To all of you toryphobic but lovely mumsnetters...

[catus]

I found the tory-dating thread quite interesting. Clearly some people have very strong and deep-seated political views. I couldn't help but wonder: what would you do if your offsprings became conservatives? Would you be disappointed? Would you try to change their opinions at every opportunity? Would you buy them the complete Ken Loach collection? Would you dare admit it to your friends?
And what about their future partners, wouldn't you at least try to love them a little even if they were tories?
For me, I have right wing tendencies but it would probably be fun if DS ended up politically minded and on the left. At least it wouldn't be dull!

He he @ usual.

"Would you be disappointed? Would you try to change their opinions at every opportunity? Would you buy them the complete Ken Loach collection? "

Yes to all of the above!

I'm disappointed that anyone is a Tory. I've been training my 4 year old to say 'down with Cameron' for the last 2 years.

Then again a good argument with an idealistic teen- could be fun

diabolo: I don't think you're less compassionate, but what do I know about compassion as I'm right-wing?
It seems to me being very political is a bit like being very religious. It is a positive trait, for me at least, because it makes you think and care deeply about important things. But at the same time, there is a risk of a limited and inflexible world view, where the individual, with all his or her nuances, conflicting thoughts and attitudes, just disappear. This applies to all sides of the political divide, obviously.

I hope that my DD be intelligent and self assured enough to make her own mind up, re politics, and not just follow the herd.
Surely that's what parents want for their children?
Hilarious that on this thread parents desperately hoping to manipulate kids minds in to being anti Tory, but a 15 yr old child can shag whenever she wants to and who cares what the parents think, according to some posters...oh the irony...

I will wait for them to grow up and understand the world better

Diablo - I have no idea if you are more or less compassionate than I am - I do not really view political idealogy in that way.

I think being right wing shows flawed thinking - I am a socialist, the way I interpret the world and the actions of governments etc. is through that 'filter'. The labour party is not socialist - individual members of the party are like in the tory party you have thatcherite and old fashioned 'one nation' tories different factions coexisting.

You can be as charitable as you like - but (in my opinion) if you are a person who believes that capitalism is a 'good thing' that the Govt should save money by withdrawing public sector jobs from areas where they are the biggest employer and that the poorest most socially excluded people in a failing economy where jobs are scarce should be motivated to find these non-existant jobs through cutting their minimal benefits but FTSE100 company executives can be 'motivated' through huuuge bonuses then - your thinking is flawed.

Therefore I would feel I had let my children down in some way if they started spouting right wing opinions - however critical thinking is important and if my children are able to counter argue effectively... then they will be allowed to live

I think teaching kids to think for themselves and make their own decisions and create their own opinions even if I disagree is better than indoctrination and trying to create mini-mes. But each to their own.

my grandparents were staunchly labour supporters. really old school, chess playing, Soviet-union praising types.

My Dad was always open with them about voting Conservative and held his ground in any debate on it.

no family breakdown ensued.

@ molschambers
.. and very glad we are of it too.......

I also think it would be really fun to have a leftie DIL or SonIL, especially if she or he liked a good debate. Christmas dinners would end up with all getting more and more inflamed with every bottle of wine, but we would reconcile on the Rat Pack Christmas album. Good times!
Not if she or he was die hard stalinist or maoist, though, that wouldn't do at all, and we wouldn't open the good stuff for that person.

well if ds did become a tory I would be shocked.
but won't happen as he is seeing first hand what theya re doing to people like his sister

I judge anyone who has strong political leanings towards any of the three biggest parties. That would include my DCs.

I would be the MIL from hell if my DS married as Tory

(but becoming a tory would be a step too far - I honestly would not be able to cope with that)

Who said anything about indoctrination? I imagine the tory parents balance out their views by reading 'Das Capital' out to their kids occasionally ...No?... There is nothing wrong with stating your strongly held opinions. Talking abouit the issues of the day and giving your view is healthy chidren are not empty vessels waiting to be filled they ask really hard questions and are very critical and naturally philosophical. They will have their own opinions shaped by their ewxperiences, friends and working life same as the rest of us.

MeKathryn: come on, you know deep down you need the tories! Who would be to blame for the world's ills without them? If nobody was tory, you would have to invent them, I'm sure!

no idea what happened to my spelling 9need to stop typing in semi darkness

diablo - The essential difference between right and left-wing compassion is that left-wingers want to force everyone to give a percentage of their income to leftwingers worthy causes. This universalism makes them more compassionate than people who are content simply to donate their own money.

To answer the OP, I wpuldn't be at all bothered if my DC grew up expressing different politics to mine. I don't own their minds.

I wouldn't mind at all if a DC ended up Tory. I'm way way more left wing than my father was - it led to some fun evenings ranting at each other in the spirit of healthy debate. You don't actuallybecome the spawn of satan when you head to the right, I've learnt. Unless you're Gove, obviously.

Based on my experience, children start out as natural Tories (selfish, non-empathetic) and we hope to correct them by teaching them many of the things we strive for (empathy, compassion - what I think of as mainly leftish traits, based on our political system).

I'd be privately disappointed if my children turned out to be right wing. But that goes with the territory of teaching them to think for themselves, I suppose .

I don't mind them when they aren't running the country Catus

I'd be disappointed if my children grew up to be right wingers. Or totally disinterested in politics.

Argh, This is the stuff of nightmares.

It would never happen.

I would be genuinely devastated and feel I had done an extremely poor job of bringing them up. It would upset me greatly .