Voting: An Asset-Building Approach

“It’s not the hand that signs the laws that holds the destiny of America. It’s the hand that casts the ballot.”—Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States

On Election Day, we go to the polls to vote for the people who will lead our country, our states, and our communities. Although only adults can vote, you can include your kids in ways that help them become engaged citizens who can’t wait to vote when they turn 18. Consider these ideas to make Election Day a family day.

Try it...

For all parents

• Take your kids with you to the polls. Young children can often accompany parents into the polling both, and older kids will pick up a lot of the buzz by observing the process from a distance. Most polling places enjoy having kids come, and many make them feel right at home, even though they’re not old enough to vote.
  
  
• If you’re comfortable talking about your political beliefs and choices, then talk about whom you are voting for and why. Explain what your hopes are for your country, your state, and your community. Then ask your kids for their opinions.
  
  
• Learn more about voting and elections by visiting the government’s citizen guide.
  
  
• Make Election Day a family day by watching the polling results and listening to what election forecasters have to say. Find a media source that you respect and pay attention to it.
  

For parents with children ages birth to 5

• If your polling place gives out stickers that say, “I voted,” give your sticker to your child (or ask one of the organizers if your child can have a sticker of her own). Most young children love wearing stickers, and many will proudly say, “I voted!” even though they’re not old enough to do so.
  
  
• Find a photograph of the president in a book, on the Internet, or in a magazine and show it to your child. Talk about how the president is the leader of country. Even if you’re not a fan of the president, getting your child familiar with idea and the person will help him become more engaged in the process as he grows.
  


• Declare Election Day as red, white, and blue day and wear those colors. Make flag pictures together to hang on the refrigerator. Serve something red (strawberries), white (potatoes), and blue (blueberries) for a meal.
  

For parents with children ages 6 - 9

• Talk simply about Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Children at this age often become fascinated by the animal that represents a political party, such as the donkey and the elephant. If you’re interested in another political party (such as the Green Party) talk about that one instead of the Independents to keep the explanation simpler.
  


• Have your child (and other family members) vote for a leader at home. Create a ballot box and give only two or three choices. Design the ballot with pictures of those running for office. Don’t be surprised if your child picks someone based solely on “how nice” she looks. That’s okay at this age. Have someone tally the votes.
  
  
• Make the political process fun, even though it is serious business. Keep your strong opinions for adult conversations. You don’t want to turn your kids off to the process if you get overly emotional.
  

For parents with children ages 10 - 15

• As a family, research those running for office. Ask your kids to do research through the Internet and see what they find. Talk about what you’ve learned.
  
  
• Begin introducing the idea of political platforms and issues to your child. Together, learn which candidates advocate for which issues—and which issues are important to you and why. Get your kids’ opinions about important issues as well.
  
  
• Bring your child with you to a political caucus or primary. You don’t need to stay long to give your child a sense of what happens at these political events.
  

For parents with children ages 16 - 18

• Encourage your teenager to get involved in the political process at school. Many high schools have political parties, debates, and straw votes during election time. Find out how the student body voted—and what your teenager thought of the results.
  
  
• Help your teenager register to vote when he turns 18. If you’re not sure how to register in your area, visit Project Vote. If your teen still lives with you, take him to the first voting election.
  
  
• Talk with your teenager about the contradictions and the political process. For example, some people question how a candidate can talk about “family values” after having an affair. Honor your teenager’s growing sophistication and maturity by not shying away from how politics can get mean or incoherent. Talk about why that happens.
  
  
• Have family discussions about candidates and the issues. Talk about why it’s important for family members to vote and be politically active.
  

Fun Ways to Learn During the Summer

“All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.”—Martin H. Fischer, American professor of physiology

Parents worry about it. Educators complain about it: Kids can fall behind academically during the summer. Most kids enjoy having a summer break from school, but many forget what they’ve learned. You can encourage your child to learn in the summer in fun ways—ways many wouldn’t even call learning. Consider these ideas.

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For all parents*

• Instead of buying flash cards and figuring out rote ways for kids to learn, think of “experiential learning,” which is where you learn by doing. When experiential learning is done well, most kids enjoy the process of learning, and some don’t even think it seems like learning at all. Take kids kite flying, canoeing, or take them to a hands-on museum. Expose them to experiences that stimulate their thinking and imagination.
  
  
• Take kids on walks. Before you do, check out nature books that include photos of local wildflowers, birds, bugs, trees, and wild animals. As you walk, be on the lookout for different aspects of nature.
  
  
• Help others. A key part of experiential learning is service learning, which is about serving others and then talking about your experience afterward. With her or his permission, plant flowers for an elderly neighbor. Bake cookies for someone who’s sick. Donate food to a food shelf. Afterward, discuss what went well and what could be improved.
  

For parents with children ages birth to 5

• Bring children to different places to stimulate learning. For example, take them to the beach and play in the sand. Take them to a playground on the other side of town. Take them to a different library than the one you usually visit. Take them to a children’s museum.
  
  
• Ask your librarian for picture book suggestions and check them out to read at home. See if your library has child activities and story times that you and your child can attend.
  
  
• Have children spend time with their grandparents. Often grandparents will involve kids in their passions, such as gardening, baking, or even cleaning out a closet (while the kids dress up in their clothes).
  


• Go bug hunting. Explore what the ants are doing in your neighborhood. Talk about which bugs to avoid (such as bees, wasps, and mosquitoes). Play with a ladybug.
  

For parents with children ages 6 - 9

• Find day or overnight camps that get your child excited. Many camps now have specialties, such as horseback riding camp, canoeing camp, and archery camp. All these camps emphasize learning skills while having fun.
  
  
• Do simple science experiments with your kids. National Geographic Kids has lots of free ideas for science experiments, recipes, and more at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/activities/.
  
  
• Sign up for a family activity through your parks and recreation department, community education program, or nature center. Many offer one-time, stimulating activities, such as family cooking, an evening of looking at the stars, family hiking, and more. Have fun while you learn something new together.
  

For parents with children ages 10 - 15

• Find more challenging and stimulating service projects for kids. Many congregations offer work camps and mission projects where kids take a trip for a weekend or a week and help others, doing things like painting, repairing homes, and so on. Habitat for Humanity allows kids who are ages 13 and up to volunteer.
  
  
• Ask your child if he or she has any summer homework. Many schools assign a book or research project for kids to do over the summer, and many kids don’t tell their parents about these projects until the day before school starts. Create a plan to get the work done gradually over the summer.
  
  
• Consider having a playful summer reading competition. Ask your child to choose a certain number of books he or she is excited about. Check out two copies from the library—one for you and one for your child. See who can read the most books first, but avoid setting up a stiff competition where your child may want to skim the book instead of reading it. At the end, reward the winner, for example, with a trip for ice cream or a $5 gift certificate to his or her favorite store.
  
  
• Take occasional family outings that expand everyone’s perspective. See what the communities around you have to offer. For example, Darwin, Minnesota, has the largest twine ball in the world. Visit places like these and see what else you can learn.
  

For parents with children ages 16 - 18

• Encourage teens to find internships and apprenticeships in areas that interest them, such as auto mechanics, photography, videography, soccer coaching, and so on. These types of experiences are not only great for their high-school resume, but give teens valuable hands-on learning experiences.
  


• If your teenager is working to earn money at a job he or she isn’t thrilled about, encourage your teenager to also find something that excites him or her, such as learning new riffs on the drums, learning to cook Japanese food, riding a unicycle, reading a fascinating book, or renting episodes of NOVA.
  


• Encourage teenagers to think creatively about their technology skills and how they can help others with the skills they have. For more ideas, see http://www.parentingteensonline.com/article/show/title/Teen_Online_Entrepreneurs
  


• Continue to serve others as a family and encourage your teenager to join in. Help a grandparent with yard work. Serve a meal to the homeless through a soup kitchen. Help a neighbor weed a garden. Helping others teaches you a lot about working with others, deepening your skills, and making a difference.
  
  
• Talk about current events. Learn more about a specific current event that interests family members and discuss it at a deeper level.
  

* Suggestions from Youth Community Connections: Minnesota Partners for Healthy Youth Development, www.youthcommunityconnections.org.

Better Family Vacations

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” —Walt Streightiff, author

Everyone dreams of a perfect family vacation. There will be a lot of together time with family members enjoying themselves. Everyone will find time to relax and unwind, and everyone will come back refreshed. Yet anyone who has ever taken a family vacation has discovered that they’re far from perfect and that you never know what to expect. If you plan carefully, however, you can create better family vacations in which everyone comes home with fond memories.

Try it...

For all parents

• Adjust your expectations for family vacations. Instead of thinking of them as time to relax, think of them as family time where you may need to work a bit to bring the family together. (You can always take time off for yourself to unwind at another time.)
  
  
• Get everyone’s input on possible family vacations and activities. Your getaways will be more successful if everyone is involved in the planning from early on. Make sure the kids have a good say in what is planned, where you go, and the activities you want to do (and want to avoid). You may even need to plan one favorite activity per person so that everyone gets the chance to do something he or she really wants and the rest of the family can get to know that family member better.
  


• If you’re divorced, be careful not to get your children caught in the cross hairs of competing vacations. Some kids think it’s too much to go on two vacations (one with dad’s family and another with mom’s family) because it keeps them away from their friends too long. Balance your children’s needs along with your own.
  
  
• Be realistic about budgets. Family vacations can get expensive rather quickly. If your kids want spending money, let them know their budget before you go.
  
  
• If you have kids in two different age groups (such as a preschooler and a young adolescent), find activities that both enjoy, such as swimming or water parks. Also let each child choose an activity he or she really wants to do and have the whole family go along and enjoy that activity.
  
  
• Consider vacations with different goals. One year have a vacation that’s about relaxing and being together. Another time have a vacation that’s more adventuresome, where you’re exploring a national park or a major city. Another time, consider taking a family service trip during which your family volunteers and helps others.
  
  
• Whenever you take a family vacation, remember to expect the unexpected, have a sense of humor, and be open to surprise and discovery. This will help you keep your balance—and your sanity!
  

For parents with children ages birth to 5

• Plan a vacation that is ideal for young children. Since young children thrive on routine, vacations that disrupt their routines can quickly turn sour. Some families spend their vacation time by staying at home (where young children are in familiar surroundings) and taking one special trip in the morning and one special trip in the afternoon, such as to a zoo, a children’s museum, a fancy playground across town, or water park.
  
  
• If you leave home, continue to follow your child’s routine. Make time for naps, snacks, bedtime routines, and so on.
  
  
• If you take a long car trip, consider leaving in the evening. Drive through the night while the kids sleep. This works best if you have two adults so that the adults also can take turns sleeping and monitoring kids. For more ideas on traveling with a preschooler, read Parenting Preschoolers with a Purpose.
  

For parents with children ages 6 - 9

• Pack a traveling bag with activities that kids can do while traveling and on vacation. Include blank tablets, washable markers, puzzle and activity books, playing cards, handheld video games, books to read, and so on.
  
  
• Consider putting away several new activities (such as a new card game, puzzle, or board game) and wrapping it like a present. When kids get bored, bring out a present for them to open and discover.
  


• Be intentional about playing together as a family while you’re on vacation. The best part of a family vacation is being together and having fun together.
  

For parents with children ages 10 - 15

• Encourage your teenager to bring a friend. This often will raise your teenager’s enthusiasm level greatly.
  
  
• You may need to rethink and redefine a family vacation for this age group. Don’t be surprised if your teenager is more enthusiastic about taking a trip to see a favorite music group, go to an amusement park, or visit a first-class water park.
  
  
• Consider taking two or three shorter vacations instead of one longer vacation. Sometimes teenagers are more agreeable to short getaways (so they don’t miss much time with their friends) than long ones.
  

For parents with children ages 16 - 18

• Planning a vacation that a teenager wants to take with your family can be downright hard since teenagers often resist traveling with their families (or have packed schedules that make it difficult to get away). For ideas on family vacations that teenagers like, visit http://www.parentingteensonline.com/article/show/title/Family_Vacations_With_Teens.
  
  
• Talk about the variety of options for family vacations: visiting a major city, seeing a national park, taking a road trip, doing a family service project, digging up dinosaur bones, exploring historical sites, traveling overseas, or attending your favorite baseball team’s games on the road. Expand your view of possibilities.
  
  
• Allow your teenager some flexibility and independence on a family vacation. If your teenager can’t imagine a vacation without access to the Internet, stay at a place that has a business center or wireless access. Or let your teenager sleep occasionally while the rest of the family sightsees.
  

Welcome to MVParents blog

Hello and welcome to Search Institute’s MVParents blog. My name is Lynette Ward, marketing and sales director for Search Institute (I’ve worked at Search Institute for 11 years), mom of three grown children and grandmother of two. I'll be hosting this blog to respond to your comments and questions, and I hope to get to know you.

Now a bit about Search Institute: we are a nonprofit organization that has provided research about positive child and adolescent development for 50 years. In addition, Search Institute creates practical products based on this research. MVParents.com provides parenting information based on Search Institute’s Developmental Assets, the building blocks for growing up successfully. To learn more about Search Institute or Developmental Assets, visit www.search-institute.org.

One more thing—the author of our MVParents weekly newsletter and blog post is Jolene Roehlkepartain. She is the author or co-author of 35 books for parents, educators, young people, and youth workers. Find out more about Jolene at her website www.booksbyjolene.com.

Now you know a little about me, MVParents, and Search Institute. Tell me a bit about you, your family, and what you think of MVParents.com.