"Why should I listen to them at all if they can lie how much they want?!" My 12-year-old exclaims significantly annoyed in the middle of a hearing of the party leaders, aimed at children.
Together we have listened to some of the party leaders and talked a little about it being easy to just say good stuff in such hearings - it's a bit like advertising and you can agree with them (almost) everything. Nothing they say sounds completely useless.But children (now I address those who have passed the toddler years) see more than these prepared debates. They hear adults talk about the political "circus" (where the madness replaces each other ..), they see clips on social media and intercept how completely idiotic and unreliable adults can behave.Politics for the kids I think is a blissful mix of lying advertising and crazy plays? In addition, this phenomenon is quite new - partly how the political debate looks today and partly how quickly information (correct or incorrect) reaches us.
This has to create a lot of concern in many children? Concerns that we who are adults and have children today cannot necessarily relate to when we were little where politics was something else ..?I really have zero answers to this - the circus worries me too so I can't pretend that there are always sound behaviors - what we see.
But some thoughts. The first is that knowledge as is known is power. By (at the level of age) talking about what the parties stand for (if the child shows interest in it) and partly talk about how politicians choose to portray themselves - and why.(Can you (as a politician) lie? Do you have to do everything you have said?)So much info passes the children's brains today so I think they have a lead here - they quickly look through things that we blindly believed (someone had said it was so ...)
To beautify the madness probably do not fulfill any function (if age allows)? The world looks like it does - think about it together and talk about that in many ways it is skewed and that it can feel worried about both small and large.But also mention that it may look different. That politics can change the world for the better. Do not let a number of fools or a time in history define what politics are. Talk talk talk (if you notice that needs exist) and let the conversations lead to the opportunity to change (it at least gives me a sense of control and hope!)
