I have a kid in preschool and honestly I dread the "pledge of allegiance talk" more than most other common "uncomfortable parent conversations"
"Yeah this is bullshit but you WILL be ostracized if you don't join in. I realized this in middle school and just had to go through the motions for the next 6 years or so but I felt like I was taking crazy pills."
Mint is a good choice for your first linux.