The day after the U.S. presidential election, many parents find themselves grappling with how to talk to their kids about the results of a polarizing presidential race.
One mother turned to Reddit's Mommit forum in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Her 6-year-old son was "really invested in Kamala Harris being our next president," she said.
"I'm currently at a loss on how to talk to him about what is happening," she confessed. "Anyone have any tips?"
Commiseration, criticism and advice poured in.
For many parents, simplicity was key.
Another popular explanation centered on the idea that "you win some, you lose some."
At six, kids are familiarizing themselves with winning and losing, and learning to manage the big feelings that come up. These parents consider the election as a chance to teach resilience and sportsmanship.
Other commenters saw a moment to teach children about democracy - with varying degrees of complexity.
In contrast, the sentiment to "let kids be kids" was repeated by many Redditors - with varying degrees of compassion.
A lot of comments were dismissive of the son's "investment" in the election and criticized parents who "project" election anxiety on to children.
Though the occasional comment managed to express the same theme, "let kids be kids," in a less judgmental tone.
Comments also poured in from parents who validated the poster's struggle and shared strategies to engage in conversations about the election results, and how the moment could be used to affirm family values.
Regardless of how families choose to approach political conversations at home, parents know (arguably better than most) that - for better or worse - life keeps moving. Even the day after a divisive election.
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