Growing up, I lived in a happy little world free of politics. Well, free of the separation of two political parties and the strong opinions held by both. My parents let me think what I wanted and did not impose their own values on me. I was given the opportunity to develop my own opinions about the world around me and the multitude of controversial topics that come with it.
The most political exposure I got growing up was when my Grandpa watched Fox News (I know, I know), but I never truly paid attention or cared. Until I was in high school I only cared about my little world and the people I knew personally. And this is typically true for most children, and that is okay.
But when I did start asking questions about various things, from abortion to the drinking age to same-sex marriage, my parents did not sit me down and tell me what to believe. They told me what the different policies were and the different beliefs people have about them. And I got to choose what I wanted to believe and support.
This forced me to actually look into each "problem" and do research on the topic in order to decide my stance. I thoroughly believe that before someone speaks out about a controversial topic they should read up on both sides of the argument and educate themselves. And unbacked opinion with no evidence behind it is not worth listening to.
As I grew up I learned more, and I became more solid in my opinions, and this is because my parents allowed me to decide what I wanted to believe in. Because I was not told what to think I had evidence to support my claims and was not blindly following what my elders believed.
Over time I began having deeper conversations with my parents about their beliefs and how they were the same and/or differed from mine. As it turned out, the majority of our opinions lined up, and if they did not they were only slightly different (typically because of the generational difference between us).
When I shifted from a small choice school that I attended from kindergarten to eighth grade to a large public high school, it became clear not every student was given the opportunity to decide what they believed in. When teachers, or other students, would bring up various topics (i.e. gun control, pro-choice vs. pro-life, etc.) they often led with "well, my parents told me..." or ended with "my parents say that, so it's right" because of the mentality that children always align with their parents. I was caught off guard by this and saddened because they would have to work even harder to form their own opinions, and would likely not have the chance to do so until we graduated and went to college.
Letting children develop their own opinions over time as they grow up, they will fluctuate and change, take it from me, is one of the best decisions a parent or influential adult can make. They will thank you, believe me.
