I love taking my kids with me when I vote.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

There's something very special about it that's hard to put into words exactly. But by all means, do it, and let them know what you are doing is a very important thing.

I remember my parents taking me, back when they had those cool phone booth sized voting booths with the levers and curtains, and I remember pulling the lever once or twice. Back then, I knew it was something important, even when I didn't grasp the whole reality of it all.

Now it's not as cool--just connect the space between two arrows on a small paper ballot, but I let my older one connect one of the lines.

My older one asked me who I was voting for, and I told her Charlie Crist. And she replied, "I think I like Charlie Crist, too." So hopefully in another decade we'll have another Democratic voter in our family!

[emulatorloo]

1. My parents took me.

Learned early on that voting was a responsibility not to be taken lightly.

Sounds like you all had a very great bonding time.

[cyberswede]

2. I agree!

I miss the levers, but I've let my kids fill in the ovals on our paper ballots from time to time.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

3. I miss those machines!

Growing up, they looked so cool....I couldn't wait until I could vote on my own.

And now all we get is a piece of paper and a tiny privacy divider. Oh well.

[Youdontwantthetruth]

4. As long as the kids behave, don't yell, scream or running around I have no problem with them

Unfortunately many parents who bring their spawn with them to vote, let them run around, yelling and screaming.

Many people do not finding it amusing, enduring or cute when parents let their kids around, yelling and screaming so it is better to just leave them at home.

The Repubs running around, yelling and screaming at the poling place is bad enough and kids only make it worse.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. Some might not have a choice.

Although I made sure to keep both of them by my side when I voted, and interested in what I was doing.

[Youdontwantthetruth]

9. True but Parents have a choice in controlling their spawn or not

Many today do not.

[cyberswede]

6. I think it's preferable for kids to come along, rather than parents skip voting

Lots of people don't have the resources to leave their kids with a sitter.

I'm sure voters can survive a little annoyance once every couple years. Everyone is someone's "spawn," after all.

[Youdontwantthetruth]

11. They can absentee vote if they cant get a sitter.

Why should everyone else be inconvenienced because a parent can't control their spawn?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

13. Why are you insistant on calling them "spawn"? nt

[Youdontwantthetruth]

14. That is the way I refer to them, would you prefer guttersnipe, or rugrat perhaps?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. What's with the suddenly skyrocketing Grumpy Old Man quotient on DU as of late? nt

[Youdontwantthetruth]

17. Not everyone in the world likes rugrats or even wants to be around them every place they go

and just because one does not like them or does not want to be around them does not make one grumpy either.

Not all places are good places to bring the guttersnipes and I do not think the polling place is a good place to bring the kids.

[cyberswede]

26. You can absentee vote if you don't like being around other voters and their kids.

Why should voters be inconvenienced because some people are unable to tune out minor annoyances?

[Youdontwantthetruth]

27. Those of us who don't want to be around rugrats could also stay home and not vote becasue too many

parents are so selfish they think the entire world revolves around them and their spawn they insist taking every place they go like some kind of fashion accessory.

If people want to depress voter turnout even more just bring your non voting spawn along!

[cyberswede]

28. LOL. You're funny.

People don't vote because other voters bring their kids to the polls. Priceless!

[Youdontwantthetruth]

29. I know a number of people who will not go places where there are rugrats

You many find it funny I do not.

You must come from the new Paul Weyrich wing of the party, anything to depress voter turn out the better.

[cyberswede]

33. LOL - yes. You figured me out.

I've spent the last 10 years on DU in a cunning attempt to get child-haters to stay away from the polls.

Now that my cover is blown...whatever shall I do now?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

36. I like him, too.

I think I'll call him Grumpy Cat.




Grumpy Cat: He hates Mondays. And every other day ending in a "y" as well! Grumpy Cat.

[NCTraveler]

34. I have no children...

and I can tell you absentee voting would be perfect for you.

[Egnever]

18. I tend to let my kids yell and scream

Just to annoy folks like you, and hopefully any republican asshats in the room.

Also because they are kids and yelling and screaming are part of life.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

21. But do they say "You're welcome" when they take your order at Taco Bell?

That's what I want to know.

[Egnever]

23. I would expect nothing less

It would be an indication of a job well done and would likely earn my kids an ice cream.

[Youdontwantthetruth]

24. Like I am so not surprised

[NCTraveler]

35. You also want a law.....

You also want a law in place where hospitals charge up front before any services are provided. The rest of what you say comes as no surprise.

[hollysmom]

7. My parents too me as well to vote with them and now 65 years later I have to go vote now.

[logosoco]

8. I have vague memories of going with my mother to the polls, and it probably did have

a positive impact. I took my grandsons with me in the rain to show them how important it is. I tool them another time, and I think they have just resigned themselves to ma being excited about this, even though to them it is not all that fun. (But they are very well behaved!).

[hunter]

10. We always took our kids with us to vote...

... and my parents took me and my siblings.

I've never noticed kids being rotten in a polling place, maybe because I was too busy keeping an eye on my own.

Our entire family is solidly Democrat.

[B Calm]

12. My dad took me a couple times when I was little. It left a lasting

impressive memory, because 60 years later I can still remember it.

[NightWatcher]

15. It's a living Civics and History lesson for your kids

[ancianita]

19. Good for you. I did it with my kids, too. All parents should do this. nt

[redstatebluegirl]

25. My parents always took us with them.

I think that is why we all vote regularly. Setting and example is a huge thing!

[Dont call me Shirley]

30. I always took my children to vote with me when they were young.

Now I proudly take my husband

[Egnever]

31. Oddly enough

one of the only memories I have of my mother is of being with her voting at one of those old large machines you had to pull the lever on.

I take my kids every time I vote. They love the stickers!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

38. My kids loved the stickers as well. nt

[fizzgig]

32. my mom always took me

i remember they had fake ballots for us to fill out. voting has always been a family thing for us.

[uppityperson]

37. Indeed. My folks took us kids, I took mine too. It is a great example, taking them along.