Ep 02 | Parenting through the Election Season

In this episode of the Made For More podcast, hosts Dr. Roger Erdvig and Dr. Maggie Pope discuss the challenges of parenting during election season, focusing on how to engage children in political conversations while fostering a biblical worldview. They emphasize the importance of addressing our emotions, understanding hot-button topics, and using a structured approach to process political discussions with children. Roger and Maggie also introduce the 'Five Rs of Processing' as a framework for guiding conversations, highlighting the significance of teaching children how to respond to disagreements effectively.

00:00 Navigating Politics in Parenting

02:52 Understanding Worldview Formation

06:14 Engaging with Difficult Topics

09:00 Emotional Management in Political Discussions

11:47 The Five Rs of Processing Political Conversations

24:03 Responding to Disagreement with Grace

29:46 Encouraging Open Conversations with Kids

The Five R’s of Processing:

1. Recount - What do our kids know, believe, or have heard about a topic? Our goal is to listen well, gather information, and communicate to our kids that what they think matters and that their thinking is valuable.

2. React - Our kids and teens are emotional beings. They need to express how they feel and have a space to have their reactions affirmed.

3. Revise - Seeking the truth about a topic, situation, or an experience in order to revise our perspective of the issue we are discussing. We do this with authenticity to model a posture of humility and teachability with our kids.

4. Recognize - Attaching value to the topic we have been discussing. Why does this topic, situation, or experience matter?

5. Respond - We ask our kids “what now?”. We consider how this new understanding can impact our thoughts, our desires, and our actions.

Recommended Resource:

Should Christians Avoid Politics by Dr. Jeff Meyers

https://www.summit.org/summit-talks/should-christians-avoid-politics/