Anyone else taking their children with them tomorrow while they vote?

[Guest inoubliable]

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[PeacefulChaos]

DH and I were planning on taking our youngest with us tomorrow while we vote. We have to go early in the morning and even though DS12 and DS7 will be awake and *could* watch DS5 for a little while, we have no idea how long the line will be first thing in the morning or how long we'll be there. We just figured we'd take him with us to ease our minds.

 

One of our neighbors remarked, "Oh, that's nice, but you know he won't actually learn anything...". Um. You don't say. It'll be the crack of dawn. I wasn't going to launch into a civics lesson with my five year old at that particular moment...

 

And another neighbor told me that I was "insane" to take him out that early and in the cold. Uh... he's not very fragile. I fail to understand why I shouldn't take him out early in the morning...

 

Am I missing something here? Is there some etiquette rule that I'm breaking and these ladies were trying to gently nudge me into doing the right thing? :confused:

 

That's weird. :001_huh:

Their responses, I mean - not you taking him.

I take my kids with me to vote all the time. All the people manning our polls are usually retired and they give them all a sticker and such - it doesn't take long and I really don't know what else I would do, besides leaving after DH gets off work, then coming back and having him go? Which just seems silly.

So anyway, yeah, I'm taking my kids with me. I'll break the etiquette rule with you. :p :lol:

[MindyD]

I'm taking mine. The poll workers have always loved seeing kids with their parents in my experience.

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[milovany]

Our county is all mail-in voting now. Maybe I'll take them with me in the car as we go through the ballot drop box drive through. :D

[TravelingChris]

I used to take mine but the only one I won't take tomorrow is the one who can't vote. I will be taking my son and my daughter who do vote with me.

[Cosmos]

My ds has always gone with me when I vote, since November 2000 when he was four months old. What else are you supposed to do with them when they are little? :confused:

 

Actually, he may stay home tomorrow. He's old enough to stay home and has school work to catch up on. But I'll probably leave it up to him.

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[jentancalann]

We voted last Friday, and took everyone with us (except for the gym-kid, who was at the gym). I liked having my 14 yo son over my shoulder, familiarizing himself with the polls. It was great to not have to stand in line and wait, but I've done that before too. It wasn't such a great time, but I don't know why anyone else would be put off from it. People are just weird.

[jelbe5]

I took my youngest when I did early voting two weeks ago. Eldest has been with me before. She legally becomes an adult next year and has been warned that she is expected to vote while she lives with us - but she is free to vote for her choice . . . :tongue_smilie:

[hmvaughan4]

We had a voting class today, so I'm definitely taking DS6 with me. DS3 will probably stay home with DH.

[melissad2]

I've always taken my kids with me. I'm not sure what else I would do with them. I will probably sneak a little lesson in too :).

[GWOB]

I've always taken my kids with me when I vote. I want them to grow up knowing their responsibilities as citizens. Ya know, lead by example and all that;).

[Deniseibase]

I always take my kids. My 6YO is looking forward to it, he keeps asking, "Mom, are we gonna go vote for the government today?" :D The poll workers always give him a sticker and fuss over him. Go ahead and take your son. It sets a good example for kids to see their parents taking their responsibilities as citizens seriously.

[Spy Car]

Yep. My son always marks the ballot for me. Even the first time when he was 4 moth old and had no idea :D

 

Bill

[Parrothead]

Yes. Dh is off in the morning so we will all go together. Dd always comes with us. The last place we lived they gave away stuff for the kids. Not sure what happens here.

[ChristusG]

We've been talking about the election for weeks now. DD8 is excited about seeing the polls. So I'll be taking all three of mine....baby in a carrier on my back. My nephew (16, who lives with us) can even come along too if he wants. So it may be me with four in tow LOL.

[AK_Mom4]

DD11 always goes with me. She likes the "I Voted Today" stickers and visiting with all the little old ladies that work the polling place.

[Jan in SC]

I've taken my dc, but we have very, very old people that volunteer and they won't let you take children near the booths. I think they would tackle a parent trying to take a child in the booth!

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[Guest inoubliable]

 

[KAR120C]

I've never had any problem taking him with me to vote... and I'm pretty sure he really did learn *something* from the process. Maybe not a great big civics lesson in kindergarten or anything, but he learns that his parents think it's important, he sees that we put a lot of thought into who we vote for, and DH and I discuss the complicated issues and bounce our thoughts off each other even though we don't always vote exactly the same. If nothing else, when he's old enough to vote he'll be at least semi-familiar with how it works.

 

And then we stay up late watching returns. :)

[Nscribe]

Dd has been with us to every election, including all off year and odd elections since birth. She will be there and will get her I voted sticker. They are great about letting the kids who come have one. She will be able to vote in the next Presidential elections. I can only hope we have instilled in her that it is a duty to vote, not just a privelege.

[MrsMommy]

My children will be coming with me. I was going to take them out of necessity, because DH was supposed to be out of town on business. His plans changed, but they're so excited about going to the polls, that I'm going to take them anyway. I hope none of the election judges give me any trouble, but there was an article in Redbook encouraging just this thing this month, so if they try to harass me, I'll tell them the First Lady told me to do it! ;)

[justLisa]

Yep. We are driving to the mailbox, rolling down the window and each of them gets to drop one in. I don't go in to vote.

[MomtoCandJ]

I will be taking dd with me, I'll be going before I take her to school. She went with me for the August primary election, didn't have a problem with the poll people.

[justamouse]

Yes. What you want your kids to do, you do so that they know the protocol.

 

We take them to the diner, to the restaurant, to the auctions so that they are familiar, and the fear of the unfamiliar doesn't them from not joining. And so they come and vote with me.

 

I remember voting with my nana. She asked me who I thought would be a good president. I said LIncoln. She thought that would be a great idea. :-D

[FlyingMOm]

We always take all of the children with us to vote, starting when they are babies. I want them to grow up thinking of voting as something that you routinely do. We hope that they will take the privilege of voting very seriously and vote consistently.

[nukeswife]

This is the first time in 12 years I've been able to vote in person and not via absentee.

 

My sons aren't very happy that I plan to take them, but I told them to suck it up, they are going. It's a Field Trip!

 

My daughter is pretty interested in coming with.

 

My oldest told me he doesn't want to come because he doesn't really care about learning about voting because he doesn't plan to vote when he's old enough. My husband told him, "too bad you're going, there are people all over this world that would give their left arm to be able to vote"

 

I know when he's old enough it will be his choice, but at 13 I just don't think he can really say what he'll feel about voting when he's 21 (the first time there will be a presidential election after he's of age)

[happypamama]

I have zero desire to wait until my DH gets home to go vote, so I'll be taking all four children with me. Four years ago, the line wasn't too terrible, and I was doing it with two children plus a 10-day-old newborn in tow.

[LaxMom]

My 8 yos haven't missed an election since they were 6 weeks old. They went with us last week when we voted.

 

Why on earth would that be strange? I want them to grow up feeling like civic responsibility is the norm.

[Erica in OR]

We used to take the kids with us every time when we lived in a state that didn't have mail-in voting. I thought it was a great experience and lesson in civic responsibilities. The kids thought it was interesting to see what happened and a chance to visit the local elementary school, which was our polling place.

 

I say go for it!

 

Erica in OR

[Slartibartfast]

I always take my kids to vote.

[Lucy the Valiant]

The high school booster club in my small town provides CHILD CARE for your kiddos while you go vote!

[Annie]

My two year old will be with me tomorrow, but if I had somewhere to leave him, I think I would! He's always come with me in the past, but standing in line isn't his biggest strength right now.

[momacacia]

8yo wouldn't miss it for the world---told me she wishes she could vote, and 3yo will be along for the ride. Both of them possibly going twice, once with me and once with DH. As my dad has said, "Vote Early. Vote Often.":lol:

[Georgiana Daniels]

I take my kids with me all the time. Are they supposed to watch themselves? LOL, can't believe anyone would say a negative thing about it.

[Catwoman]

Yep. My son always marks the ballot for me. Even the first time when he was 4 moth old and had no idea :D

 

Bill

 

:iagree:

 

Same here. I think that, after all these years, my ds12 knows how to work the voting machines better than I do!

[FO4UR]

I have always taken my dc with me.

[stripe]

I usually take my kids with me, but I hate having a long wait. I remember one of them crawling away while I was voting in one election! The poll workers always give them an "I voted!" sticker.

 

I remember going in the booth with my mom when I was 8.

[AdventureMoms]

We will take ours. It's not as though we can leave them home! DD has only missed one election in her life (when the twins were in the hospital 2 years ago - at least it was only midterms!)

[Hilltop]

I've been taking my twin girls with me since they were infants. I have a darling picture (which I can't find at the moment) of the three of us outside the polling place during the last presidential election.

[T'smom]

I usually take mine, but I'm worried about the lines tomorrow.....

[renmew]

I have always taken my kids with me, because like a few pp's said, you teach by example. It's what my own mother did. She tells the story of how I was about 2 or 3 years old and she asked me to hold onto her leg while she voted. I was very quiet and well behaved, until she looked down and saw that I had made use of the pen hanging on a string right at my level and had drawn many "x's" on the ballet booth wall. I was so proud, looked up at my mom, and said, "Look mom. I boted, too."

 

Actually, those people the OP talked to must thing I am a terrible teacher, because I actually asked my 2nd grade class to ask their parents to take them voting tomorrow, if at all possible. I think it's a great experience.

[Mama_Rana]

I haven't read all the responses.

 

Mine have been voting with me since they were little. I early-voted on Thursday, and I took them with me. They did well. They asked lots of questions about voting in general, and I let them know that voting is secret, that I don't even have to tell Daddy who I voted for.

 

I waited 30 mins to vote [i've never waited that long at my regular voting place, but I'm campaigning tomorrow and wanted to have voting out of the way], but I was surprised that there was only one other voter there with kids. Sadly, one of those kids was REALLY unhappy about being there. :( I felt bad for him and for his mom.

 

But the other voters and the officials were very nice to me and mine [and probably those others too, but they were far enough back in line I didn't see it], and I honestly want them to see the process, not be intimidated by it, and know from an early age how important it is to be informed and vote.

[Guest inoubliable]

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[boscopup]

I've always taken my kids, from newborn babies in skins to current ages. They love getting their stickers! :D

 

DS2 was about 6 days old when he first got to go with me to vote.

[OrganicAnn]

Yes we do. My mom remembers her dad taking her to vote with him. I think they say that kids that go with their parents to vote are more likely to vote as adults.

[Kathryn]

We always take them. DS pushes the buttons for me.