Momsrising: Celebrate Election Day with your kids

Lots of North Carolina schools and preschools are out for Election Day, so it's the perfect opportunity to show your kids why voting is important. And what could be more fun than celebrating with your friends?

Posted 1:57 p.m. Nov 2, 2012 — Updated 1:57 p.m. Nov 2, 2012

Beth Messersmith of MomsRising

Lots of North Carolina schools and preschools are out for Election Day, so it’s the perfect opportunity to show your kids why voting is important. And what could be more fun than celebrating with your friends?

That’s why NC MomsRising has partnered with Kids Voting NC to encourage families to celebrate Election Day with a voting party for your kids. To make it easy, we’ve created a Voting Party kit complete with invitations, crafts and activities, and story ideas.

You can download the party kit at North Carolina MomsRising's website. Kids can even cast their own vote through Kids Voting NC's website.

As moms, we know that, like with so many things in life, kids will do what they see their parents do. According to Kids Voting NC, research shows that the biggest determinant of whether you grow up to be an educated voter is not race or economic level or education. It’s whether or not your parents did it and showed that it was important.

A Voting Party gives you an easy, fun way to introduce and encourage voting with your kids. It’s also a great opportunity to invite your friends to go vote. If you haven’t already voted, the perfect end of the party would be to head over to your polling location with your kids so they can see you cast your ballot.

And it’s not just important for the kids; it’s critical that moms vote this year.

Parents and families are facing big challenges, and it’s essential that our voices are heard in electing those who will make decisions impacting our lives. Decisions on important policy issues like:

Right now, the birth of a child is a top cause of a "poverty spell" in America, and nearly 1/4 of families with young children are living in poverty.
More than 50 percent of women have delayed seeking medical care due to cost, and one-third of women report forgoing basic necessities to pay for health care.
Child care costs more than college in a majority of U.S. states.
Over 170 countries have some form of paid family leave for new moms, but the U.S. doesn't.
A whopping 1 in 10 children in the United States have asthma and the attacks on clean air have been happening for years. Unchecked climate change will only make our air worse.

Nearly half (48 percent) of private-sector workers—and a whopping 78 percent of food and public accommodation workers are denied even a single paid sick day.

The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) grandfathered in 62,000 chemicals. Our broken system leaves us exposed to countless toxic chemicals every day, chemicals that put our families at risk for cancer, learning disabilities, infertility, and more.

Studies show that moms are paid 73 cents to a man's dollar and single moms are paid only about 60 cents to the dollar. Women of color experience increased wage hits on top of that.

Moms are voting not just for ourselves, but for our families, our children, and the future we want for them. No matter how busy life gets, our children are counting on us to be their voices in this election.

So, get your Election Day party kit here and join other N.C. families as we celebrate voting with our kids. If you throw a party, we’d love it if you’d send us a note or a photo to Beth@momsrising.org.

And please make a plan to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Your voice is important!

Beth Messersmith is NC Campaign Director for MomsRising.org and a Durham mother of two. She writes monthly for Go Ask Mom.

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