mainly formed by what we learn from our parents, it is important for those with young children to transmit healthy attitudes towards this very important aspect of life.
There are a few basic rules in teaching children about politics which, if applied faithfully, can make the process easier for all concerned.
RULE 1: TREAT POLITICS NATURALLY AND HONESTLY
The traditional attitude towards politics has been that it is not a fit subject for discussion in public, much less with children present. This has led to an entire generation of politically maladjusted individuals who deny their very politicality, who try to pretend the subject doesn’t exist even as their curiosity about it grows.
This tends to be confusing for children who start to question where political leaders come from. Responses such as, “They come from the cabbage patch, dear,” and, “The stork elects them,” may be momentarily satisfying, but they insult a child’s intelligence and ultimately can stunt a child’s political growth.
Simon, an anarchist who currently resides in Bradford, was a victim of this problem (which has yet to get enough clinical recognition to be referred to as a “syndrome”). “My folks never talked about politics,” he explains, “but, the signs that something was going on were all around me. It was obvious.
“I didn’t know much about it until I was 16. Jimmy, a pal of mine, stole a book on Marx out of the public library, and we looked it over in an abandoned barn one night. I…I was shocked at first. I never knew politics was like that.
“Of course, the first time I…I voted, it was a big letdown, nothing like I imagined it would be…”
Children to whom politics has not been adequately explained often seek their own answers to how the country works. While such answers can be quite amusing, their existence points to an unhealthy attitude towards politics which will hurt the child later in life.
On the other hand, children brought up in an atmosphere where politics and politicality are an accepted way of life are more likely to be politically active in a healthy way, more open about their politicality and all-round better people.
RULE 2: DISCUSS POLITICS AT A LEVEL THE CHILD WILL COMPREHEND
There is no point engaging a four year-old on the intricacies of Canadian defense and foreign policy; few enough adults know anything about it! The child will likely become confused and more than a little frustrated, the first stage of alienation from one’s own politicality.
According to Piaget, children can be started as early as 18 months, at which point a parent concerned about a child’s health can start using words such as “democracy” and “capitalism” in the child’s presence. By two years of age, a child should be familiar with the electoral process and a simple definition of profit.
Between the ages of two and six, the child undergoes a rapid intellectualization, and some of the more complex concepts, such as the tyranny of the majority, can be broached. Of course, each child will develop at a different rate, so it is important for parents to be sensitive to the learning ability of the individual child.
Between the ages of six and 12, the child should be introduced to political alternatives. Although voting age isn’t usually lower than 18, it is commonly accepted that children start experimenting with politics between the ages of 13 and 15 (depending upon the child). Thus, this is the stage at which the relative merits of liberal and conservative, socialist and capitalist and various other philosophies should be discussed.
Once the child has reached the age of 13, it is ready to become politically active. If the child hasn’t become interested in politics by the time it is 36, parents should consult a doctor or a political columnist.
RULE 3: ENCOURAGE EXPERIMENTATION
Most parents, in teaching their children about politics, invariably encourage them, both verbally and by example, to believe the same things the parents do. This is, of course, human nature, and there is little we can do about it.
However, this behaviour can cause a backlash of which concerned parents should be aware: a child will frequently experiment without the parent’s knowledge, often with politics of which the parent would not approve. The only safe way to guard against this is to discuss all aspects of a child’s politicality with him, as many different beliefs as the child is able to assimilate.
This calls for a tremendous amount of patience on the part of a parent, but the alternative, a politically deviant child, is to be avoided at all costs.
CONCLUSION: We are all political creatures. If we wish our children to grow up in a healthy political atmosphere, it is up to us to shed our regressive conditioning and teach them to have healthy attitudes towards their politicality.
In short, if we are to build a better society with happier people, politics must come out of the closet.