12 Positive Lessons to Teach Our Kids from Election Week

The whole world knows that this week is significant since it holds a U.S. Presidential Election. No matter what your ideology, it was obvious to all of us that the two major candidates held polar opposite views in many areas including the amount government should be in control of our lives, immigration, taxes, health care, rights of the unborn, and more.  

These issues are ones that we take very personally so tensions have been charged – both before, during, and after the election.

As the results of the election have come in, there are many people who are hopeful about the future. There are also plenty of others who are concerned that the results will cause protesting, rioting, and unrest on college campuses.

So, what can we as parents teach our children about the events of election week? How much should we tell our children about what’s happening?  

I believe that everything that occurs around a contentious election can be an extremely vivid object lesson for our kids. There are so many lessons which can be beneficial to them and to our families as a whole.

Here are 12 Positive Lessons to Teach Our Kids from Election Week:

1 – Be Gracious

This election, as with many previous ones, has the popular vote being split almost down the middle. The large cities tend to vote Democrat and the rest of the country tends to vote Republican. This means there are lots of people who were happy with the results and lots of others who were disappointed.

The huge lesson we need to teach our kids is that we need to display good sportsmanship. Whether we win or lose, it’s important to shake the hand of our opponent. We teach that to our kids when they are part of a team and we need to teach it to them in this situation as well.

2 – Be Ready to Adapt

The polls went back and forth with who they thought was going to win. The mainstream media was hopeful that Kamala Harris would win. On election day, many people were completely shocked when their candidate lost the election.

The positive lesson we need to teach our kids is that things aren’t always going to go their way. Sometimes we feel that life isn’t fair. Sometimes it actually isn’t fair. But it doesn’t do anyone any good if we refuse to accept what has happened.

Life is hard! But everything happens for a reason. We should accept what has happened and move on. If we aren’t happy with the results, we should work within the system to create change.

3 – Beware of Group Think

Many people believe that another Trump Presidency should make them fearful. I’ve heard all sorts of comments about how women are now “fighting for their lives.” That families will be split apart. That Donald Trump is a sexual predator who has fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate.

The important lesson to teach our kids is that they can’t believe everything they hear. We must be aware of where our news is coming from. So much of what candidates say and do has been skewed by the media. It’s important for us to go directly to the source if we want to know the truth.

Watch the debates. Listen to the speeches. We can’t just listen to how someone else interprets what has been said. We must be wary of ads which are usually trying to propel an agenda.  

We mustn’t allow ourselves to become part of the mass hysteria. Don’t be eager to follow the crowd. Instead, we should pray and ask God to give us wisdom.

4 – Every Vote is Important

We saw over and over again that the election in many states was decided by a few thousand votes. In my own home state of Michigan, there were over 5 million votes cast, and yet the popular vote count different was less than 80,000 votes.

The important lesson to teach our kids from this is that it’s vital to vote and to make our voices heard. Teach them how to register. Bring them to the polls with you. 

Print off sample ballots in advance and show them how to research the various candidates, judges, and proposals. Help them learn how to become informed voters so that when they turn 18, they will be ready to take part.

5 – We live in a Republic – Not a Democracy

Some people were shocked and angered to find out that the popular vote wasn’t the only way that we elect a president in America. They were upset by the electoral college. Some were even angered by the limits which are placed on our government by the constitution.

It’s important to teach our kids the benefits of living in a Republic, which restrains the majority from imposing their will on the minority. Teach them about the electoral college. Watch videos and read books about our founding fathers and their reasons for setting up our government the way they did.

Rather than just bad-mouthing our form of government, we should try to educate our kids as to why things work the way they do. When running as designed, our country is the greatest bastion of freedom on the planet and that is because of the founding fathers learning lessons from those who had gone before and by listening to counsel from God.

6 – It’s Important to Listen

Many in our country have begun to value political correctness over truth. The prevailing belief of numerous scientists is that evolution and global warming are facts. The concept that men can become women. Dissenters are silenced and humiliated. The powers that be would have us think that all white men are racist, all women are in favor of abortion, and all minorities are Democrats. 

If someone tries to speak up and provide a different viewpoint, they are booed off the stage or called a racist, a bigot, or a homophobe.

The lesson to teach our kids in this area is that we can’t discount huge sections of our population because of race, gender, or religion. Also, we need to emphasize that people who don’t agree with us aren’t evil. It’s important for us to value every person as someone created in the image of God.  

We must desire to learn the truth rather than just being told what our tickling ears want to hear. Let’s be willing to listen to other facts and opinions before rushing to judgment.

7 – Forgive

During the election, it came out that about 20 years ago, Donald Trump said some pretty nasty comments about women when he didn’t realize the person he was talking to was wearing a live microphone. When the recording came out, Donald said he was embarrassed and he apologized for his remarks.

The important lesson to teach our kids about this is that we need to forgive people who show remorse. Actually, God says that we need to forgive people even when they aren’t sorry about it. But at the very least, when people regret what they have done, we need to be ready to forgive. Honestly, I cringed when I heard those recorded comments. They made my heart sink.

Then, I thought back to some of the things I had said and done before I was a Christian – and even after, frankly. And I remembered how God and other people had forgiven me. We need to teach our kids to have a forgiving spirit.

8 – Focus on the Good

We all had to weigh the good and the bad of each candidate before we decided how we would vote. No one is perfect. Since Jesus wasn’t running for office, we were all voting for a flawed human being, no matter who we supported.

The important lesson to teach our kids is that now that we have chosen a new president, it’s time to focus on the good. What are the policies that we can support? How does this candidate give us hope for the future? Can we come to a consensus on anything?

It’s easy to pick at the flaws and to bemoan the results of the election. However, there are millions of people around the world who would be happy to live in a country where they could participate in a free election. We must talk to our children about what’s going right rather than always thinking about what may be going wrong.

9 – Be Willing to Speak Up

Our democratic republic depends on lots of good people being willing to speak up and voice their opinions. It depends on dialog from both sides of every issue. It depends on cooperation and good will.

The important lesson to teach our kids is that we need to learn to speak up in the right way – in the right tone – in the right place. Social media is not the right place. There has been an inordinate amount of cyber bullying, ranting, and foaming at the mouth on social media since the election.

Let’s teach our kids to be civil to each other. Let’s teach them to be kind. Let’s teach them to have opinions without trying to shove them forcefully down other people’s throats.

10 – Be Compassionate

Some people are thrilled with the results of this election. Some are wary. And some are downright angry, in denial, or even afraid. It’s time for our country to come together. The only way we can do this is if we try to understand people with different opinions from ourselves.

The lesson to teach our kids from this is that there are reasons that people feel the way they do. Rather than name-calling or laughing at how people feel, let’s teach our kids to connect with other people. If they’re afraid, let’s try to find out why.  

Maybe they’ve heard some information that isn’t true. If they’re happy about the election, don’t assume that they’re a racist or a bigot. Let’s teach our kids to value the opinions of others and to try to see things from other people’s point of view.

11 – Give People a Chance

No matter who we voted for, Donald Trump is America’s new President Elect. The thing to teach our kids is that we need to be respectful of our leaders and give them a chance. Rather than condemning them and putting up resistance immediately, wait to see what they actually do before getting too worked up.

Romans 13:1 says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

And 2 Timothy 2:1-3 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior.”  

Let’s teach our kids to pray for our leaders, remembering that God is the one who is ultimately in control.

12 – Remember What’s Really Important

The President of America is one of the most powerful men in the world. But that power pales in comparison to the power that God wields over our lives. Let’s remind our kids that our real hope comes from Jesus – not from any man.

We are blessed to live in a country where the people have such a large say in their government. But God wouldn’t want us to get so wrapped up in the angst of the election that it distracts us from why He has us here.

After an extremely contentious election season filled with hyperbole, name-calling, and anger, let’s take advantage of what’s going on around us to teach our kids how they should conduct themselves. And the first step of showing them how to behave is for us to live out that same behavior in front of them day by day.

I love this quote from Mother Teresa, “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” I heartily agree!