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" I grew up in a tiny apartment on the south side of Chicago with my mom, dad, and older brother. My dad was a pump operator at the city water plant, and while our family didn&amp;#039;t have much money, my brother, Craig, and I had a home that was bursting with love, laughter, and life lessons from our parents. Every day, they taught us--by example--the value of hard work and the importance of telling the truth, treating others with respect, and keeping your promises. And they poured everything they had into my brother and me. Neither of our parents had a college degree, but they saved and sacrificed so we could get the kind of education they never dreamed of for themselves. And they made it clear to us that we had an obligation to give back--to serve our community and our country, and to help others have the same kinds of opportunities we had been blessed with. For our parents, that meant playing an active role in our democracy. During election season, they made sure to learn about each of the candidates on the ballot, and always showed up on Election Day to cast their votes. Sometimes, they would take Craig or me along with them to the polls. I still remember looking at those big levers and knowing that they signified something important. And I remember my parents explaining to us that voting is one of our most sacred rights--a right that many people sacrificed and fought for--as well as one of our most basic responsibilities as citizens. When I became a mom myself, I decided that this was a value I wanted to pass on to my own children. I&amp;#039;ll always remember carrying Sasha in my arms as I voted for my husband in the 2004 Senate race, while Malia helped Barack fill out his own ballot. And we made sure to talk to our girls so they learned that we were not just voting for Dad--we were doing our part to move our community and our country forward. As parents, we are our children&amp;#039;s first and best role models. The values we teach them today are the values they&amp;#039;ll live out the rest of their lives. That&amp;#039;s why I love REDBOOK&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;Take Your Child to Vote&amp;quot; campaign--because just like we instruct our kids to do their homework, pick up after themselves, and be kind to others, we&amp;#039;ve also got to teach them about the rights and responsibilities that come with being a citizen in our democracy. With so much at stake this year, that lesson is more important than ever: Our votes on November 6 will determine the direction of our country and affect our children&amp;#039;s lives for decades to come. As I see it, the outcome of this election will shape how we rebuild our economy; whether we keep investing in our schools, making college more affordable, and fighting for equal pay for women; whether women will be able to make their own choices about their health care; and so much more. No matter where you stand on the issues or who you plan to vote for, a healthy democracy depends on us all getting out there and making our voices heard. That is the lesson my parents taught me, and that Barack and I hope to teach our own daughters--that they have a right, and an obligation, to have a say in our country&amp;#039;s future. We need to do our part to pass on that lesson to the next generation, so if you can, take your child to vote. We&amp;#039;ll all be better off, not just this year, in this election, but for decades to come. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/life/mom-kids/advice/a14501/michelle-obama-on-taking-kids-to-vote/>