Discussing Hot Topics with Your Kids

How many of you talk politics with your kids? Religion? How many of you allow your children to chose their own religion or even except them as agnostics or athiests?

I encourage my kids to get informed, learn about what they will someday be voting on. Form their own opinions. Be their own people. Result: total freaks. Sass-mouths. Wait..."Oppositional Defiant Disorder".

One of my favorite quotes "Don't just teach your children to read, teach them to question what they read."

Now, here's a tough suggestion, Dumplings, and don't try it unless you are really open-minded, tolerant, and you think you're kids can handle it. Next chance you get, start a discussion on these topics:

*Violent video games-do they cause violent behavior?

*Homosexuality-is okay, none of anyones business, or hellbound?

*Latest military conflict-this will vary of course, depending on what part of the world you are in.

*Premarital sex-yay or nay

*Your country's leader-like or dislike

*What religion to choose, if any.

Remember, if you don't think you or your child could handle these discussions, don't try it. However, if you can, you may learn a lot about your kids. Don't forget to tell your kids your opinions and why. Don't forget to tell your kids that they don't have to talk about this if they don't want to. Don't forget to tell your kids it's okay if they don't agree with your opinion. Remember, your little darlings will be out on their own and making their own choices someday. Do you want them to be the kind of people that go along with everyone because they are afraid of conflict? This means that they may not say "no" to unwanted sex because they don't want to make their partners angry. Or they may get in the car with that date that has had too much to drink because they don't want to cause a scene.

Train them, Dumplings, to be thinkers, renegades, mavericks. Let them learn how to deal with disagreements and conflict. That's not to say they should be disrespectful, but one can still be well-mannered and disagree at the same time. Just ask Emily Post. The story she tells the most is when she told a cab driver where she wanted to go and he started complaining "Jeez, lady, do you know how far that is? In this traffic?" She smiled, sat back and politely said "Well, then, where would you like to go?" The cab driver took her to her destination.