Freedom is a beautiful thing worth fighting for. Many have given their lives to secure and preserve the freedom we enjoy every day. One way we all can help preserve it is to teach our kids so that We the People never forget how we got here and what we believe in.

A Guide on How to Talk to Kids About Independence Day

Teaching preschoolers and kids in kindergarten is a lot about repetition. It’s also about relating to them at their level and asking good questions to get them thinking. They may be resistant at first, but don’t let it discourage you. As a parent, you are the strongest influence in their lives. Make sure they understand who we are as a nation, how we got here, and the cost of freedom. Get started with the following guide:

1) It’s our nation’s birthday.

Relate Independence Day to their own birthdays. Ask them why we celebrate their birthday and what we usually do. Then talk about July 4, 1776 as the birthday of our nation. The laws of the king of Great Britain were unfair, so our founders fought to win their right to make their own laws. Many people left and formed a new country here and called it the United States of America. It was important to them that we would never experience unfair laws, so important they were willing to give their lives for it.

2) The freedom we enjoy.

What are the new laws that they created? They are laws to protect and preserve our freedom. They are found in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. We have the freedom to pray and worship God or not, to say and write what we want, and to go anywhere we want. Freedom of religion, freedom of press, and the freedom to live life as each individual citizen sees fit were very important to the founders. Ask your children what other freedoms we have and which ones they like most.

3) What our government does.

Ask them why they think we have government. What does it do? Then talk about the role of government in our country. It protects the things we value. It keeps us safe, builds schools, and builds roads and parks, for example. Take them on a tour of your town and show them different aspects of the local government. Ask them where they think the government gets the money to do all these things. Then talk about taxes.

4) The meaning of our flag.

Ask your children why they think we have a flag. Tell them it is a symbol of our freedom, and a way to communicate who we are to the rest of the world. Ask them if they know what all the different parts of the flag mean. Why are there 50 stars and 13 stripes? Help them see the 50 stars stand for the 50 states that make up the United States. Then talk about the 13 original colonies that broke away from Great Britain and declared their independence on July 4, 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

5) What if you were president?

Ask them what they think the President of the United States does. Help them understand he or she is not a king. Ask them who the president works for. Talk about how in our country, anyone can become president, they just need to convince a majority of the people they would make a good one. Tell them to imagine themselves becoming president one day. What things would they want to do?

Preserving our Freedom One Mind at a Time

Teaching our children about the history of our nation is just as important as fighting to protect our borders. It may even be more important. Make sure your kids understand our national identity and values and the cost of the freedom we enjoy every day. Get started with this guide on how to talk to kids about independence day.

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