I thinking talking to your children about politics is important. Talking to them about our beliefs is very important, but we also explain that every one has their own opinion and beliefs. My 6yo has been very interested and has asked many questions. It's been fun to see him get excited about the election and to try to understand the differences in the candidates.

Family values and political values go hand in hand. Just think if our government leaders shared a meal at the dinner table. Maybe they could actually talk, and get something done. The current leader of the household isn't doing his job!

Randy, the leader of the house needs support from all members of the family. If everyone just bickers and complains and undermines what the leader is trying to accomplish, nothing gets done. And if the leader really wasn't doing his job, then why did this current leader get re-elected? What does it say for the challenger? How bad must have he been then?

What about talking politics with your parents (or uncles/aunts/grandparents)? Anyone have any tips they want to share, now that Thanksgiving's on its way...?

Wanting to "speak up" may be what parents are doing wrong in front of their kids. All kids learn is how to argue and try to win with verbal arguments....that is for law school. The best thing is to put the energy wanting to argue into physical getting involved with personally working with candidates to get to know their values first-hand, rather than getting upset by what arguers love to spread...bad influence on our kids. Get involved at the city council level to know first-hand, bring children to meetings to observe...discuss how others behaved on the way home, was it helpful, was it against the way we want to behave, etc. When we as parents talk too much with showing our upset, that bothers kids in ways we can't imagine.

When it comes to politics, there's a difference between telling your kids what you as a parent believe versus telling them that your beliefs are the correct ones. I think that's the fundamental problem with my generation, and possibly the baby boomers. The older I get, the more it seems that intolerance is the reason that's polarizing this nation.

I also think that the media and mass communication has a factor in this trend.

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I recently finished work with 7 Minneapolis middle schoolers who interviewed 12 family, friends and colleagues of Paul and Sheila Wellstone. The ultimate take-away for the book they helped write, "Be the Change," is that: 1) it is important to know what you stand for -- and then stand for it even if it is unpopular; 2) one individual can make a big difference in the world simply by respectfully listening to people whose voices don't often get heard, and then organizing a collective voice to help them speak -- at the polls, in the legislature, with community leaders.

And yes.... I think it's never too early to share that true message. From page 58: When we asked Dan Cramer [Grassroots Solutions founder] about Paul’s greatest accomplishment, he said that it probably was not a single piece of legislation that Paul helped get passed. He thinks Paul would say that it was his visits to Minnesota schools, into communities all across the state, having conversations with kids about politics, about what is going on in the world. "He talked with thousands of kids about the future. ‘That’s the most important thing I did,’ I think Paul would say.”