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Question For Parents

How important is it that your kids share your political beliefs?

  • I lean conservative and I want my kids to lean conservative as well.

    Votes: 6 13.6%

  • I lean conservatives and I want my kids to arrive at their own political beliefs.

    Votes: 12 27.3%

  • I lean liberal and I want my kids to lean liberal as well.

    Votes: 1 2.3%

  • I lean liberal and I want my kids to arrive at their own political beliefs.

    Votes: 8 18.2%

  • I lean libertarian and I my kids to lean libertarian as well.

    Votes: 1 2.3%

  • I lean libertarian and I want my kids to arrive at their own political beliefs.

    Votes: 16 36.4%
  • Total voters
    44
Superfly said:
My little fatties won't let me miss their dinner. If I do, they go stand by their food dishes and just stare at me 'til I get up. They are so funny. Reminds me of Chunk in the Goonies, when Sloth was going nuts over the Baby Ruth? "Sheesh, dude, you're even hungrier than I am!" That's the way they are - each is always hungrier than the other. Makes for interesting meal times. :lol:
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We have an old dog that has gone blind, but still knows how to get around the house. When he drains his water bowl, he kicks it across the floor to let us know it's empty - now, his water bowl is stainless steel and the floor is marble, so it's makes one hell of a noise. When we go out to feed the outside cats, he will follow us out the front door and try to get the cat food, which is actually funny to watch the cats do ninja chops (no claws - they actually love him and rub all over him anytime other than feeding time) at his face as he ignores them and keeps sniffing around for the bowls. Some of the older larger cats will move the bowls when he gets close, which is hilarious, as it confuses him and he gets real pissed and starts huffing through his nose in disgust. I swear I can see the cats laughing at him as part of the clan goes all ninja and the others move the bowls around the porch.
 
Beaudreaux said:
We have an old dog that has gone blind, but still knows how to get around the house. When he drains his water bowl, he kicks it across the floor to let us know it's empty - now, his water bowl is stainless steel and the floor is marble, so it's makes one hell of a noise. When we go out to feed the outside cats, he will follow us out the front door and try to get the cat food, which is actually funny to watch the cats do ninja chops (no claws - they actually love him and rub all over him anytime other than feeding time) at his face as he ignores them and keeps sniffing around for the bowls. Some of the older larger cats will move the bowls when he gets close, which is hilarious, as it confuses him and he gets real pissed and starts huffing through his nose in disgust. I swear I can see the cats laughing at him as part of the clan goes all ninja and the others move the bowls around the porch.
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I picture in my head a scene from Cats and Dogs, Siamese ninja cats attacking from the sky with glider rigs. Snickering as they sneak about the house while the dog is wondering what's going on.
 
I am conservative and wanted my kids to make up their own minds, after all, I started out on the Left then "grew up" and ran to the Right! Fortunately, both my kids are conservative, even though they grew up in poverty. There are some social issues we do disagree on, but that does not cause any arguments or problems. They are thinking adults and that's what I aimed for.
 
I have shown my kids how to think, not what to think. I want them to come to their own conclusions on everything, not just politics. I just want them to do so based on critical thinking, logic, reason and evidence.
 
No kids so can't answer the poll really. The results seem to be predominantly 'let kids think for themselves'. It would be interesting to see if these results translated over to religion (or lack of it)...
 
Cephus said:
I have shown my kids how to think, not what to think. I want them to come to their own conclusions on everything, not just politics. I just want them to do so based on critical thinking, logic, reason and evidence.
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so not conservative then :2razz:

I don't think trying to instill a particular political slant really works in the long run anyway. Once the kids move out and see the world, the values they were taught will be challenged. Aging itself also plays a role, which is why people tend to start off as liberal and become more conservative over time.
 
Nilly said:
No kids so can't answer the poll really. The results seem to be predominantly 'let kids think for themselves'. It would be interesting to see if these results translated over to religion (or lack of it)...
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I was thinking that too, but how could it possibly? Religion's central tenet is that we must *not* think for ourselves. Of course there will be efforts by most religious parents to shove the religion at their kids, starting with, for example, baptism and taking them to church before they're old enough to refuse.
 
chromium said:
I was thinking that too, but how could it possibly? Religion's central tenet is that we must *not* think for ourselves. Of course there will be efforts by most religious parents to shove the religion at their kids, starting with, for example, baptism and taking them to church before they're old enough to refuse.
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I'm interested in the flipside too though. How would atheist parents react if their children became religious.
 
I lean on whichever side has the best solution to our societal problems. I can switch to either side at will should it have better solutions than the former. I evaluate an issue on case by case basis and switch sides without thinking twice. I would like my children to do the same.
 
I don't expect people to reply honestly to this poll.
 
Beaudreaux said:
We have an old dog that has gone blind, but still knows how to get around the house. When he drains his water bowl, he kicks it across the floor to let us know it's empty - now, his water bowl is stainless steel and the floor is marble, so it's makes one hell of a noise. When we go out to feed the outside cats, he will follow us out the front door and try to get the cat food, which is actually funny to watch the cats do ninja chops (no claws - they actually love him and rub all over him anytime other than feeding time) at his face as he ignores them and keeps sniffing around for the bowls. Some of the older larger cats will move the bowls when he gets close, which is hilarious, as it confuses him and he gets real pissed and starts huffing through his nose in disgust. I swear I can see the cats laughing at him as part of the clan goes all ninja and the others move the bowls around the porch.
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I swear, this sounds like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon. :lol:
 
Superfly said:
Probably about the same as religious parents whose children became atheist.
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Yup. Being a former hardcore catholic myself, if my child decides to find religion, it wont change anything.
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
As a parent how important to you is whether or not your kids when they grow up (or if they are already), sharing the same or very similar political and ideological beliefs that you have?
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Great question!

I have 3 teenagers and they all love to get involved in politics and have helped with a lot of campaigns, attended events, etc. My oldest has met a lot of politicians including Obama, Romney, and some others. I want them exposed early so they have an interest in it, but I realize I don't really care how they all end up in the end as far as their lean. I probably wouldn't do real well with a very very very hard left leaner but my husband & I just wouldn't talk about politics with them if that's what happened. We wouldn't love them any less or feel like we failed.
 
Nilly said:
I'm interested in the flipside too though. How would atheist parents react if their children became religious.
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None of our kids were Baptized or Christened or any of that as my husband & I are decidedly non-religious. That said, if any of them find religion in their lives, we'd think it's pretty cool. It would be a choice they make, just as we made a choice that upsets my Holy rolling Catholic mother in law to this day.
 
For some things, I want my kid to be like me. I believe that some political views are either morally reprehensible, undeniably hypocritical, or mind-numbingly stupid, and those are views which I do not wish my children to hold.

To explain:

If I raise a kid that believes in young earth creationism, I'd feel as though I have failed as a parent. Young Earth creationisms is a mind-numbingly stupid belief.

If I raise a kid who believes that gay people should be treated as inferiors (by virtue of opposing gay marriage or wanting to pray the gay away, etc), I will feel as though I failed as a parent because I find those views to be morally reprehensible.

If I raise a kid that opposes granting citizenship to so-called "anchor babies", I will have failed as a parent because that position is ****ing retarded. Not to mention, my father came here illegally, so my kids would not exist without illegal immigration, which makes it especially hypocritical for them to hold such a phenomenally retarded view.


It's not necessarily his political views that I want to affect, it's his general way of thinking. I do not want to raise a hypocrite, a moron, or a morally corrupt douchebag. In my opinion, some views are indicative of those traits, so I do not want my son to hold them.
 
I want my kids to come to their own political beliefs. I do want them to grow up with a conservation ethic, to be tolerant of others, and to avoid extremism, but other than that, I certainly don't want them to just mirror my political beliefs.

As far as religion goes, I am not religious. I was raised Catholic and the last church I was a member of was Episcopalian, but I am not religious any more. I am fine with my kids coming to whatever religious beliefs they have on their own as that is something that we all have to come to on our own journeys in life. That said, that is much easier for a parent if they are not particularly religious. If you are religious, and for example believe that salvation depends on faith and Jesus and acceptance that he is your personal savior, then most likely for the sake of your kids salvation you want them to hold the same belief.
 
My kids hold a wide range of political beliefs. One is slightly liberal (with some libertarian leans) and one is a staunch libertarian like myself. Our political discussions consist of me asking them questions, I don't preach to them.

Critical thinking is a trait I'd like to see in both of my children so it's very important to me that they think for themselves.
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
As a parent how important to you is whether or not your kids when they grow up (or if they are already), sharing the same or very similar political and ideological beliefs that you have?
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It is important to me that my kids share a SIMILAR perspective as me. It doesn't have to be the same. I'm conservative. But not all my views are held on the party line. Some don't even end up on a side at all. Education is one of those.

But it doesn't matter. My future wife is a democrat lol. I'm a republican. House divided lol.
 
SouthernDemocrat said:
As a parent how important to you is whether or not your kids when they grow up (or if they are already), sharing the same or very similar political and ideological beliefs that you have?
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As a parent, I would have been deliriously happy had my son simply had the good fortune to grow up. Things like political beliefs are so petty and minor in the big scheme of things. Besides, each and every parent should strive to raise a child who becomes entirely independent in thought and action. If his/her thoughts/actions match yours, that's fine - if not, that's fine too - as long as they have the self-confidence and intelligence to be their own person with honesty and integrity.
 
lizzie said:
To me, it's not important, as long as his ethical standards are high, and he's trustworthy. My son turned out to be a bit more liberal than I, but he still has the same core beliefs.
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Liberal and ethics are oxymoron's.
 
Aside from political leaning, the poll being something to be ignored for making no sense, and just speaking from a parental pov, a child, any child, is its own person, an individual with its own thoughts, still a child to be loved and cherished. No matter what.
 
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