ELECTION HOOPLA'S SUBLIMINAL STRESS

The 22-second YouTube video clip of four-year-old Abigael Evans crying because she’s “Tired of BroncoBamma and Mitt Romney” went viral just days before the election, echoing the strain we all felt from the extraordinary media blitz this time around, not just invasive television commercials and radio ads, but phone calls interrupting the dinner hour. However, when she was later asked why she was crying, the four-year-old  explained, “I just want them to stop fighting,” reflecting not just fatigue from political overexposure but real emotion over the anger and  hostility the election brought into our homes every day. 

While kids may not be intellectually invested in the current issues of the day, they can still be acutely sensitive to the emotional investment they sense subliminally all around them. I was surprised at my own anxiety level waiting for last night’s election results. Imagine how kids are feeling when they don’t really understand the stakes, yet feel the agitation and worry all around them. I’ve learned it’s a good thing to get it out on the table, address the worry head on and give it a safe place to land instead of letting it fester.

Whether your candidates won or lost yesterday, today still offers a wonderful opportunity for celebration. Hug your kids and rejoice that all the election hoopla is over!