Highlights released its annual State of the Kid report, with an emphasis on the upcoming presidential election, according to its website.
“Now in its eighth year, our survey has covered a variety of topics important to children and families. Year after year, the kids’ responses have been unfailingly illuminating— sometimes funny and consistently thoughtful and honest,” says Christine French Cully, editor-in-chief of Highlights.
With the country getting ready to appoint a new president, it made sense that this year’s State of the Kid would focus on the election. State of the Kid polled children to see if families are talking about the election, and learned that the majority of respondents—80 percent—said yes, the election is a topic of discussion at home, either often or at least a little bit.
Some of the polls other findings include:
- When it comes to actually running for president, only 35 percent of kids are interested, with 28 percent saying they would do so to make a difference.
- 50 percent of kids said the first thing they want our new president to work on is keeping our country safe.
- If kids could paint the White House, 36 percent would choose blue.
- 25 percent of kids want the new president to know that school/education is important, while 18 percent want him/her to realize that being a kid is stressful and 10 percent of kids want to feel safe.
- And 50 percent of kids are most proud to be an American because they have freedom/rights here.
Talking about the election can be a key opportunity to teach children critical thinking skills and the value of forming opinions. “Conversations can be more powerful when opinions come from kids,” says Dr. Rebecca Michnick Golinkoff, a Highlights contributor. “If you just tell your child something, it may go in one ear and out the other. But if you ask the child to make the judgment, the child is going to be forced to think more. And when children think more, the lesson lasts longer.”
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