Is there a democracy in your family?

Democracy is the most desirable social and political structure that most of the world prefers as their way of social and political governance. I agree that it's not a perfect system, but there is nothing better available, it is the best system among all that we can consider. We all (or most of us) love to live in a democratic society, a society where we are free to express our views, free to dissent with powerful people and organizations no matter who we are. We value our democratic rights and expect our governments and society to provide a proper environment to practice those rights. Wherever we feel disagreement we raise our dissenting voice without any fear, this is the ideal picture of any vibrant and working democracy. The topic of today's blog is about democracy at home. Is there a democratic environment in your family where dissent and disagreement are encouraged, or there is a dictatorship where elders or a particular elder makes all the decisions for every member of the family?

The first question people might ask, is why we need to have democracy in our homes? Why do kids who are minor and non-earning members of the family need to have the power to oppose or challenge decisions taken by the earning members of the family? The answer is very simple, for the same reason why everyone needs to have a right to express their views in a society, the reason is, to have a safe and welcoming environment. I agree that it's very easy to run the family when one person has all the decision-making power and others just follow without asking any questions, but then it will be easier to run a country like that, with no opposition and no dissent, just one voice for all. Do we want to live in such a country where someone else speaks for us all the time?

Allowing people to express their views does create some chaos and one needs to spend a lot of time in discussions and debates, but this process also makes everyone understand each other's needs and viewpoints. The democratic environment encourages the exchange of ideas within the family.  Sometimes it may lead to a polarized environment, but if the process of discussion continues eventually family members learn how to agree to disagree. This also teaches each member of the family to speak up and stand for their and other's rights. We should not expect that schools will teach the value of dissent and disagreement to our kids, it is our responsibility as parents to teach them the meaning and value of dissent. Democratic families result in a vibrant democratic society, where there can be disagreements but at the same time, there is collective decision-making and space for alternative opinions. 

Please encourage kids and all other members of the family to share their views and ideas. This will not only make them feel at home but also make them feel a valuable member of the family. This will not only increase understanding of each other but also increase happiness and remove the feeling of fear and suppression. Give it a try and let me know your experience with this. A democratic family is also a happy family.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.