My mom and I have always been on slightly opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to our political views. She’s very conservative and I’m pretty liberal. The older I got the more apparent it became; we just didn’t agree on much. Maybe it was teenage rebellion, but maybe it was just the budding signs that my parents had raised a little bit of a free thinker. Regardless, I can remember a few fights over the legalization of gay marriage and marijuana. I know I’m not alone in this. The millennial generation is known for thinking in vastly different ways than our preceding generations, but that doesn’t mean that one of us is right and the other is wrong; it just means that we come from different worlds. Disagreeing with your parents isn’t wrong either. It shows that they raised someone who knows how to think on their own, and not parrot what they hear from their parents. But it can cause contentions, and here are some ways that you can navigate these slightly tense waters safely.
Respect everyone’s opinions although they are different than yours
This is just a good rule in general when it comes to politics, but practicing it can be tricky when it comes to family. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like we need to persuade the people we love to see our way because we love them. That’s not always necessary. It’s okay if a parent of yours is voting for Trump and you’re voting for Hillary. You may strongly disagree with Trump’s platform and what he says, but that doesn’t make your parent a bad person; they just have different opinions that you. You can always share your opinion, especially if they’re sharing theirs but just remember to agree to disagree sometimes.
You don’t have to let them persuade you
You don’t have to agree with them even though they might want you to. In this case you may just have to end the discussion or calmly let them know that it’s ok that you have a different opinion. Remind them that this is all part of democracy, and it’s also how you learn to grow you opinion and stance as a budding member of the voting population in the United States. Having different perspectives is so cool sometimes family members need to be reminded of that.
If the conversation gets too heated, sometimes it’s not worth it
Not everyone will agree with me on this one but sometimes it’s best just to end the discussion if it becomes too contentious. Being able to voice your political opinion is important, but in some situations, you don’t always need to share it. \ In the end you will still get to write it on a ballot and that’s really all that matters. In my experience debating politics with family members can get heated, emotional and sometimes and little rough. In that case it may be time to pack up your thoughts and feelings and change the subject or give the people involved in the conversations some time to cool off.
In the end, having family members with differing political opinions can be tricky. Parents don’t always like to hear that their kids are in a completely different political party or are voting for a whole other candidate. But discussing politics and the elections with your family members can be a good way to challenge your arguments and to help them grow. Just remember to be respectful and calm. Who knows maybe it could be a family bonding activity?