We have wanted our young citizens to be up on current events. Our son likes the newspaper, and has on more than one occasion suggested the deal while standing in line at Starbucks, "Can I get a New York Times and a hot chocolate instead of a donut and hot chocolate?" Often we indulge, but these days when I'm already rather crazy trying to fit in a million things, it kind of takes up a lot of time to either explain, or censor. In a perfect world Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert wouldn't have such potty mouths and then my kids could just watch them and get everything that they need by way of "news" and critical thinking, but I think that there's a better chance that they will start working for Fox.
We did learn of a website that so far has been great. It's dogonews.com and it is a bunch of news stories that cater to the younger crowd. The kids like that they don't have to have me as a filter -- they can go to it when they have spare time, choose whatever looks interesting, and read it on their own. Today while we were drying dishes (blasted dishwasher broke... this city has already made it so that I would NEVER cease to be grateful if I had a washer and dryer in my home... now I've got a new reverence for dishwashers), the kids told me all about cockroaches that are being fitted with wire antennae (bionic roaches), and little backpacks with cameras, and then being trained to go into rubble to search for survivors. They were stoked. I was like: "Ugh. Come on. Don't make me respect a cockroach." Can't some things just be obviously awesome or obviously repellent? All this having to keep thinking about every little thing is wearisome.
Speaking of, we are gearing up for the election. While in St. Louis, at a nice little independent bookstore called Left Bank Books, I picked up the book: The People Pick a President. I read it, stopping to explain if necessary, and the kids take notes. Then at night they're supposed to explain what they've learned to The Dad. So far one set of notes that I'm looking at right now says:
1. 4 years
2. Damakreshe [democracy... some German ancestor must have been possessing her or something]
3. D. [she was even afraid to try to spell it again] means peopel have the power to choose govermet
4. longest and toufist electchen
5. chief executive
6. heads executive branch
7. suggest laws to congres
8. cheif of state
9. top diplumat
10. comander in cheif [this was listed 17 times]
11. cabnet = 15 experts
12. advisers
13. constetuchin rules
14. 35 years old
15. lives in united states 14 years
16. nataral born sitasen in u.s.
17. electin day has to be on first tuesday after the first monday
18. electoreo collage desides the president
Not sure if that spelling is typical for a 2nd-grader, but in her defense, she was taking notes rapidly, and if she retains half of that, I have a sad hunch that it is more than many adults know... and they will actually be voting.
