Thinking Outside the Box
As US citizens, we pride ourselves on being part of a democracy.
However, what is the best way, as adults, to help our children
and adolescents gain the skills to become competent in the
practice of being democratic citizens?
In both home and school, we teach children how fine a political
system democracy is. We talk about how much better it is to
have personal freedoms than to live under dictatorship or authoritarianism.
We examine the lives of Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams,
Lincoln, and others. Yet we often fail to give our youth the
attitudes, skills, and practice they need to become thoughtful
and competent decision makers. For the most part, neither our
homes nor schools have as a prominent goal the creation of
skilled choice makers and skilled democratic citizens.
How can we expect our democracy to survive when, for the most
part, parents and teachers not only fall short in educating
youth to be skilled choice makers, but continue to model for
youth largely authoritarian interpersonal and political styles?
The message too many parents and teachers give the next generation
is that true power is earned and maintained through authoritarian
control, rather than democratic means. As a result, our democracy
will be at risk until our homes and schools realize it is time
for a change.
More Thinking Outside the Box
