“Mom, who are you going to vote for, Mom?

My eleven-year old, Matthew, has posed this question to me repeatedly in the past few months. Now, I suppose that I should be proud that my son has taken some sort of interest in politics, but I’m pretty sure it’s just related to bragging on the playground. At any rate, when I was growing up, my father’s answer to that same question (posed to “Dad”, of course), was “Why, are you taking a survey?” In other words, “It’s my vote. Butt out.” Being raised when I was (dark ages), it actually never occurred to me to push my father for more. And, sadly, my gut reaction to my son was the same. “I don’t really share who I vote for, honey.”

But being raised when he is (foolish-parenting era), my son feels free to push back at every opportunity. And I must admit, that after being pressed, I am seriously considering recanting my position. As I thought this through, it occurred to me telling my son who I plan to vote for, and – gasp – even discussing the pros and cons (as I see them) of each candidate, may be one of the best ways to engage my son in the world of politics. And isn’t that what we want – for our kids to engage, to learn, to understand what it means to have a vote? It’s taken me most of my life to figure out what I think about these issues – why not give him a head start? Now, don’t you wish you knew who I had in mind, too? -Kirsetin

PS (Yes, I know Romney is out of the race. You try finding a photo of Huckabee with the other three!)