If there’s one topic that often elicits eye rolls, it’s the government. But you can move beyond the boredom and frustration of teaching your kids to be better citizens with the right discussions — triggered by engaging material that teaches without them knowing it! The Tuttle Twins series offers several kids’ books about freedom and the government and a homeschool civics curriculum.
Using Kids’ Books About Freedom
As you discover how to talk to kids about government, you’ll quickly learn that books are the perfect way to trigger discussions on important topics and current events. The key to choosing books that can lead to such discussions is to look for titles that don’t just relate information in a matter-of-fact way. You want books that teach without making it obvious that they’re teaching.
The Tuttle Twins books are a perfect example of this. Every title in the Tuttle Twins series hides an important lesson in an engaging adventure that will have your kids learning without even realizing it. Through real-world situations and magical scenarios, the Tuttle Twins books make learning about government come alive.
The Tuttle Twins series contains kids’ books about freedom like The Tuttle Twins Learn About the Law, The Tuttle Twins and the Leviathan Crisis, and The Tuttle Twins and the Road to Surfdom. The Tuttle Twins books teach about the dangers of a government that has too much control — and individual freedoms that must be protected.
How to Talk to Kids About Government: Ask These Questions
Learning how to talk to kids about government also involves knowing the right questions to ask. You’ll want to start by reading the books your kids are reading so that you know the specifics around the adventures that are being used as object lessons for each topic.
Once you know the story, you can launch into questions like these:
- What are individual freedoms and where do they come from?
- What’s the difference between individual rights and the rights of the majority?
- What are some key rights listed in the Bill of Rights?
- Why do we have rules and how far should the government go in setting rules?
- What responsibility does the government have to its citizens?
- If you were in charge of the government, how would you fix some of our country’s most important issues?
- Why is it important to vote?
As you might have noticed from the above list of questions, critical thinking is an important part of studying the government. Kids who are informed aren’t just better citizens. They’re also smarter, can form their own opinions and spot their own biases, and are able to think for themselves.
When kids know what they need to know about the government, they’re better able to make decisions like which candidates to vote for, whether to support local referendums, and more. By knowing how to talk to your kids about government, you’ll be equipping them for a bright future.
