Great question and answer posted by Scott at Ricochet. Do You Evangelize Your Politics to Your Kids?:
I wonder if anyone's evolved on this like I have.
Until a couple years back I considered it good parenting to be an "honest broker" when explaining political divisions with my kids: I'd present both sides as respectfully as I could, say which side I agreed with, and leave it at that. Now I consider it my duty as a parent to mold my kids into two informed, dyed-in-the-wool conservatives, and so I present political divisions as having correct and incorrect sides (at least on those issues that animate me). I'm still honest, but the mission is different.
Why the change? A) The threat to their future that is Obama B) Exposure to just how shamelessly our school system seeks to indoctrinate our kids in liberalism -- an effort that was particularly repulsive during Governor John Kasich's fight with the teachers unions here in Ohio last year. As Rush Limbaugh says, "I am equal time."
The results have been amazing: Our kids can now formulate conservative arguments as teenagers better than I could 10 years ago as a thirty-something.
Good parenting or brainwashing?
I'm inclined to go with the former, with a caveat that you shouldn't start this overt indoctrination at too young an age. While some people think it's cute when their toddlers spout political views picked up from their parents, I do think you need to take a pragmatic approach.
It's much more important to teach values about what is right and what is wrong. Teach them about God and religion. Teach them about patriotism and honor. Teach them about history and civics. Teach them about money and the value of hard work. Then over time, you can help them see how these values align with the views of the political parties. At least, that's been our plan with our three boys (seven, five, and nearly four). So far, so good.
