It’s Election Day. For the last six years, it’s been a day for me to set an example for my girls – that we all should exercise our freedom of choice and our freedom to vote. I’m not a feminist by any stretch of the imagination but I do want my girls to know and understand the value of having the right to vote. Maria is now a first-grader and her school is holding a mock election today. But before she arrived at school, she accompanied my fiance to the poll where he carefully explained what he was doing and how it all works. I think this is invaluable teaching and will establish voting and civic-mindedness in her for years to come.
As for me, I was one of the first 10 people in to the polling place just after 6 a.m. My two-year old accompanied me. She watched as I filled in the circles and at one point asked, “What about the triangles?” She wanted to see ALL the shapes! As she gets older, she’ll have a more meaningful experience but hopefully she and her big sister will always remember that she accompanied her mother to the polls (or a grown-up in her life) every year since birth.