Civics 101 for Kids :: Longer Recesses and Fewer Math Classes for All!

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Civics 101 For Kids - Columbia SC Moms Blog

My AC Flora carpool will hate me by May. Last week I made them listen to ‪#‎hamilton‬ and the advice from Aaron Burr (talk less, smile more), and this morning we had a seven-minute cram session on American civics and yep, current day politics.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. My southern grandma taught me politics are right up there with sex and religion when it comes to public conversations. But she lived the most outwardly Catholic life I’ve ever seen and was known for being involved in all the small-town politics a woman in her time could be. She may not have talked about any of it, but she sure did live it loudly.

So, once the boys were done talking about the NBA all-star blow-out from the night before, I decided to turn our short commute into a quick civics lesson. In seven-minutes we talked about Justice Scalia’s death, the Constitution, and representative democracy. We talked about how sometimes it really doesn’t matter if you’re a Republican or Democrat (and there’s also this weird thing called an Independent), but it does matter you talk to each other instead of yelling, or absolutely nothing gets done.

Be tolerant of others if you expect them to be tolerant of you.

Be kind to others if you want them to be kind to you.

Listen. (Actually, I think I may have said sometimes you just need to “shut up and listen” and probably referred yet again to A. Burr and another #hamilton reference.)

And know what you’re talking about, because if you don’t, Mrs. Sauls is going to politely call you on it and so will her children.

Here’s the deal … I don’t care where you fall politically, just fall with knowledge. Our children need to understand how this all (really) works, and not talk in bumper sticker slogans or news-bites.

We can’t teach them it’s ok to let others do the heavy-thinking for us.

They study for a driving test and know how many sides are on a stop sign. They know all the stats from the most recent Super Bowl. They need to know what the United Nations does and why it’s important for the United States to belong. How many amendments are there to our Constitution and in what context were they written?

Michael (14), Colin (12), Aidan (10) and I took an “easy” civics quiz at quizpug.com. I scored a B+ and they all got A’s. Then we learned about the three-ring circus in Washington from the Schoolhouse Rock video from my childhood. Cheesy, but at least we got another basic lesson on how Washington works (and has worked for a long time).

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Remember me??

It’s our responsibility as parents to be sure our children understand the process taking place in our country. The good, the bad and the ugly (and if you watch Schoolhouse Rock together, even the corny).

You don’t even have to focus on the specific candidates and their strengths, weaknesses and quirks (they’ll get that from Saturday Night Live and the debates, which my kids think are one and the same at this point).

Sometimes I think Michael learns as much from SNL as he does school!

Just teach them the basic rules. Teach them it’s even OK to disagree with them. But if you disagree, don’t just complain … work to make change. Work to make a difference. And always vote.

After all, even my 12-year-old knows the student body candidate who promises longer recesses and fewer math classes can’t actually make those things happen. Of course, he also knows that sometimes that candidate will win … because no one ever politely called him on it.

Have you had the “politics” talk with your children? How did you handle it?

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Lila Anna Sauls
Lila Anna is the happily unbalanced mother of five boys. She is an advocate for homeless families, a recovering triathlete, and a sleep deprived 40-something who doesn’t see her yoga mat enough. She was blessed enough to have three wonderful boys (Michael, 14, Colin, 12 and Aidan, 10) … then, after a seven year break and just as she turned 40, got what she calls her “buy one, get one free babies,” Heath and Graeme (now 3). Once fiercely independent, Lila Anna now relies heavily on the help, kindness and understanding of a very loyal group of friends she calls her “village.” This village allows her to dedicate her heart and time to Trinity Housing and St. Lawrence Place – the non-profit for homeless and at-risk families she leads as President/CEO – all the while managing to run a house full of baseball and football schedules and four different carpools. Lila Anna is passionate about all children, especially those living at risk or in poverty. She treats her St. Lawrence Place children as her own, and advocates for them at the State House, at City Hall, or on any given street corner. Her position at Trinity Housing gives her the chance to give homeless families and their children a voice. She has been a guest lecturer at USC and Columbia College, and has presented nationally on the topics of child poverty, education and family homelessness. She is a native of Springfield in rural Orangeburg County, home of the Governor’s Frog Jump (thus her frog tattoo), and is a graduate of USC with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She got her Master’s from Columbia College in Organizational Change and Leadership, and graduated a few weeks before giving birth to her twins. Her five boys are just like their daddy, “Saint” Brad – fun-loving, even keeled, and incredibly helpful. She enjoys cooking with the help of at least one set of small hands, running (slowly) with friends, and daydreaming about her next trip to Edisto Beach or New York City. One day she hopes to compete in triathlons again in the Athena division (thus her owl tattoo). Most of all, she loves just hanging out with her boys…all six of them. Lila Anna and her boys live in Forest Acres, where they are two blocks from the ballfield and no more than 10 minutes away from everything else. She is happy to share how she embraces her unbalance … and all the fun and love that comes with it.

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