Likely all the children around the country are on winter break. Parents are wrangling their little loved ones to alternate day care and finding ways to keep them safe while they are at work. It’s busy now but there is the week between Christmas and New Years that can be a special time for families.

After all the festivities, what could be the focus of your time together as a family? This year may be a good time to talk about what it means to you to be an American. What are the values you bring to the table when it comes to your country? How are those values being expressed in the current administration and how do you think they will be expressed in the new administration?

Will you give blanket compliance with anything the new administration wants to do? Will you speak out for the things you don’t agree with? Speak out for the things you do agree with? How will you do that?

It’s time to be an active citizen. To do that, you need to know where you stand. Spend some time considering your own position, do some reading, gather information from a wide variety of sources and create your own platform. Talk with your partner, your family, your friends and discover what they think. Talk with your kids about what they believe and what you believe and how you, and your kids, will be active citizens.