What better lesson in citizenship than using the court system?
As urban dwellers, we live in a traditional Buffalo double with lower and upper apartments. For us it has turned out to be an economical way to live in one of the best urban neighborhoods in the country. While being owner occupied mitigates many problems of being a landlord, it isn't without its moments. We had to evict our last tenant as well as have her arrested for harassment and criminal mischief due to a string of actions she took against us including an abusive letter, yelling and swearing at our kids, and dumping garbage in a hallway after the tantrum in which she yelled at the kids. It appears to me that she isn't mentally stable, but of course, I don't really know. (Yes, we did check out her background and from what we learned about her as she lived here, she would have passed even a stricter check.)
Anyway, we spent quite a bit of time during the past several weeks making trips downtown to Buffalo City Court. Many of the trips involved getting forms and filing papers for eviction over non-payment of rent. However, the kids also had to accompany us when we went to court for the actual hearing. Not only did they get the courtroom experience, but they got to see Mom and Dad win the eviction by, not only being in the right, but by being knowledgeable in the laws pertaining to the situation.
Their experience was not limited to housing court, but less than a week later, they accompanied me to one of the criminal hearings where I went as a victim/witness. Actually, since they were discussing plea bargains, I was more of a spectator, but I think they are learning.
I was impressed with their respect for the court too. While they sort of acted up and drove us crazy waiting to go into court and immediately afterwards, they were on perfect behavior in the court room each time. I take it to mean that either they really were watching what was going on or that they at least grasped the seriousness.
The final phase was helping us get ready for and look for a new tenant. While they didn't fully understand all steps, they were present for showing the apartment, taking down e-mail addresses, and finally explaining our lease and collecting the security deposit. They are getting a head start on learning how to rent out property. We learned by our own experience which was difficult.
Hopefully, we are also showing the possibilities of a diversity of income by having some business of our own and not solely relying on employment for our income. There is some freedom in running a business even though it clearly has headaches. We have our little soap business too, but that is still in its very early stages.
What do you think of all this? How have you taught citizenship or business?
