It is election time and many parents are conversations are loaded with the elephant in the room…politics
For many parents politics falls in the category of topics to avoid during family gatherings.
There is a desire to keep the peace by avoiding conflict. Unfortunately, in the world we live in conflict is inevitable. Nevertheless, we do have a choice about how we engage in conversations about our differences of opinion. Arguments and verbal aggression are choices.
Political conversations are heated for a reason…they focus on what we value.
Healthy dialogue is a life skill that is important in any relationship. By modeling to your children how to dialogue about disagreements with respect, they learn how to have these conversations in other relationships.
Part of learning the skill of discussion is knowing how to listen effectively and not make assumptions about other people based on their beliefs. Encourage asking questions to check understanding prior to sharing their view point. Be curious and acknowledge whether you yourself listen from a stance of trying to understand or trying to convince the other person of your viewpoint.
It is also a life skill to know when to step away if you begin to feel angry and lose the ability to self-reflect or observe this behavior in the other person. Agreeing to disagree and expressing unconditional regard for the relationship communicates respect even when two people hold completely different world views and sustains the relationship.
