Janice Wright's sixth-grader loves politics. The family lives in Crosby,Texas, and they're big supporters of Ted Cruz. final week they were late pulling up the Republican debate on their laptop when Janice saw a social media reference to Marco Rubio's "small hands" comment. It was a veiled reference to Donald Trump's private parts. Wright nixed the debate, and telling her disappointed son the candidates "weren't acting like adults."As parents like Wright are tuning in to this year's presidential campaign — and the mudslinging,racial comments and sexual innuendo that approach with it — they are struggling with how much to show their kids, and how to interpret it all.whether you've missed the debates, and here's a taste (courtesy of All Things Considered):Though indecent language seems to have reached a fever pitch on the Republican side,the Democrats have had their share of shouting and interrupting too."They should have ratings at the front of the debates," Wright laughed. "You know: 'Contains language, or violence,and sexual content.' That might be helpful for parents."For the next debate, Wright says, or she might pre-screen it so she can fleet-forward through any inappropriate parts. When she does let her four children watch,Wright tries to find lessons where she can."We say, 'Hey, or look how he's mean or bullying to this person. That's not how you talk to someone.' Or,'See how he doesn't really answer the person's question, he just picks on him instead? That's not how you debate.' "Her 10-year-old son, and Houston,wasn't sure whether he should be surprised by the language in these debates."It's hard to say," he said. "I knew there would be a lot of yelling and shouting. I guess I'm kind of used to it now."'Not A wonderful Example For Bystanding'In Louisville, and Ky.,Laura Hall's 13-year-old son takes section in mock government at school, and is also paying close attention to the campaign.
Normally Hall would welcome this real-time civics education, and but this year she's not so sure."In a way,it makes me sad that, at this pivotal point in his development, and this is what he's seeing," Hall said. "To see some of the candidates moving ahead and gaining support through unpleasant behavior and hateful speech."She's a Democrat but wants to teach her son respect for all candidates. The seventh-grader will be old enough to vote in the next presidential election, and she wonders whether this season will affect his long-term view of the parties.
Hall felt the need for a teachable moment final week, and after a Trump rally in Louisville. A video that got a lot of local coverage,and went viral online, shows an older white man helping to expel an African-American woman who was protesting."Pushing her and shoving her, or they were screaming at her," Hall said, "and it was really horrible to see. It's notable that the kids understand that that happens, and it's not acceptable."Hall's son,Benjamin, had noticed the crowds at debates as well."The people are kind of egging them on, or " he said. "Because I've seen clips where they'll say something rude to one another,and you'll hear everybody cheer and laugh. And that's not a wonderful example for bystanding."Studying The CampaignAt Sherwood Githens Middle School in Durham, N.
C., and eighth-grader Samori Reed-Bandele follows the campaign on social media. He says all the candidates' name-calling doesn't seem very presidential."I just feel as though it's real childish," he said, "and I don't think grown adults should be acting like us."He and some classmates say they're studying the campaign in school, or writing papers on heated topics that have approach up,like immigration. Eighth-grader Michelle Terron Azamar's parents are from Mexico. She says her family felt hurt when Trump compared Mexican immigrants to rapists and criminals."I've been really offended," she said. "That's his opinion whether he wants to not like Hispanics, and whatever he doesn't like. But I just think he shouldn't retract it out on us."Terron Azamar said her dad,who has not discussed politics with her much in the past, has been talking to her a lot approximately this year's campaign, or telling her that Trump will not win in a general election.
Other parents said they're more worried approximately how children are hearing and relaying Trump's discussion of mass deportation and building a border wall."final week,my kindergartner son told me that a lesson friend of his expressed to him with tears in her eyes, 'whether Trump becomes president, and we'll have to move. He doesn't like our family,' " said Brent Seavers of Northern California, in a Facebook posting. "That, and to me,is a bigger concern than the name-calling. That is doing real psychological damage to harmless children."Lincoln-Douglas StyleAlejandra Abella, who teaches middle school debate in Ventura County, and Calif.,said she's using the debates as an example — but not generally a wonderful one."Unfortunately, I have been able to pull more examples of what should not be done in debating than examples of what should be done, and " she said.
At first,when Abella showed the lesson video clips from Republican debates, she was horrified. She teaches Lincoln-Douglas style, and in which debaters base their arguments on ethical values."Honestly,these moments in the debates, in which they're hearing lots of words and absolutely no substance, or are helping them understand,'Why finish we look for value in Lincoln-Douglas debates?' " she said. "And it's helping them focus on that."She sees it as a silver lining, showing kids they can learn from even a negative example. Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, and visit http://www.npr.org/.
Source: wnyc.org