How would you feel if your 16 year old DS wanted to become a 'young conservative'

[BigSandyBalls2015]

That is all!
Opinions please.

Very very disappointed. The little shit (that doesn't actually exist).

Hear, hear, tigger

I don't have a 16 year old, but I imagine that would be the least of my worries if I did. To be honest whatever political views someone experiments with, you already know their personality and whether they are a good person or not. I also have a DP with different political views to my own, and I think it has made us both better people. We can't get away with stereotyping the opposition and that is a good thing.

Although I am not affiliated with any party and would not label myself any party, if I had a child who wanted to support the Labour Party I would feel the need to have a discussion with them about whether or not that is right given Corbyn/McDonnell. For me, not being a terrorist apologist is a fairly not negotiable thing, but I am torn between thinking that any party led by them should not be validated in any way, and thinking it is important people join who hope to make up a better future Labour movement.

I'd be proud to have raised a child who is interested enough in politics to actually join in.

Interesting replies. Not my DS, I don't have one. It's a friend of my DD - I was just curious what MN would think.

Certain amount of brainwashing I believe - parents very staunch conservatives, he regularly trots out speal that is straight from their mouths.

Id be really surprised, since hes currently a member of young labour.

I would be pleased he was showing an interest in politics and hope his views would change at some point

I'd be pleased he's taking an interest in politics.

And I would already understand that he has (and indeed should have) his own views, being a separate human being from me and not a doll of mine for me to control and think for.

I’d hope it was just a phase in all honesty.

Confused and rather sad.

I'd also think they'd had a personality transplant.

Well I was raised in a staunchly Tory household and turned out to be a Labour supporter. Kids form their own opinions I’m afraid.

I'm not one of those parents that sticks a placard in my five year olds hands and heads off to political rallies. I want my kids to read, research and make up their own minds. I do not want them to be mouthpieces for my beliefs.

If my child came home at 16 and wanted to join ANY political party I would be pleased - just as long as she had a reasoned and rational argument for doing so. I would only feel that I had let her down as a parent if she couldn't give well thought out reasoning behind her decision.
I certainly don't expect her to be a mini me and be my political double. I want her to think for herself.

Ashamed. But he can vote for who he likes obviously.

I'd be incredibly upset that although they had formed an interest in politics, they had become a Tory. I'd feel like I had gone wrong somewhere and also perhaps wonder if they were lacking critica thinking skills and/or were just plain daft.

Meh. A I suppose. I guess my assumption would be that he wanted to go into politics but didn't know where to start. Mostly I guess I would just be relieved that he hadn't joined lib dems or worse labour. A communist/hard left socialist for a son would be an disappointment I don't think I could ever get over.

I was raised in a staunchly left wing, Guardian reading household. My parents talked about Tories in the way many on this thread are - selfish, nasty etc.

My brother always votes conservative and I'm a middle of the road floating voter. I have voted for all the main parties in the past. And I despise the guardian.

You can't choose your children's politics.

I'd get him to start reading about it. He could kick off with Ewen Green's Ideologies of Conservatism.

This is a very left wing forum. You don't really expect to find balanced opinions here? This is the sort of place where a majority will think the likes of Diane Abbott are perfectly justified in their racist out look and anti Semitism is quite normal

Actually you only have to scam up the thread to see the bigotry and rhetoric spewed out.

Oh well that is much more worrying I think OP, any normal teen should be taking the opposite view to his parents at this point. He sounds too sure of himself. If I had a teen who was political in any way, I would see it as an opportunity to challenge them about what is wrong or needs changing in the party they wanted to support as well as what may be wrong with the other side. Being critical, questioning and sceptical is the most important thing, you might drop or swap party support but those qualities need to be lifelong skills.

I would be disappointed and slightly ashamed but would keep it to myself in the hope that it was teenage rebellion and that they developed better understanding and social conscience before they were old enough to vote.

Like I hadn't really brought them up to be a caring & empathetic child
would still love her (that really shouldn't need confirming)
I’d feel the need to enrol him in a critical thinking course

These comments make me think that quite a few pps need to enrol in a critical thinking course.

Anyone who thinks that caring and compassionate people, or carefully though-out policies are unique to one side of the political spectrum is likely to be either hopelessly naive or willfully ignorant.

I'd be entirely baffled, as it wouldn't chime with his current views at all - but it would be up to him. If he spouted stupid shit about immigrants or benefit claimants, then he'd get quite a few robust arguments from me and the rest of the family.

Can't see it happening, though.

It's perfectly possible to be a Conservative and be a empathetic, socially responsible person.

Of course it's possible. It's just most Tories seem to choose to be the opposite. It's the 'me first, then everyone else' mentally. Of course Tories can think of others - as long as it doesn't affect their own interests (usually based in money).

They always will be 'the nasty party', they have never shown compassion to the vulnerable, poor and disabled, they seem to be absolutely hell bent on destroying the public sector. Both mine and my partner's families are full of nurses, teachers and police officers. I personally stand by saying I'd be disappointed in my children choosing to be a part of what the Tories do.

Pleased that they had an interest in politics and wanted to be part of shaping the way the country is run. Tories aren't actually evil incarnate you know.