It’s taken me a long time to get through this episode because I’ve been listening to it with my kids and they’ve asked me to repeat the segment with Ellen several times—and we often have to stop the podcast to have deep, wonderful discussions sparked by your conversation.
Beth and friends, I want to share a little story. Last night I was taking my 9 year old daughter Felicity and two friends home from a birthday party. We got in the car and my daughter turned to her friends and says “OK, so did yall vote for Kamala?” The other girls were like, “uh, yes.” (I know both their moms and yes 100% their parents did). Felicity says “OK, good. What do you want to listen to: a podcast with a 9 year old talking about what’s happening with trump, and also how America is unfair to black people… or we can listen to Ramona Quimby, or Taylor Swift.”
Felicity convinced them to listen to Pantsuit Politics for our 15 minute drive home.
Beth, please tell Ellen that my 9 year old finds her podcast as interesting as her beloved Ramona Quimby and Taylor Swift.
Also, I would LOVE a continued series like this. My kids are 9 and 11 and we listen to Kid Nuz and The Newsworthy every day, and they are really interested in what’s going on in the world. My daughter commented that Beth reminds her of Miss Erin, who is the mom of one of those girls who was driving with us. She’s also their Girl Scout leader and her most trusted non-family adult. So, that’s a really big compliment!
I’ve ordered the good citizen book and I’m eager to read it. Thanks so much for everything in this episode!
I'm a bit late to comment here, but it's been bugging me that this episode seems to imply parents are on their own. For sure, civics isn't prioritized the way it should be, and parents should do what they can to instill civic virtues, but there are people and organizations trying to help on a larger scale. One to check out is https://vision.icivics.org/. Whether you're a parent or a teacher or a policymaker, I think you'll find something helpful.
Such a great episode. Thank you for modeling having these kinds of conversations with the kids in our lives.
I feel like the place where my (now adult) kids received some of their civic education was through Scouts. I served as a troop leader while they were growing up and am now helping some young moms with a Brownie Troop. There is some type of Citizen badge at every level of Girl Scouts and I always included them in planning our meetings.
We've got some cool things planned for this summer (learning about water treatment process, visiting an innovation center, and work on our Celebrating Community Badge) This conversation really helped me think about some additional things we can do --- like attending a city council meeting, meeting alderman and mayor, making sure our girls get to the state capitol, etc.
Truly -- spending time with these kids is the best part of my week and is keeping me from going down some crazy spiral about all that is happening.
I deeply appreciated this episode. I am in a community with DoD schools for elementary, middle, and high school. Because of the anti-DEI policies, many high school students have been hosting walkouts during classes. Administrators through the DoDEA schools are releasing letters referring to a policy that this is disruptive to the school day, so they may need to take action; and it counts as an unexcused absence; parents need to talk to kids about ways to share their thoughts, etc. I agree with these things, and I know that civil disobedience always has a risk (obviously, many risks are much, much bigger than an unexcused absence.)
That said, what else can these kids do? DoD schools do not have a traditional school board, nor is there any local government to share with. Given the rest of the conversation in the podcast, this point really spoke to me. A military chain of command nearly always leads military facilities, so the community does not have much say. (Some Garrisons have town hall meetings, but, again, how we can affect things is very limited.)
Yes- the kids can write their representatives. However, I have been writing many, many letters for months, and have received no responses from my reps. (I did receive 2 responses from Sen. Warnock.) This can also be a bit of a confusing method because many of us are overseas and vote absentee- I have found it increasingly difficult to contact my representatives with the new overwhelm of contacts. Because I have an overseas address, my messages are often rejected. (I do not have international calling, so calling usually isn't easy.) Bottom line- there is A LOT of potential energy to get this process going overseas, especially for a youth that is new to it all.
Another point that stood out to me in the podcast, many of the "good leaders" in the chain of command have recently been fired by the administration. Not only is this removing positive leadership role models, it's creating an even more uncertain and uneasy environment for the students in schools who do not know how this will affect their parents.
Some of these students even met with the SecDef's wife when she came and did not get any clear feedback. Many actually felt more restricted because this is when you heard stories of removing posters from walls and changing schedules to meet the sudden demands.
If anyone has an recommendations to inspire these students who are working to take part in community and civic action, I would love to know!
Ellen, I often go to Broadway shows alone, and it is great! If I am in the city for work or some other event, and it ends early or I have to stay overnight, I will often go to the TKTS booth and see what is available. I have ended up sitting next to other single theatergoers that I probably wouldn't have talked to at all if I were with friends. Once it was someone who was on the Tony Awards Committee for several years, and another time it was someone from LA who was in NY for a few days to shoot a TV show. But even when I don't talk to anyone, I enjoy taking it all in.
My kids' high school has a lot of problems, but at least now I feel good about their civics education. They have many state and local legislators come and talk to classes, they visit the Capitol for lobby days (we live in the capital, so that is easier than it is for most), and a couple of weeks a year they have the League of Women Voters come and sit in the cafeteria to register students to vote. In NY, you can register at age 16 even though you can't vote until 18. Check to see if your state does this too. It helps students to become engaged before they leave home.
Boy Scouts is also a good place to learn about these issues. My son had to go to City Council, School Board, etc meetings to earn some of his badges. He was so thrilled when there was a yelling match at the School Board meeting.
If your kids don't have access to things like this, have them look for State and Local Government classes if they go to college. The university near me has a class in the Political Science department, and they have to follow a real issue, which sometimes means filing FOIL requests, speaking at meetings, trying to get officials to talk to you, etc. I know one of the profs, and she says that most students come in thinking it is going to be boring, but end up finding it to be one of the most exciting classes they have ever taken. She says they often end up fired up and/or angry because they discover the kinds of things their local officials have been trying to brush under the rug.
My highschool senior is taking AP Gov and their teacher discouraged them from taking the exam because it's very hard and many students don't make the score needed. So I wonder if it's a poorly written test vs the instruction students are receiving. My kid has gotten a lot out of the class and learned a lot.
Also my kiddo purchased 25 copies of the Constitution from a second hand book shop with their own money. I think the kids are alright. 🙂
1. Ellen is a delight, as always. I'm so impressed with her, and Beth's ability to explain/discuss complex topics.
2. The Cursed Child! My husband and I saw it in NY pre-COVID, when it was still two separate parts. Blown away. I spent most of it going, "HOW DID THEY DO THAT?". Just mine blowing. And I'm so glad you mentioned the music, because even though it's not a musical, the music is really good! My husband still listens to it all the time.
3. I'm was so glad to hear state and local government mentioned in the discussion on civics education. I really, really want people to understand how these work, how they impact their daily lives, and what to do when they want to see changes happen. I don't know how to do that (yet), but this got my wheels turning. I loved all the ideas about getting kids involved and having them see who their local government is.
I so enjoyed this episode, great job explaining the tariffs. I'll admit I'm here for the pickled mangoes! And I hadn't heard about the books being removed from the US Naval Academy, which is just maddening.
Just want to humble brag on the nonprofit I work for - we host an Environmental Debate Tournament for high school students every spring. The judges for the semifinal and final rounds of the debate are always people currently sitting on school board, city council, or county commission so that our young debaters get a chance to meet them and be an expert on a topic in front of them. It’s an awesome program! And I was feeling real proud of that work we do when y’all were talking with Lindsey about raising citizens.
It’s taken me a long time to get through this episode because I’ve been listening to it with my kids and they’ve asked me to repeat the segment with Ellen several times—and we often have to stop the podcast to have deep, wonderful discussions sparked by your conversation.
Beth and friends, I want to share a little story. Last night I was taking my 9 year old daughter Felicity and two friends home from a birthday party. We got in the car and my daughter turned to her friends and says “OK, so did yall vote for Kamala?” The other girls were like, “uh, yes.” (I know both their moms and yes 100% their parents did). Felicity says “OK, good. What do you want to listen to: a podcast with a 9 year old talking about what’s happening with trump, and also how America is unfair to black people… or we can listen to Ramona Quimby, or Taylor Swift.”
Felicity convinced them to listen to Pantsuit Politics for our 15 minute drive home.
Beth, please tell Ellen that my 9 year old finds her podcast as interesting as her beloved Ramona Quimby and Taylor Swift.
Also, I would LOVE a continued series like this. My kids are 9 and 11 and we listen to Kid Nuz and The Newsworthy every day, and they are really interested in what’s going on in the world. My daughter commented that Beth reminds her of Miss Erin, who is the mom of one of those girls who was driving with us. She’s also their Girl Scout leader and her most trusted non-family adult. So, that’s a really big compliment!
I’ve ordered the good citizen book and I’m eager to read it. Thanks so much for everything in this episode!
I'm a bit late to comment here, but it's been bugging me that this episode seems to imply parents are on their own. For sure, civics isn't prioritized the way it should be, and parents should do what they can to instill civic virtues, but there are people and organizations trying to help on a larger scale. One to check out is https://vision.icivics.org/. Whether you're a parent or a teacher or a policymaker, I think you'll find something helpful.
I’m showing up a week late to complain about being in Jefferson County Kentucky where we DONT DO STICKERS. It’s the actual worst
I really appreciate everyone's kindness about Ellen. 💜
Such a great episode. Thank you for modeling having these kinds of conversations with the kids in our lives.
I feel like the place where my (now adult) kids received some of their civic education was through Scouts. I served as a troop leader while they were growing up and am now helping some young moms with a Brownie Troop. There is some type of Citizen badge at every level of Girl Scouts and I always included them in planning our meetings.
We've got some cool things planned for this summer (learning about water treatment process, visiting an innovation center, and work on our Celebrating Community Badge) This conversation really helped me think about some additional things we can do --- like attending a city council meeting, meeting alderman and mayor, making sure our girls get to the state capitol, etc.
Truly -- spending time with these kids is the best part of my week and is keeping me from going down some crazy spiral about all that is happening.
So thankful for you and the work you are doing!
I deeply appreciated this episode. I am in a community with DoD schools for elementary, middle, and high school. Because of the anti-DEI policies, many high school students have been hosting walkouts during classes. Administrators through the DoDEA schools are releasing letters referring to a policy that this is disruptive to the school day, so they may need to take action; and it counts as an unexcused absence; parents need to talk to kids about ways to share their thoughts, etc. I agree with these things, and I know that civil disobedience always has a risk (obviously, many risks are much, much bigger than an unexcused absence.)
That said, what else can these kids do? DoD schools do not have a traditional school board, nor is there any local government to share with. Given the rest of the conversation in the podcast, this point really spoke to me. A military chain of command nearly always leads military facilities, so the community does not have much say. (Some Garrisons have town hall meetings, but, again, how we can affect things is very limited.)
Yes- the kids can write their representatives. However, I have been writing many, many letters for months, and have received no responses from my reps. (I did receive 2 responses from Sen. Warnock.) This can also be a bit of a confusing method because many of us are overseas and vote absentee- I have found it increasingly difficult to contact my representatives with the new overwhelm of contacts. Because I have an overseas address, my messages are often rejected. (I do not have international calling, so calling usually isn't easy.) Bottom line- there is A LOT of potential energy to get this process going overseas, especially for a youth that is new to it all.
Another point that stood out to me in the podcast, many of the "good leaders" in the chain of command have recently been fired by the administration. Not only is this removing positive leadership role models, it's creating an even more uncertain and uneasy environment for the students in schools who do not know how this will affect their parents.
Some of these students even met with the SecDef's wife when she came and did not get any clear feedback. Many actually felt more restricted because this is when you heard stories of removing posters from walls and changing schedules to meet the sudden demands.
If anyone has an recommendations to inspire these students who are working to take part in community and civic action, I would love to know!
Ellen is such a total delight!
Ellen, I often go to Broadway shows alone, and it is great! If I am in the city for work or some other event, and it ends early or I have to stay overnight, I will often go to the TKTS booth and see what is available. I have ended up sitting next to other single theatergoers that I probably wouldn't have talked to at all if I were with friends. Once it was someone who was on the Tony Awards Committee for several years, and another time it was someone from LA who was in NY for a few days to shoot a TV show. But even when I don't talk to anyone, I enjoy taking it all in.
My kids' high school has a lot of problems, but at least now I feel good about their civics education. They have many state and local legislators come and talk to classes, they visit the Capitol for lobby days (we live in the capital, so that is easier than it is for most), and a couple of weeks a year they have the League of Women Voters come and sit in the cafeteria to register students to vote. In NY, you can register at age 16 even though you can't vote until 18. Check to see if your state does this too. It helps students to become engaged before they leave home.
Boy Scouts is also a good place to learn about these issues. My son had to go to City Council, School Board, etc meetings to earn some of his badges. He was so thrilled when there was a yelling match at the School Board meeting.
If your kids don't have access to things like this, have them look for State and Local Government classes if they go to college. The university near me has a class in the Political Science department, and they have to follow a real issue, which sometimes means filing FOIL requests, speaking at meetings, trying to get officials to talk to you, etc. I know one of the profs, and she says that most students come in thinking it is going to be boring, but end up finding it to be one of the most exciting classes they have ever taken. She says they often end up fired up and/or angry because they discover the kinds of things their local officials have been trying to brush under the rug.
My highschool senior is taking AP Gov and their teacher discouraged them from taking the exam because it's very hard and many students don't make the score needed. So I wonder if it's a poorly written test vs the instruction students are receiving. My kid has gotten a lot out of the class and learned a lot.
Also my kiddo purchased 25 copies of the Constitution from a second hand book shop with their own money. I think the kids are alright. 🙂
Every episode with Ellen feels like a real gift. Please thank her for joining! Also, Beth, you explaining tariffs was helpful for me too :)
1. Ellen is a delight, as always. I'm so impressed with her, and Beth's ability to explain/discuss complex topics.
2. The Cursed Child! My husband and I saw it in NY pre-COVID, when it was still two separate parts. Blown away. I spent most of it going, "HOW DID THEY DO THAT?". Just mine blowing. And I'm so glad you mentioned the music, because even though it's not a musical, the music is really good! My husband still listens to it all the time.
3. I'm was so glad to hear state and local government mentioned in the discussion on civics education. I really, really want people to understand how these work, how they impact their daily lives, and what to do when they want to see changes happen. I don't know how to do that (yet), but this got my wheels turning. I loved all the ideas about getting kids involved and having them see who their local government is.
I so enjoyed this episode, great job explaining the tariffs. I'll admit I'm here for the pickled mangoes! And I hadn't heard about the books being removed from the US Naval Academy, which is just maddening.
Just want to humble brag on the nonprofit I work for - we host an Environmental Debate Tournament for high school students every spring. The judges for the semifinal and final rounds of the debate are always people currently sitting on school board, city council, or county commission so that our young debaters get a chance to meet them and be an expert on a topic in front of them. It’s an awesome program! And I was feeling real proud of that work we do when y’all were talking with Lindsey about raising citizens.
I am not done with the Ellen convo yet, but I already plan to re-listen with my own 4th grader!!!
I’m not usually a fan of children on podcasts, but I would listen to Ellen every day!