In an article published by 11/8 in the Orlando Sentinel, Family & Marital Law Attorney Rebecca Palmer discusses how parents must be ready to answer their children’s questions about the election as well as events leading up to the inauguration on January 20. The heightened emotions surrounding this election season are difficult enough for adults to navigate, so as parents, it is important to guide children as they behold people in their lives who may be visibly upset by the results.

“If your candidate or proposition did not win, explain in a fair and hopeful tone to help demonstrate that the process is more important than winning or losing,” Palmer writes. “Reinforce that voting is a crucial part of citizenship and share the history of voting rights—and the historical lack thereof—in the United States.”

Do your best to explain to your children that it is natural to be upset when things don’t go as hoped, but that once an election is over, it is over, and a healthy democracy depends on everyone respecting the final decision.

“Your goal as a parent should be to help your children grow up to be informed voters one day,” Palmer says. “Continuing respectful political conversations after the election helps your children see that in a country as diverse as ours, not everyone will see things the same way—which is what makes America simultaneously so complicated yet so beautiful.”

Read the story in full; click here (subscriber-based).