Fireworks can be fun but that isn’t the purpose of the Fourth of July. Can you talk with your child about why we celebrate on this holiday? Actually, many parents may skip talking about the meaning of the Fourth of July because they don’t really remember.
The Fourth of July is our country’s birthday. When your child asks about the holiday, you need to be able to tell her what happened on July 4, 1776. That was the day our country’s founders declared independence from Great Britain.
Independence meant they no longer followed the orders of the British king. This was a major event and even extremely dangerous. When this occurred, Britain had one of the strongest armies in the world and to go against the king was punishable by death. Our founders and each of the 13 colonies decided it was worth the risk of war to win the freedom to govern ourselves. It took a while, in fact until 1783, for the new United States to win the war which is now called the Revolutionary War.
This is a great time to take your child on a tour to show them about local government and talk about what it does in their lives.
Stop in Sequim at the new city hall and tell them about who is paying for this beautiful new building and location. Explain that adults pay taxes to their local, state and national government so that, among other things, the government can build a special building like this and maintain it.
Drive by the schools they currently attend and the ones in their future. Explain how we build schools. Talk about safety being important and that is why we have traffic lights and police officers.
Show them the parks we have or take a trip up to Hurricane Ridge and talk about government’s role in the many national parts we have.
Talk about how important it is in our country and our town for everyone to chip in. We don’t just get to live here; we also have responsibilities here. Their responsibility as children is to go to school and to do their best. As they grow older, voting is important and so is obeying the law. Talking about these things now lays the foundation for your child to understand his responsibilities as a citizen. You are teaching him to be good citizen.
Even when he throws his trash in the bin provided he is being a responsible citizen.
Model good behavior
Along with your talk, make sure your child sees you being a good citizen. You need to keep things clean, vote and obey the law. Let your child see you volunteering to help or even see you writing out a check for a worthy cause.
With all this, where do the hotdogs fit in? Yes, they have a place. Learning can and should be fun. But keep a balance. Talking together really counts and so does setting an example.
When you set off any fireworks, ask him to tell you something about his responsibility as a citizen. As you set off the next one, ask her to tell you something about this important day. All of you should have a wonderful time on this special day.
There are a number of important people in our history who helped make it possible. Probably the most remembered signature in history is John Hancock; he helped us begin this special celebration.
Set aside at least a little time to thank them on his Fourth of July.
Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which publishes newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents. Reach Martin at pmf@olypen.com or at 681-2250.
