Raising Future Citizens: Nurturing Engaged and Informed Children in a Democratic Society
How to Raise a Citizen Project
In a world where politics seems to be more divisive than ever, it is important that as parents, we guide our children towards becoming informed citizens. This effort can create a society that functions with understanding for another, even in the face of disagreement.
Political Discussions at Home
Many parents avoid discussing politics with children, often with the idea that this strategy shields them from potential stress or controversial topics. However, refraining from these discussions also inadvertently limit our children’s understanding of the world and their role in shaping it as they grow up. As parents, it’s our duty to foster an understanding of citizenship and respectful discourse from a young age, and slowly build upon these discussions as our kids mature.
Other households decide to talk about politics, but give a lot of time to the negative aspects —venting frustrations about politicians and policies and “the system” in general. This is arguably better than not talking politics at all, but it also provides children with a view towards politics that tells them to avoid the field and the topics rather than lean in to learn more.
Our approach to political discourse at home holds the power to inspire the next generation of citizens. By shifting the focus from the negativity that often surrounds politics to encouraging an understanding of the process, we can help our children aspire to be part of the solution to society’s challenges — rather than be sidelined into just complaining about politics and government.
Project Outline
In the work that I seek to do over the next year, I have a set of different goals for how to reach parents for this effort. Here’s a preview of what’s to come on the path of this project. And if you’re reading this and you have questions or ideas of topics that you think should be included — please reach out and let me know!
How to Raise Citizens
We must first recognize our significant role as parents in shaping future citizens. As parents we need to be comfortable raising children who can form their own political beliefs, rather than simply mirroring our own.
To aid in that effort I’m creating a set of adaptable frameworks to initiate meaningful dialogues with your children — both on bigger theoretical concepts and through the lens of current events. My hope is that with each other you and your children will find avenues to talk about a range of pertinent political issues. These frameworks will be geared towards different ages, and you’ll be able to decide what you think will work with your kids best.
I also plan to write a series of pieces going through the voting process as was as an in-depth analysis of the US Constitution, federalism, and other civic principles. Knowing that many of us grew up in households that didn’t talk a lot about politics, and were ushered through a school system that de-emphasized the subject these pieces should serve as a guide to refreshing your understanding. By learning a little more yourself, you’ll be better able to aid your children in grasping the essential concepts that govern our society.
I truly believe in a hopeful vision of the transformation that can occur in American politics with well-informed and interested participants. In doing this sort of work I aim to bridge the gap between my aspirations and tangible change. Political engagement is both empowering and necessary — and it’s not clear that things can change without a concerted effort from parents.
As I take this on I want to be clear about what I mean by the broader notion of ‘citizenship’. In my work I define citizenship as a state of active agency within a political system, transcending the barriers of age, ethnicity, or nationality. And part of nurturing children on their way to formal, voting participatory citizenship is to help provide them with an understanding, and engagement with the mechanisms that shape our society.
If you’d like to follow along on this exercise — and I hope you do — you can follow me here on Medium. Alternatively if you’re interested in picking up parenting resources as those topics arise in your household, you can head over to Howtoraiseacitizen.com for my writing and more.
The Journey Ahead
Embarking on this journey is not merely about raising politically aware individuals; it’s about fostering modes of dialogue that can potentially reshape our society. Through intentional and guided discussions, we can steer our children towards becoming active, informed contributors to our democratic process — in ways that weren’t available to most of us in our youth.
Parenting in a way where politics is embraced as a tool for positive change and community-building can empower our children to be the beacon of positive change in the days to come. I know many of us yearn for a better politics — I certainly do.
