As a parent, this election season has been challenging. Politicians often disappoint and political campaigns invented the phrase “mud slinging,” but this year’s election cycle has, more than any that I can recall, veered into the vulgar, profane, and provocative.

First, there is a great deal of difference between what you should be doing for your younger children and what you should be doing for a high school student who is almost a voter! This is a guide for parents with younger children (5-10 years old). Some parents might want to just ignore the election and politics, but remember that, as parents, we are charged to raise our children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord,” (Eph. 6) and that politics present a very important responsibility—especially in a democracy! Also, know that other children and families are going to be politically interested and will talk with your child about the election (especially when it is a Presidential election year), so your child is likely to be challenged to say something by a peer at school, church, or elsewhere.

In light of today's political pervasiveness, here are a few hints for parents who want to start talking with their young child about election politics.

1. Demonstrate and encourage healthy and balanced patriotism

Loving our country is good and right, but like all loves it can be challenging. Guard your heart and your words around your children. Our culture can breed cynicism. Don’t feed that part of your child’s soul—the world will be pulling in that direction strongly! The nation's current prevailing mindset tends to tear down the right love of country, mocking it as naïve and old fashioned. Know this, however: while no country is perfect, America is a great nation founded on biblical principles, and if you lived in almost any other country, the wonders of America would be more evident. Help your child see that by avoiding cynicism, even when an election or a candidate invites it. Also, talk about the history of America, emphasizing its great leaders and wise decisions of the past.

2. Use the dinner table effectively!

One great way to teach your child is by talking with your spouse, an older child, or another adult and allowing your child to listen. While some of your discussion may be beyond the child's level of understanding, this can still give them basic information and they will know where you stand. You are modeling for them how to talk about politics and you are sending the message that politics are an important and interesting part of life.

3. Help them remove their "rose-colored glasses."

Children love to take sides, but they often do so with “rose colored” glasses, seeing only the flaws in the candidate that they “oppose” and seeing only good things about the candidate that they “support”. Help them to be gracious. Know that others will see things differently and that opposing political viewpoints are to be expected. We can and should love people, even when we disagree with them. Election season is a great chance to help your child understand this great responsibility of "speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15) and treating others who dont't share our perspectives with respect.

4. Recognize the opportunity to help your child understand the difference between respecting the office and the officer.

This election (maybe this one more than others) helps us to focus our prayer lives and can challenge us to help our children understand the difference between the person and the office. We pray for our President because he (or, after this election, maybe she) is our President—not because we agree with him or her. When Peter (1 Pet. 2:17) says, “Fear God; honor the king," he was speaking to a world full of kings like Herod and Nero. When one of our political leaders does something wicked or says something vulgar, we should not only continue to pray for them in their office (that leader is still our leader), but we should also pray for repentance when they lie, struggle with self-control, or say and do immoral or otherwise sinful things.

5. Learn to trust in Jesus rather than in "Princes."

Finally, every day - but especially election day - you can help your kids to understand that we need to place our first allegiance and our final hope in the Lord. Princes, presidents, senators, and judges will fail. We cannot put final confidence in them. When a candidate that we support loses, or when a candidate that we oppose wins, we need to remember that no election removes Jesus from His throne, and “all authority in heaven and on earth” still resides with Him. When a person is elected or when a leader is placed over us, God wants us to trust Him and to continue to live faithfully. No loss is final. No victory—except the final victory of Christ’s kingdom—will usher in perfect justice and peace. We should long for this kingdom and live in a manner that is consistent with this kingdom, but we should recognize that we cannot by our efforts finally bring about this kingdom. We are called to be faithful, rather than to gain final and permanent victory. As we long for and work for the right things, our children can gain a sense of the stability that comes from faith and trust in Jesus.

This is a challenging time, but challenging times provide great opportunities to prepare our students effectively. Don’t shy away from the arena of politics; rather, even during this challenging and sometimes absurd election season, take advantage of the opportunities that you have to train your child to be a faithful citizen.