The Mouths of Babes

I am exceedingly tired and am ready to finish my three week single parenting stint. I have thanked God daily that my current state was temporary. I am well aware of how many women and men go it alone raising children every single day, forever. I am also convinced that it truly does take a village.

In that spirit, I drove my daughter and two of her friends to a birthday party. The conversation among these 8 year old third graders actually turned to politics...argh, is their no sanctuary from this topic?!? I nearly veered off the road when one of the girls asked me quite plainly, "Mrs. J, is it true that if Obama becomes president he is going to take babies out of their mommy's tummies and kill them?"

That, followed up by a second punch in the stomach, "I heard from a kid a school that if Obama becomes president, we are going to lose that war and then those people are going to come over here and make us be like them."

There has been a lot written on both sides about parents politicizing their children. I find the whole thing rather horrible myself even though for the past two years there would be no possible way my children could have been shielded from the fact that "mommy works for Obama". Heck, my two year old's first word after mama and dada was Obama...no, I'm not kidding.

It is obvious that children pick up what they are hearing at home -- but what I had forgotten was just how much our children soak up the fear that they hear around them. I was driving three little human sponges in my car, one of whom was clearly drenched with fear.

What is to become of these children if Obama actually becomes President Obama? How will they process what they were told with the reality of their daily lives possibly for the next eight years?

I have no idea, but I have a good chance of finding out, don't I?

I will sleep well tonight, partly out of sheer exhaustion, but also in the comfort of knowing that all along I have assured my children that whatever the outcome of this election...it will be alright. And, it will be the right and best choice for this country because we, as citizens, will have made that choice. That is what it means to be a democracy.

Country First, indeed.