So I voted this morning and, as usual, took my son with me. In past years, my main concerns have been that he didn’t run off or that he would press the “VOTE” button before I was ready. This year I had another issue entirely – the fact that we did not agree on who to vote for!
Now it’s not that he has developed political savvy beyond his years or that he is more informed on the topics than I am, but rather that he has been completely swayed by a campaign commercial he saw last week. Since then, he has been pleading with us to vote for this candidate and was announcing it loudly as we entered the polling place, despite my instructions that who you vote for is your own business and that you do not have to share it with anyone unless you want to.
So we made it through and I voted for the candidate of my choice without him trying to push different buttons, but he was crying as we left the booth. I consoled him by telling him that his candidate might still win and that we could watch the election returns tonight and in the morning to find out.
Do you take your kids with you when you vote?
Photo courtesy of mkebbe.
I'm a mom with Asperger's raising an amazing son with autism, which means I'm basically the case manager/advocate/cheerleader/chauffeur. The rest of the time, you can usually find me with my nose in a book!
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I do! Or I did until they all became school age. I remeber fondly the first time I voted with a child. I pushed her in her stroller to our neighborhood polling place and waited in line with her. I thought, this is the way it’s supposed to work! Other times since, I have wavered in my confidence by the looks of others and secretly wondered if there was some unwriten rule against it. But my children are usually right beside me and not wandering or intruding, so I figure it is as my first expereince, this is the way it’s supposed to work.
I do! Or I did until they all became school age. I remeber fondly the first time I voted with a child. I pushed her in her stroller to our neighborhood polling place and waited in line with her. I thought, this is the way it’s supposed to work! Other times since, I have wavered in my confidence by the looks of others and secretly wondered if there was some unwriten rule against it. But my children are usually right beside me and not wandering or intruding, so I figure it is as my first expereince, this is the way it’s supposed to work.
I think its wonderful you took your little guy to the polls. How better to teach civic responsibility than to show him it is important to you. And you’ve opened the discussion about politics and government – even if you didn’t vote for his candidate :0) I remember being heartbroken when Carter beat Ford – lol – I survived!
Frog’s Mom´s last blog post..Linus for President
I think its wonderful you took your little guy to the polls. How better to teach civic responsibility than to show him it is important to you. And you’ve opened the discussion about politics and government – even if you didn’t vote for his candidate :0) I remember being heartbroken when Carter beat Ford – lol – I survived!
Frog’s Mom´s last blog post..Linus for President
I brought my son with me before he was in elementary school, and now I take my daughter with me. She is three and when we were done, she wanted to go home and do it all over again, but with the same ballot as I had used. Good learning experience for us!
Cynthia @ MeAnderings´s last blog post..It is time!
I brought my son with me before he was in elementary school, and now I take my daughter with me. She is three and when we were done, she wanted to go home and do it all over again, but with the same ballot as I had used. Good learning experience for us!
Cynthia @ MeAnderings´s last blog post..It is time!
Not this time, in fact that is the main reason why we voted early this year. Schools were out today and after our experience with our twins four years ago and the lines expected, we were not about to bring all 3 to the polls! They don’t do well in crowds or waiting in lines, last time I had to get out of line and take them to a nearby playground (thankfully there was one) until dh got close to the front of the line and then we voted.
In the primaries, we took Bitty and there was no line, but he was Mr. Crankypants so we had to take turns voting. Not a big deal, but again, not something I wanted to repeat with a several-hour-long line
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I do think it’s important to teach our kids about government, voting, civic duty, etc. We’ve been talking about it a lot ever since the primaries – our twins got interested in all the numbers (watching the results come in every time there was a state primary) so we took the opportunity to teach them about what was going on. Apparently they were pretty vocal at school about who they wanted to win… when we went in for their spring teacher conferences, the teachers laughed about how they all knew what our political leanings were, lol.
Danette´s last blog post..Little Bitty at the petting zoo
Not this time, in fact that is the main reason why we voted early this year. Schools were out today and after our experience with our twins four years ago and the lines expected, we were not about to bring all 3 to the polls! They don’t do well in crowds or waiting in lines, last time I had to get out of line and take them to a nearby playground (thankfully there was one) until dh got close to the front of the line and then we voted.
In the primaries, we took Bitty and there was no line, but he was Mr. Crankypants so we had to take turns voting. Not a big deal, but again, not something I wanted to repeat with a several-hour-long line
.
I do think it’s important to teach our kids about government, voting, civic duty, etc. We’ve been talking about it a lot ever since the primaries – our twins got interested in all the numbers (watching the results come in every time there was a state primary) so we took the opportunity to teach them about what was going on. Apparently they were pretty vocal at school about who they wanted to win… when we went in for their spring teacher conferences, the teachers laughed about how they all knew what our political leanings were, lol.
Danette´s last blog post..Little Bitty at the petting zoo
I took the pre-school aged one! And we had so much fun: http://experiencingeachmoment.blogspot.com/2008/11/because-you-are-americans.html
Alicia @ Experiencing Each Moment´s last blog post.."Because you are Americans!"
I took the pre-school aged one! And we had so much fun: http://experiencingeachmoment.blogspot.com/2008/11/because-you-are-americans.html
Alicia @ Experiencing Each Moment´s last blog post.."Because you are Americans!"
We did take our kids to the polls and they helped us cast our votes. We had to have a similar talk with both of them, Gus especially, about privacy. He did pretty well and didn’t start spouting off about our candidate until we were a few feet from the exit, and then we just made a dash for it. He, by his own choice (we kept trying to change the channel) spent a good portion of the afternoon watching the pundits before the returns started coming in. It was amusing and a little cool I thought.
My Autism Insights´s last blog post..Yes, We Really Can
We did take our kids to the polls and they helped us cast our votes. We had to have a similar talk with both of them, Gus especially, about privacy. He did pretty well and didn’t start spouting off about our candidate until we were a few feet from the exit, and then we just made a dash for it. He, by his own choice (we kept trying to change the channel) spent a good portion of the afternoon watching the pundits before the returns started coming in. It was amusing and a little cool I thought.
My Autism Insights´s last blog post..Yes, We Really Can
I usually wait until evening so I can take my kids with me, but I wanted to MAKE SURE that I had the chance to vote. I went just as soon as I got all the kids in school, but they were definitely upset with me that I had gone without them!
The got to hold a mock election at their school, at least.
I usually wait until evening so I can take my kids with me, but I wanted to MAKE SURE that I had the chance to vote. I went just as soon as I got all the kids in school, but they were definitely upset with me that I had gone without them!
The got to hold a mock election at their school, at least.
I was not be brave enough to take my two little ones to vote with me! If I had been, I’m sure you would have heard of some voter fraud problems down in Texas because a certain 3 year old was running around pressing buttons on all the machines! I early voted while they were ar Mothers Day Out.
But I think it’s great that your son got to observe you voting, even if he didn’t agree with your candidate of choice!
Jenny´s last blog post..A Smile From Both
I was not be brave enough to take my two little ones to vote with me! If I had been, I’m sure you would have heard of some voter fraud problems down in Texas because a certain 3 year old was running around pressing buttons on all the machines! I early voted while they were ar Mothers Day Out.
But I think it’s great that your son got to observe you voting, even if he didn’t agree with your candidate of choice!
Jenny´s last blog post..A Smile From Both
Oh no. What a cutie wanting to vote so bad.
I don’t take M to the polls. I know it would stress her out too much. She can barely handle the grocery store.
We did talk about it quite a bit though.
Marla´s last blog post..Vote! Who will be the Defeater?
Oh no. What a cutie wanting to vote so bad.
I don’t take M to the polls. I know it would stress her out too much. She can barely handle the grocery store.
We did talk about it quite a bit though.
Marla´s last blog post..Vote! Who will be the Defeater?
I did take my older daughter (age 6), and showed her what I was doing. She didn’t want to help me make the marks, but she did put the ballot into the machine for me.
I have fond memories of my first mock election — Carter v. Ford, it was. That was the year I learned to make tally marks into groups of five with the slanty-slash through the four uprights!
JoyMama´s last blog post..Zombie Parents
I did take my older daughter (age 6), and showed her what I was doing. She didn’t want to help me make the marks, but she did put the ballot into the machine for me.
I have fond memories of my first mock election — Carter v. Ford, it was. That was the year I learned to make tally marks into groups of five with the slanty-slash through the four uprights!
JoyMama´s last blog post..Zombie Parents
Love your story. Sounds like Michael may be a politician! Took Josiah and I’m happy to report there were no incidences.
Natalie´s last blog post..Barack Obama’s Victory Speech
Love your story. Sounds like Michael may be a politician! Took Josiah and I’m happy to report there were no incidences.
Natalie´s last blog post..Barack Obama’s Victory Speech
I took my 3 girls with me and felt very proud–they were really interested and (!) behaved perfectly! All in all, a great day! Have you and your son resolved your political differences? My daughters also had very strong political views
Spring´s last blog post..Memories
I took my 3 girls with me and felt very proud–they were really interested and (!) behaved perfectly! All in all, a great day! Have you and your son resolved your political differences? My daughters also had very strong political views
Spring´s last blog post..Memories
I took both of my boys (10 months and 2 and a 1/2). The lady there just reminded me that Brady was allowed to watch what I was doing, but he was not allowed to touch the screen or press the vote button. I am glad that she reminded me of that. My boys were well behaved, but Brady was sad that he did not “get his turn” to vote. Smiles cried because some of the people there just “had to” look at him and coo or whatever they were doing. There were just too many strange people there, so he let out a few wails! Thankfully he settled down quickly and all was good!
I took both of my boys (10 months and 2 and a 1/2). The lady there just reminded me that Brady was allowed to watch what I was doing, but he was not allowed to touch the screen or press the vote button. I am glad that she reminded me of that. My boys were well behaved, but Brady was sad that he did not “get his turn” to vote. Smiles cried because some of the people there just “had to” look at him and coo or whatever they were doing. There were just too many strange people there, so he let out a few wails! Thankfully he settled down quickly and all was good!