Dictatorship

Imagine you are playing with all of your friends. You have bright, colorful blocks and soft, cuddly toys. But what if one friend said, “I get to choose all the games. I get the big, bouncy ball. You have to follow my rules.” It doesn't feel very fun when you don't get a turn to choose, does it. It can feel a little sad when your voice isn't heard. I am like that feeling, an idea where one person gets to be the boss of everyone and everything. It's like a game where only one person gets to make up all the rules for everybody, all the time.

When one person gets to make all the choices for a whole big group of people, that idea has a very big name. Hello there. My name is Dictatorship. Isn't that a long word. It just means one person's voice is the only one that gets to talk loud, and everyone else has to be quiet and listen. They have to follow all the rules, even if the rules don't feel fair. It is like having only one color to paint with, when there is a whole box of rainbow crayons just waiting to be used by everyone.

But guess what. People learned a wonderful, happy secret. It is much more fun when everyone gets to help make the rules together. It’s like when you and your friends all get to vote on what game to play next. Maybe you play tag. Maybe you build a big tower. When everyone gets to share their ideas, everyone feels happy and important. Listening to each other is a special kind of magic. It helps everyone be kind and fair. Sharing and taking turns makes playtime the best time. It helps everyone feel warm and sunny inside. That is the very best way for everyone to live and play together, with all the voices making a happy sound.