Raising Critically Thinking and Open-Minded Children

I joke that I don't care if my kids grow up to be Republican or Democrat, capitalist or socialist...but if they end up being Yankees fans that's where I draw the line.  In all seriousness, I am probably in the minority of parents in terms of not wanting our kids to necessarily believe the same things I believe, since most moms and dads do in fact want their kids to subscribe to the same persuasions and parent accordingly.  As for me, it's far more important that our kids are critical thinkers and keep an open mind.  And it seems that so far that is happening, which I'm super proud of them for it.

We live in a city that is pretty left-leaning, and even within that context our neighborhood is even more so.  Not only are there no Trump signs and very few registered Republicans, but it is possible that the majority of people in our community would say they are to the left of Bernie.  And, even though I am pretty moderate, and my wife is to the right of me, there's a lot to commend about raising our kids in such a setting, and we have by and large not minded the relative lack of ideological diversity that we swim in.  

However, it does reinforce for me the importance of our kids fully owning the opinions they are now forming about the world and how it should be.  And, because of the milieu they are growing up in, they are pretty well-versed in our current national and local discourse.  And, on many issues, if you polled them I suspect they'd say that's where they are themselves.

But, importantly, they know to dig deeper.  They ask their friends and teachers why they believe what they believe.  When they get a good answer, they register it, and that influences them.  When they get a bad answer or no answer, that too is a data point that they keep in mind.  And, on their own, they consume a diversity of information so as to make sure they're getting the whole story.

I suspect our kids will end up to the left of us, which I'd be fine with (again, just so long as they don't become Yankees fans LOL).  What I've been trying to convey, both in talking to them directly as well as the conversations they overhear Amy and me having, is that issues are complicated and often there's more than meets the eye, so it's important to look past the rhetoric and think and dig deeper.  

And it's important to make space, in their own heads and in the groups they are part of, for dissenting opinions, because even if you end up not changing your mind, you've expanded your understanding of an issue.  And most importantly, you've acknowledged the humanity of every person and group by allowing them to have a point of view that is different from yours without thinking them less than or nefarious or deceptive or ignorant.

That's a lot to ask of young teens.  Which is why I'm proud of how they're carrying themselves through these divisive, momentous, and noisy times.