Politics with Preschoolers

Ever since my in-laws returned from their trip to Mount Rushmore, the presidents have fascinated Hudson.  Due to this recent interest we decided we would try to learn all of them together.  We started with the first four.  Twice.  Why twice?  Because his politically savvy and apparently somewhat illiterate mother taught him that John Madison was the second president.  John Madison was neither the second president nor a president at all, but he could be the less successful brother of the fourth president of the United States, James Madison.

Every conversation has gone like this:

“Who was this again?”

“George Washington.”

“Is he alive or dead?”

“Dead”

“Who’s this?”

“John Adams.”

“Is he alive or dead?”

He finally decided that he just wanted to skip to the living presidents.  He doesn’t like Ronald Reagan (I know he's dead, but he comes after Jimmy Carter who is alive).  I promise it is not because I’m brain washing him with my liberal ways, it’s because he has “a silly name.”  Don’t let my kid become your campaign manager.  “Yeah, your policies are great, but we’re going to have to do something about your name.  It’s completely ridiculous.”

He refers to George H. Bush and George W. Bush as Big Bush and Little Bush.  This is not silly at all.

I asked him who his favorite president was and he answered George Bush (Little Bush) and Barack Obama.  Half of this statement makes me very proud.

He did say one thing that truly made me proud.  Don’t worry.  I’m not going to tell you about how my son went on about how much he loves ObamaCare or how he’s for tighter gun control.  We were talking about the presidents in the car one day and I did tell him that we had an election coming up.  I explained to him how we vote for our president every four years.  He answered with this: “When I grow up can I vote?”  My liberal heart bled with pride over his excitement for this fundamental right.

If you don’t plan on voting this election, do me a favor.  Do it for my son.  And if you do, please vote for George Washington.  He’s his favorite today.

In an unofficial poll of the 3-5 year old demographic, Reagan was voted the silliest president.