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On Tuesday, like so many others in our timelines, T-Daddy and I voted. It wasn’t anything unique or special about our voting experience. In fact, it was pretty non-eventful – we went, we waited, we voted, we left. The day was pretty typical too. We woke up, went to work and, as always, had a ton of stuff to do afterward. It was in the midst of planning the logistics of our to-do list that it hit me: Today was Election Day.

I mean, of course I knew it was Election Day. It was right there on my list: Go home. Grab items. Vote. Pick up TDs.

But, it was Election Day. And I hadn’t in the days, or weeks, leading up to it talked to the girls – mainly TD1 – about Election Day. Or the significance of voting.

I briefly thought about picking them up first and then going to vote, but that would throw off the logistics and we were already on a time crunch. So I resolved that next election, I would better plan to ensure that I did my due diligence as Awesome T-Mommy.

The plan: talk to them about elections – why we have them and why they are important before Election Day; go vote with them early on Election Day and then have breakfast afterwards to talk about what we just did and why it’s important.

Yup, that would work. I can educate my children by including them. I was feeling good. Like I was back on my game after missing an easy shot.

So we voted. I shared my plan with T-Daddy and he loved it. We picked the TDs up and I looked at TD1’s daily activity sheet. Under Social Studies: Elections. I looked at T-Daddy and smiled. I might have dropped the ball, but her teachers didn’t.

When we got in the car, as we always do, I asked TD1 about her day.
Me: You learned about elections today?
TD1: Yup! *smile*
Me: What did you learn?
TD1: Eleshions mean you shoose.
Me: What do you choose?
TD1: You shoose who’s in sharshe.
Me: That’s right. You choose by voting for who you want to be in charge.
TD1: Yup, that’s what my sheacher said.

Clearly, there’s more to it. But we’re on the right track. And just because the 2014 elections are over, doesn’t mean this conversation has to be, or is.

Treasure Today