As politics heat up throughout the summer and into the fall, talking to kids about politics—as with talking about religion—is vital to their growth and understanding of the world, but it can also feel impossible to do well.

One of the best ways I’ve found to start the conversation is by explaining the role of elected representatives and government. This can be as simple as: Elected representatives are chosen by people to make decisions and rules on our behalf to help us be safe and take care of everybody and the world. Depending on age and curiosity, this could lead to a longer conversation about how government works, how people are elected, and how to communicate what we think is right or get involved. The main goal is to help kids understand the why and the how of government at this point.

Once kids understand the basics of government, talking about values establishes a perspective from which to think about elected representatives, ballot measures, and other aspects of government. This tends to be the most in-depth part. Asking kids what their faith, church, and/or family teaches them is important can start out broad (be kind, listen, stick up for others, apologize when you mess up, etc.). Once kids have identified some values, they can apply them to more specific situations that governments and elected representatives face.

For example, you could ask a kid who values being kind how it would work or what to do when people don’t have enough money to buy food or don’t have somewhere to sleep at night. This part is not about telling kids what to believe or which party to follow, but instead helping them think about how the values that are important to them can apply to situations in their lives and the world.

Then, if they want to dig deeper (usually this would be older kids), talking about the candidates who are running for office or ballot measures can both help them make connections to their values and get them excited and involved. This is also a great opportunity to talk about things currently happening in the government, world, and community. If possible, bringing kids to the voting booth is also a great way to engage them. Elections, especially presidential ones, create a lot of opportunities to think with kids about the world we live in and how we live out our values in community. Sometimes kids are the ones who actually bring the clarity needed to complicated politics.