source (unchanged)

I waited to vote until my son was home this afternoon. Bringing kids voting may not seem ideal to some (trust me, they like to blurt out who and what you’re voting for), but it’s important to get them used to the idea of voting. They’re going to be doing it themselves one day, so we might as well educate them when they are young.

We’re focusing on gratitude as a family this month, and today I’m grateful for the right to vote in elections. On our walk home from the fire station where our precinct votes, Wolverine asked me why voting was so important that people would volunteer to work at the polls. I gave him a big explanation about why every single person’s opinion counts (I didn’t get into specifics like the U.S. Electoral College), and how at one point, some people didn’t have even the right to vote. I told him that because I had the right and the power to vote, I made sure to vote in every election that I was able to.

You could tell he was impressed by my explanation.

I was finished explaining the importance of voting to him, but I decided to add one more bit of information. For kids, voting should be explained as best as possible, because eventually these little guys become adults. Crazy, I know.

I told him that less than 100 years ago, women weren’t even allowed to vote.

His mind was blown. BLOWN. All he could muster was a stuttered, “But how?” and then, “That makes no sense! Why?”

“You’re, right bud,” is all I could muster. It makes no sense.

I’m just so grateful for the right to have my voice heard and the ability to teach my children about voting.

His last comment before the subject changed: “Kids voting will be the next thing to change!”