Practice Civic Duties as Part of Adolescent Parenting

  • Vote. No other lesson will have a greater impact than seeing democracy in action. We can teach this lesson best by taking full advantage of our rights and responsibilities. We need to register to vote, study the issues and then cast our ballots. Take your kids with you when you vote. Don't choose the presidential election, but rather a small local one and pick a slow time after school. Then your kids can see the set-up, talk to the election personnel while you cast your ballot.
  • Buy a flag and fly it. Teach a reverence for the flag and what it stands for. Learn together how to care for your flag, when to take it down, and what to do when it is time to replace it. Talk about the symbolism of the flag: the stars represent the 50 states and the stripes represent the first thirteen states. Originally the stars appeared in a circle to represent that no one state was superior to another. Remind your children that people fought and died for our right to fly that flag and that many veterans feel that clothing and other items with the Stars and Stripes are inappropriate.

Celebrate Our Country with Fun Family Activities

  • Enjoy patriotic music together. Buy a tape or CD of John Phillips Sousa and make it part of your patriotic holiday celebrations. Learn the words to the Star Spangled Banner. Talk about Francis Scott Key and what events inspired him to write the song.
  • Attend parades commemorating patriotic holidays. Or why not have your own parade in your neighborhood? Encourage all the kids to join in. Make bike, big wheel, or wagon "floats" and take a trip or two around the block. Play pots and pans instruments and carry the flag high.
  • Sprinkle lessons of American history into your child's life. Watch specials on PBS, the History Channel or the Discovery Channel that talk about people and events that have formed this country and democracy. Read biographies of famous people throughout history. Since much of "history" focuses on men, talk about women's efforts as well.


 

It is time now to help our children understand how democracy works and the rights and responsibilities that accompany our form of government. It is for the people and by the people and we the people need to participate to make it work.