Talking to kids

Before the last election, my second grade daughter had a voting exercise at her school. When she came back after voting, I asked her whom did she vote for. Her answer was John McCain. We are neither republican nor democrat. So I was curious to know why she picked McCain. She said, “Obama is a terro**st. He will take money from rich people and give it to poor, making everyone poor and 9/11 was done by his friends”.

Her answer annoyed me. I felt it was too much for a second grader. So I asked her how she knew all these things. She goes, “my classmate’s parents told her”. That is when I was really pissed. Is it appropriate for parents to tell these to a small kid? I was so worried for a few minutes. No wonder people hated republicans for their negative campaign.

My next question was whom she liked better, Palin or Biden. She answered Palin because “Palin is pretty”. No arguments there :-).

The good part was that, later, I and my daughter read and discussed about all such allegations and she learned (I think) not to take anything just to its face value.