I created this little checklist for my kids to help them narrow down their choice of a Presidential candidate.   Some of the information is brand new to them.  It’s interesting to watch them ponder right from wrong and discuss the “gray areas”.   I’m trying very hard to present the issues without bias, other than how they fit in our personal family values….which is contradictory, I know.   We’re teaching them, but we want them to have open minds and make intelligent, independant choices.  They may not (and do not) always agree with us, and that’s OK.   You can use  GlassBooth  or FamilyEducation websites to explore the issues and see where each candidate stands.

Kid’s Checklist to 2008 Key Issues

 We’ll be announcing their candidate soon (although they are quickly dwindling!!).  Have you done YOUR homework?  Who represents your interests?

We’re back in the groove of school. After the holidays we moved to The Americas. This week we’re visiting Mexico and we overdid it at the library. We just couldn’t decide on a couple of books, so we brought home a bunch. From Josefiná (American Girl) to Cinco dé Mayo to Mexican Folktales. One of our favorite book series is “A Kaleidoscope Kids Book“. We are enjoying Mexico! and plan to make tortillas and a heddle loom this week.

On the political front, we went to the voter registration desk at our library. The kids reviewed the form and documentation required to prove citizenship. This lead to discussion about rights. Of course my kids think there should be no age limitation on voting. Knowing the time they’re spending researching each candidate, they may actually be more informed than most legally registered voters. I decided not to leave out the issue of abortion and have cautiously opened that discussion. Like me, my kids had an immediate reaction, but carefully listened to the debated “options”.

Our copywork this week was to transfer a favorite recipe to our 4×6 card file. Nicholas, who has the tendency to look for the shortest distance between two points, picked “Parmesan Chicken”, something he has never eaten. Noticing his shorthand, I put the cookbooks away and announced they could each make their recipe for dinner. Do you know what 1 2 c flour is? He “thought” it was twelve cups, so had to do a little research. After repairing his writing in numerous places, he was able to skillet fry parmesan coated chicken breasts! He chose cooked corn, crescent rolls and pan gravy to round out his carb-loaded supper. It was delicious.

As I plot a course to teach my kids how America elects her President, I’ve been reading blogs and websites.  We’re going to track the course of the election starting with the primaries and caucuses - examine the candidates - review the issues - and learn about our rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States.    Because we’re not easily pigeon holed as REPUBLICANS or DEMOCRATS, we’re not limiting our choices to one party. 

My absolute favorite website find is:  Glassbooth Election 2008.  It breaks down the most significant issues and and each candidate’s stand, and more!   We will be going through this over the next few week in great detail.   We need  be prepared for our Super Tuesday vote!

I tried to outline the fundamental difference in the major parties, and  failed miserably.  Even on the web, finding a non-biased definition that fits 2008 has been futile.   Possibly too complex in today’s society to simplify and explain to elementary age students (or their middle-age mama).