WebParenTips - The Online Parenting Newsletter vol.4 no.2, Feb 2003 

                          HOW TO MAKE GOOD CITIZENS

One of our jobs as parents is to inculcate in our children the importance
of becoming a good citizen. We also have to give them the tools they will
need when they become adult citizens of this great country.

Why is this the greatest country in the world? Because we have freedoms,
guaranteed under our Constitution, to think, speak, read, and worship as
we see fit.

We also have the privilege of VOTING. The Founding Fathers realized that
the privilege of voting means the responsibility of becoming informed which
is why education and a free press are so important. Many of us, sadly,
don't bother to vote.

If you want to make your children into good citizens, do the following:

VOTE! Parents have a DUTY TO VOTE! Just as you have the responsibility of
feeding your kids, immunizing them, and sending them to school you have
the responsibility of BEING A GOOD CITIZEN and MODELING GOOD CITIZENSHIP.

TAKE YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOU when you go to the voting booth. Children who
see their parents vote are more likely to vote themselves when they are
adults. If you vote by mail, show the children what you are doing, explain
who you are voting for, and why.

Get your children involved in and excited by the whole process. Explain
about voter registration and how we make sure that no one votes more than
once. Discuss what you are reading to get more information about candidates.
Tell the children how you make up your mind. Wear your "I voted" stickers
proudly and then display them on your bulletin board.

My daughter asked my 6-year-old grandson if he wanted to go with her when
she want to vote for the governor. He asked her to wait a minute and ran
upstairs to put on his blazer jacket and clip-on tie. "Why did you get
dressed up, Jeremy?" "If I'm going to meet the governor, I want to look
nice." My daughter explained there would be booths and voting machines,
but no governor. Jeremy said, "I'm going to keep my jacket on anyway.
Even if the governor won't be there, it's pretty important."

Don't you think Jeremy will make a good citizen when he grows up? I do.


Happy Parenting,
Marilyn Heins, M.D.


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Dr. Marilyn Heins is a Tucson pediatrician, parenting
columnist for the Arizona Daily Star, author of the book,
ParenTips, as well as a mother, stepmother and grandmother.

She is available for workshops and lectures to groups of
parents, teachers, and grandparents. See:

Dr. Heins' Lectures
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