19 - Guest Expert: Ed Wynn, Raising Civic Minded Kids

Cast:
Dr. Tara Egan, host and child & adolescent therapist
Anna, teen cohost
Ed Wynn, guest speaker, author of "We the People: Restoring Civility, Sanity, and Unifying Solutions to U.S. Politics"

Today's episode strives to help parents support their kids in  becoming respectful citizens and educated voters in our society. With everything going on in our country around the election, President Trump having COVID 19, the replacing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, how do we talk to our kids in an educated and respectful way about all of the different opinions out there?

According to Ed Wynn, what  parents need to be aware of and help our kids address, is that opinions can be so divisive at times. We want to first be aware of  that so we can be improving the landscape around that and then implement some good strategies in handle it .

Hear our conversation with Ed about some nuances of government around the electoral college:
- learning that 75% of votes are already locked in prior to the election
- how important the battleground states are, how the president is elected based on electoral votes
- how the national polls can be misleading, the electoral votes are what matter on election day

We also delve into:
- How do they choose the people that are part of the polling, what questions are asked,  how are they contacted, and some of the challenges that end up skewing the polls.

- How important it is to vote regardless of what the polls are saying, your vote does matter and can make a difference, not only for the presidency, but for state and local positions.

- What is gerrymandering and what is the impact on our districts on our society. How important the census is to districting and federal funding.

- How to deal with biased articles and news, fact checking, and others that share a different view than you.

Anna shared how she sees her teen peers behaviors in relation to political opinions and social media . She asks Ed how to decipher the difference between facts and opinions. He shares many ideas and examples of what sources to use for more accurate information, ways to approach this within the person themselves and when dealing with others.

We wrap it up our interview with Anna's question to Ed. What is the best way that I can prepare myself to be an informed voter when I vote for the first time in 2024?


Get a copy of Ed's book, HERE

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Learn more about Dr. Tara Egan's books, webinars, public speaking opportunities, and coaching/consultation services RIGHT HERE.

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Finally, join our private FB group for parents of high school students RIGHT HERE.

This podcast episode is edited by Laura Bauder of PodcastHERs.