To think an eight year old child should know who the Prime Minister is?

[Proudnscary]

My (lovely and intelligent) niece didn't know. She also didn't know who the President of Yanksville was. I think it matters even if David Cameron is a foppish twat of the highest order and Obama is all style and little substance.

I think (especially in this world of X Factor et al) dc should be be educated in the very basics of politics even if it's just identifying world rulers and broadly what they stand for.

Ha ha!

Just did this my kids tonight en route to bed. Got ds1 (14) in the bathroom, and said "bewildered boy 1 - can you tell me who the prime minister is?"

BB1 " Erm - David Cameron."

me "which party?"

Bb1 "torys"

Me "who is the other party of the coalition then?"

Bb1 - "Lib dem - and I know you are going ask me who their leader is - it's Nick - erm whatsisname-clegg!"

Me - "Brill! who's the president of the USA?"

BB1 - " Barack Obama -can I like - erm - get on with brushing my teeth now? I DO have braces you know, and you are always nagging me about my erm oral hygiene? Oh - and sorry to mention it, but my school trousers are too short again..."

Me " Bloody hell - stop growing will ya!"

I go to Ds2 - who is eight - he is busily reading.

"Bewildered boy 2 - can you remember who our prime minister is, sweetheart?"

he looks at me warily like I'm going to commit him for dementia or sell him for medical experiments if he can't..

"David Cameron - and he's a conservatory" he states promptly

"Goood! now can you remember when we had the election - the conservatories/conservatives got in, but didn't have quite enough votes- who did they join up with?"

"Lib-dems" he says promptly

"who is the leader of the lib-dems hun?I say

"eeerrr"

"nnnnnniii" I prompt

"Nick Clegg!" he says joyfully

"thats great! can you remember who the president of the USA is darling?

He looks crestfallen "No mum, I can't - but I know it's not homer simpson... can I finish this chapter?"

Go figure....

My DS knows the PM, and Nick Clegg - and has been trained to spit after uttering either name in a piece of shameless brainwashing on my part

Seriously though we do talk about politics at home at times so he is aware. I don't know how we could not talk about politics. It's all our lives.

My Dh, who is now 40, has still never had a political discussion with his parents and doesn't know who they have/do vote for. I find that so utterly inexplicable and sad.

ooh meant to say, my DS is 9.

My (just gone 4) year old DD knows who Barack Obama is - learned about him in montessori and she instantly recognises him on telly

So YANBU