Today … I’m voting. When my kindergartner gets out of school today, I’m taking both of my daughters to the polls. We’ll probably have to park some distance from the fairgrounds, and it’s supposed to be raining, and then I have to find the map that shows my district and stand in line until it’s my turn. I can’t forget my identification and I always get nervous that I might mark something incorrectly. Taking a 3-year-old and 5-year-old to do all this with me certainly doesn’t make the task easier, but I want them to KNOW.
When the poll worker hands me three stickers, I will explain to my daughters, as I do every year, what it means to be an American and what it means to be a female American. Then, I will proudly walk through the rain hand-in-hand with my two daughters—wearing stickers on our lapels.
Thanks Meg! This might be the most important civic lesson your children learn. Voting matters.
I agree Winnie! I told the girls it was the most important sticker they will ever receive. 🙂
As a “retired” homeschooling mom, I used to make a big deal about ANY & ALL elections with my 4 children. We even celebrated after the results came out. I mean sparklers, special cake & ice cream, buttons that had the saying “Our family votes!” We even did mock elections with a voting booth, ballots, & my hubby counted all the votes. The kids would ask at the local library other peoples’ opinions about issues & candidates. Now they all vote & very proudly! And my grandgirls are now taken to the election hall to watch the whole process, just as their mommy used to. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A. Thanks for the memories, Meg!
Forgot one thing–I voted today, too!
I love it! Yup, my mom taught me the importance of voting and I am proudly passing it along to my daughters too. Good work Grandma!