Hot Topics Ep. 7 - Politics & Parenting: What to Discuss with Kids

In this candid episode of Hot Topics, hosts J. Fotsch and Will Cox speak with Missouri State Representative Alex Riley and government consultant Ryan DeBouf about the challenge of navigating politics as parents. Both guests bring not only their professional insights but also their personal experience as dads—Alex with a growing young family and Ryan with children spanning from elementary to adulthood.

The discussion emphasizes the importance of age-appropriate conversations, modeling respectful discourse and cultivating political understanding at home. The guests share how to introduce basic concepts like government roles and civil disagreement early on and why it’s vital for parents to lead these conversations before others do. They also discuss how their careers shaped their parenting, the impact of blended families and the tension between public service and private life. Whether it’s navigating school communications or handling political threats, both fathers reinforce that being present, engaged and full of grace makes all the difference.

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Episode Highlights
[04:55] – “I think it’s critically important for us as dads to be talking to our kids about those issues… if we’re not, somebody else is going to fill that void.”
[06:35] – “I started having those conversations with my kids when they were three and four years old.”
[08:51] – “You have to do it because they’re going to hear it first—and here’s why we believe what we believe.”
[12:00] – “You're better off being able to sit back as a parent, as a dad, and wait for them to come to you for the advice as opposed to forcing it onto them.”
[23:29] – “When you are home, be present at home… they know when you’re not really listening.”
[42:48] – “The most important thing… is to be present—in any way, shape or form that you can.”

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