Raising a Politically Active Student

An Open Letter to Parents Raising a Politically Active Student

WRITTEN BY BROOKE BOTHNER

I’ve always wondered why and when taboo topics became forbidden – topics including sex, drugs, abuse, violent crime… and even politics.

America’s political scene may be crazy, but is it really on par with issues that threaten to physically harm kids? We need to talk about and address the “elephant in the room,” so to speak, with our children.

These days it can feel as though discussing politics in a social context is a big no-no. And sure, maybe for the sake of one conversation, that is a helpful rule of thumb; however, I argue that for the sake of our democracy we need to sacrifice peaceful discussions for productive dialogue. For one thing, we can’t exactly make any progress on issues we never broach. But an even larger issue looms: When we avoid a topic to be polite, we actually teach kids by implication that politics and being active and engaged in our democratic system is somehow wrong or socially unacceptable.

This past year I took a psychology class. One of my biggest takeaways was that we as humans, especially kids, like to emulate what others are doing. If we model the behavior of ignoring politics in polite society, we may be grooming the next generation to perpetually skirt the issues that define our time rather than giving kids the tools to face them head on. I like to think of political engagement as a language. It takes time, guidance and practice to learn a new language—and it’s much easier to learn while you’re young. The same thing is true for fluency in political dialogue and participation. The earlier we include children, the better and more fluent they will become later in life.

It’s no wonder our political system is a mess. I believe the fact that a political conversation could ruin Thanksgiving dinner is not actually insight into the divisive politics of our time. Rather, it’s insight into our inability to effectively discuss meaningful issues without feeling offended or wronged. This is a life skill, people.

I’m not going to tell you how to raise the perfect, politically active gem. What I will tell you is how my family has integrated politics into our daily conversations; moreover, why I am better off for it.

Politics are a very normalized topic of conversation at our dinner table. For me, that was the very critical first step. Hearing people I respect discuss and maybe disagree about what is going on in our country and our world modeled effective political discourse. When I know something about the topic, or have an opinion, I am encouraged to share. My opinion won’t be glorified, though, it will be challenged, and I am expected to either defend or modify it.

This helps me distinguish between two important things: my opinion and myself. By challenging my opinion, no one is accusing me of being a bad person—they are helping my interpretation of the world gain more depth and complexity.

Finally, my family asks me to teach them about topics I am learning about in school or through independent research. There is no better way to validate somebody’s confidence (which every teenager craves) and point out flaws in logic and gaps in knowledge without ever saying a word.

As a result of these normalized and productive political conversations, I feel comfortable and capable of talking about tough topics (not just politics!) in any situation. I am very grateful that my family gave me the gift of political fluency, and I wish the same for every other member of my generation.

Brooke Bothner is a political enthusiast heading into her senior year at Bozeman High School. When she’s not writing, you can find her out on the trails or curled up with a book and some tea.