Politics is a big part of all our lives. Whether it’s childcare costs, shared paternity leave or the cost-of-living crisis, we’re all affected by what’s decided in Parliament. But as parents, we also want a better future for our children.
Fostering an interest in politics can be important for kids, as it helps them understand the importance of their voice. But how do we encourage this in an age-appropriate way?
Activism is an important part of being politically engaged and encourages a sense of optimism about the future, so we asked several campaigners how they’re raising their own children to be future activists.
Lyanne Nicholl, CEO of 50:50 Parliament, an organisation that pushes for gender balanced representation on UK elected bodies, says she and her husband talk to their kids about politics ‘constantly’. ‘My husband and I will have either bred future politicians or entirely turned them off,’ she jokes.
They also discuss local and national news stories with her four and nine-year-old. ‘We encourage them to ask questions and we also encourage them to think about where they get their information from and whether it could be biased,’ she says. ‘I personally think this sort of media literacy should be taught in schools.’
Research shows that young people are struggling with political literacy too. In June of this year, weeks before the UK general election, the UK’s top youth and education organisations found that 70% of young people were unable to name their local MP, and 39% were unable to say what politicians do.
While it's not just on parents to teach children about politics, why not start these conversations at home?
For Joeli Brearley, campaigner and author of 'The Motherhood Penalty', introducing children to politics starts from highlighting that politicians are people, just like them.
‘As a girl who grew up in Halifax (West Yorkshire) and spent her formative years in Newcastle, Westminster felt like a different world to me,’ she says. So ‘I tell [my children] about the incredible things politicians do as well as the mistakes they make to show that we all screw up and that no one is infallible’.
One way to make politics age-appropriate is by boiling it down to the key issues. ‘I focus on teaching them about kindness, fairness, and standing up for what’s right in an age-appropriate way, says Tinuke Awe, campaigner and founder of Five X More, an organisation advocating for Black women’s medical care during pregnancy.
A mother to four and seven-year-old, she says, ‘My 4-year-old knows that “mummy sometimes goes to Parliament to help make the world a better place,” and we often talk about the importance of helping others and being brave enough to speak up when things aren’t fair.’
Ultimately, Tinuke teaches her children that her actions can make a difference, regardless of how small they are. She also encourages their curiosity ‘by answering his questions about the world honestly and asking him how he’d solve problems, whether it’s at school or on a bigger scale’.
As adults we know that politics shapes the world around us. Start with that important lesson.
‘When they see the power of speaking up, when they understand that voting means something, they’ll grow into adults who know they can create change,’ says Joeli.