My Kids' First Political Discussion

Yesterday I'm driving home from Costco with the girls in the back seat and Twin B says, "Who's the President of the United States." And I say, "I dunno baby, who is the President of the United States?" And she says, very proudly, "George Bush!"

"Is he a good man, or is he a bad man," I ask?

In unison: "He's a good man!"

"Hmmm. I think he might be a bad man. He kills people, and he cheats, and he lies. That means he's a bad man"

They're at that stage where when they think they know something, they really hate to be contradicted. I can totally relate to this, since this is also the stage that I'm in.

"Nooooo," they both wail, "He's a good man! He's a goooood maaan!!"

"Who told you that?"

"Ms. Deepika, our teacher!"

"Well, some people think he's good, and others think he's bad. Every four years, people get to raise their hand and pick who gets to be President. Mommy and daddy never picked George Bush. We always pick somebody else."

"You picked that man!"

There's a bus next to our car, and the ad on the side has a huge headshot of some crazy looking guy who sells roofing or something. Twin A is pointing at him.

"Well, that man might make a better President than George Bush."

"Wriggly should be President," says Twin B. Wriggly is our neighbors dog. Twin A starts shouting, "Wriggly is President! Wriggly is President!"

"Wriggly might make a better President too," I say.

"Our teacher says George Bush is a good man," says Twin A. "But mommy and daddy say he's a bad man."

And so it begins.

Below is a picture from our vacation. Here I've settled in for the second of four consecutive episodes of Law and Order.