by ray
On Monday, Reed got off the bus and told me he voted for president at school. About a thousand thoughts ran through my mind as I asked: “Oh, really?” then paused before asking, “And who did you vote for?” while not quite sure I could handle the answer I might get. You see, I haven’t really discussed the election a bunch with the kids because, well, they’re kids. Reed knows we go to vote and how it’s something important, but I’m not the parent who actively pushes a candidate or idea on a five-year-old.
In his best, clearly-enunciated child’s voice, he says, “Barack Obama.”
“Oh, yeah?” I ask with a smile. “Why’d you vote for him.”
“Because.” and then adding an explanation in case I didn’t already know: “He’s the best.”
Later on Tuesday evening, we were talking about voting again, where I mentioned that in a few years when he turns 18 he’ll get to vote to.
“But I already voted. Yesterday.”
Such was his earnestness, I didn’t dare disabuse him of the notion that Kindergardeners could vote in national elections. It was just to sweet an idea.
He’s really getting engaged with conversations now. Tonight, for instance, we were discussing something he’d written in school today. The sheet had a drawing of a mountain and the words “George Washington is on a mountain. He is dead. He is our first president.” Interestingly, this prompted a discussion that ranged from Washington to Mount Rushmore to the Revolutionary War, Constitutional Congress, the monarchy in England and then he asks “Not the emperor?” So I tried to explain the difference between a king and an emperor, and how we typically think of emperors as being in Japan or China, wherein he noted that the emperor’s birthday is next month. Looking at the calendar, I found he was spot on. Then we started talking about China, and how they don’t have an emperor anymore, and then what communism is, versus what a democracy is.
Neat, huh?
Oh, and as we were reading his encyclopedia tonight going over land features (mountains, valleys and such), he noted he’d seen lots of signs for McCain – “Plain”. I can just imagine him wondering where the McCain plain is on his map.
Popularity: 2% [?]
It sounds like before I’m ready to have kids, I’ll have to be well studied! Reed’s curiosity is beautiful.
rachael :: nov 06 2008 :: 7:21 am
Don’t worry about studying up. You can’t get to everything, so just research as you go along. I’ve actually had to go back and recheck some solar system facts, and he routinely trounces Amy at naming states on a blank map. But I do like showing him old black and white photos and telling him that once upon a time, the world had no colors at all …
That doesn’t make me a bad parent, right? =)
ray :: nov 06 2008 :: 4:30 pm
No, not a bit. But by all means, expect him to remember, and expect to hear about it later on, in some other context. For my own clan, at least, it’s those little moments and parental fairytales that get told and retold in the family histories. :)
This reminds me so much of the conversations I used to have with my little brother when he was that age. (There’s a 21-year gap between us, you see, and for a long time, I was a fairly regular parental figure in his life.) The beautiful thing about it for me was having to sharpen and clarify my statements in order to explain without bias. The result being that I learned as much or more about myself and the topic under discussion than my brother did. 5 is a magical age, and it looks like you’re enjoying it to the fullest.
hank :: nov 06 2008 :: 5:13 pm