Can I Watch the Election?

Max woke up this morning, dressed right away, and came in to my bathroom where I was finishing up my make up masterpiece. He asks, "Is today the election?" To which I reply, "Yes, honey." He then starts talking about the elections in general. I thought to myself that they must be talking about it a lot in school. We talked about the presidential candidates, and then I challenged him with a math problem. "If you can vote when you are eighteen, how long until you can vote?" He calculated correctly, he is seven so he has to wait 11 years. Then, "If we only elect a president every four years, when will the next presidential election be that you will be able to vote in?"

"Four years, I thought we got to do this all again next year! That's no fair!" Then he calculated the right answer again, in three more presidential elections he will be able to vote.

As I complete my routine and start heading toward the kitchen, Max asks me again if he can "watch the election." I found this a little surprising because there is really not a lot to watch. He was asking as if he thought he would be able to watch a ball game.

I never allow TV in the morning but, for this particular special occasion, I acquiesced. He turned on the TV and then asked what channel he might be able to watch the election. I told him any of the news channels might have something on but, it just was too early to really see anything. Then, "Since I cannot watch the election right now, can I watch a kid's show?"

Now, there I draw the line. I told him that was not allowed. He peacefully turned the TV off, got his backpack and other items together and lined up at the door to leave. Given the ease of that entire encounter, I would try that again. See, elections can be peaceful.