Comments on: Parental discretion advised http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music We will not be pacified Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:03:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Laura http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-10930 Laura Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:43:45 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-10930 Looking back on my childhood I asked my fairly conservative mom an important question: How on Earth did you let me watch Dirty Dancing when I was 7? Her answer? Oh, you just thought Johnny Castle was cute. You had no idea what a slut Penny was. And scene. It wasn't until college that I truly understood why Penny was hurt. Maybe I was sheltered, or maybe I just thought Johnny Castle WAS that cute and everything else in the movie didn't really matter! Looking back on my childhood I asked my fairly conservative mom an important question:

How on Earth did you let me watch Dirty Dancing when I was 7?

Her answer?

Oh, you just thought Johnny Castle was cute. You had no idea what a slut Penny was.

And scene.

It wasn't until college that I truly understood why Penny was hurt. Maybe I was sheltered, or maybe I just thought Johnny Castle WAS that cute and everything else in the movie didn't really matter!

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]]> By: Pharaby http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-7640 Pharaby Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:01:05 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-7640 Over Xmas break, my 7 yo stepson was obsessed with the song "Fireflies" and I would turn up the radio and he would sing it around the house all the time. SO CUTE. That being said, I was thinking about this the other day as I was backing up my touch's music. He's coming up for summer break in a couple of weeks, and we'll be tooling around in the car a lot. I would be more worried about violence in songs -- as a teacher, I see SO many little kids singing along to really violent or profanity laced songs that denigrate women, and it horrifies me. I am not into censorship at all, but I really don't think that's appropriate for 5 yos. Most of my tunes, though, are more sexually explicit indierock songs, so... I think I'll just shuffle past certain Liz Phair songs, and play it (pun intended) by ear. Over Xmas break, my 7 yo stepson was obsessed with the song "Fireflies" and I would turn up the radio and he would sing it around the house all the time. SO CUTE.

That being said, I was thinking about this the other day as I was backing up my touch's music. He's coming up for summer break in a couple of weeks, and we'll be tooling around in the car a lot.

I would be more worried about violence in songs — as a teacher, I see SO many little kids singing along to really violent or profanity laced songs that denigrate women, and it horrifies me. I am not into censorship at all, but I really don't think that's appropriate for 5 yos.

Most of my tunes, though, are more sexually explicit indierock songs, so…

I think I'll just shuffle past certain Liz Phair songs, and play it (pun intended) by ear.

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]]> By: ComfortablyDisturbed http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-5765 ComfortablyDisturbed Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:53:26 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-5765 I grew up with all kinds of excellent music. My mother never believed in censorship, and I don't remember it ever being a problem. As far back as I can remember there were things and words i would hear about and I knew they were grown up things, so I ignored those parts and enjoyed the rest. When my cousin was eight, his favorite song was Stacey's Mom. My uncle simply made him an edited version and let him listen to it as much as he wanted, the only thing he removed was the profanity. (and only because my cousin was all into testing rules and boundaries at the time, so why give him more ideas?) I grew up with all kinds of excellent music. My mother never believed in censorship, and I don't remember it ever being a problem. As far back as I can remember there were things and words i would hear about and I knew they were grown up things, so I ignored those parts and enjoyed the rest. When my cousin was eight, his favorite song was Stacey's Mom. My uncle simply made him an edited version and let him listen to it as much as he wanted, the only thing he removed was the profanity. (and only because my cousin was all into testing rules and boundaries at the time, so why give him more ideas?)
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]]> By: Jenni D. http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-2926 Jenni D. Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:24:32 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-2926 haha this reminds me of our 2 year old running around singing "let the bunnies hit the floor, let the bunnies hit the flooooor!!" instead of bodies. Is it bad that Daddy has taught him to say "Rock out with my socks out" ? I was listening to Outkast the other day and my 15 month old was totally bopping to "Spread" ahhh! just stumbled across your website and am really digging it :) haha this reminds me of our 2 year old running around singing "let the bunnies hit the floor, let the bunnies hit the flooooor!!" instead of bodies. Is it bad that Daddy has taught him to say "Rock out with my socks out" ?

I was listening to Outkast the other day and my 15 month old was totally bopping to "Spread" ahhh!

just stumbled across your website and am really digging it :)

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]]> By: OffbeatErika http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-175 OffbeatErika Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:38:50 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-175 Oh my gosh, that was my favorite song too! I didn't figure out what it was really about until I was in high school! Oh my gosh, that was my favorite song too! I didn't figure out what it was really about until I was in high school!
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]]> By: Valerie http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-174 Valerie Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:35:03 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-174 I'm all for discretion, but sometimes kids don't realize or care about the lyrics either. One of my favorite songs as a kid was Garth Brooks' The Thunder Rolls, which (for those who don't know) is about a cheating husband who gets shot by his wife in the final verse. I couldn't figure out why it bugged my mom that I liked it so much until I was 13 or so. I also agree with the two above posters in that exposure with adult supervision is a good thing. In my conservative household, I would learn "X is bad, don't do it" without definition of X. It made me all the more curious and susceptible to it. Thankfully no really bad choices came out of it. I'm all for discretion, but sometimes kids don't realize or care about the lyrics either. One of my favorite songs as a kid was Garth Brooks' The Thunder Rolls, which (for those who don't know) is about a cheating husband who gets shot by his wife in the final verse. I couldn't figure out why it bugged my mom that I liked it so much until I was 13 or so.

I also agree with the two above posters in that exposure with adult supervision is a good thing. In my conservative household, I would learn "X is bad, don't do it" without definition of X. It made me all the more curious and susceptible to it. Thankfully no really bad choices came out of it.

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]]> By: ashby http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-47 ashby Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:49:19 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-47 I like that you mentioned "majorly intensive discussion." I'm not so much about censorship either, but I agree that it's super important to help your kids process things that may be beyond their understanding (like pretty much everything in the media). The real concern is when kids are left alone with all these influences and have to make sense of them with no guidance - when things are created for an older audience, it's important to have an older person to help them navigate it. I like that you mentioned "majorly intensive discussion." I'm not so much about censorship either, but I agree that it's super important to help your kids process things that may be beyond their understanding (like pretty much everything in the media). The real concern is when kids are left alone with all these influences and have to make sense of them with no guidance – when things are created for an older audience, it's important to have an older person to help them navigate it.
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]]> By: Ashley http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-790 Ashley Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:36:29 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-790 First let me say I I've actually had the reverse of your story- I was raised very conservatively (no magic stories, shows like "saved by the bell" that disrespect authority, or profanity of any kind (including things bugs bunny would say). Throughout my adolescence and as an adult I've found it very hard to figure out just who I am because I'm constantly being exposed to new things. I also ended up getting pregnant(which i'd never take back) and making a few other 'poor 'choices very young with a lot of influence wrought from my naiveté and lack of real world big picture. So with my children, I let them watch, listen and read to anything they want, supervised and with some majorly intensive discussion, because it's important to me that they don't hear it from somewhere else with someone else's spin, and in the end, a lot of the censorship and the innocence we cling to so much as parents is still there naturally, because the forbidden is so much more appealing than the permissive. First let me say I I've actually had the reverse of your story- I was raised very conservatively (no magic stories, shows like "saved by the bell" that disrespect authority, or profanity of any kind (including things bugs bunny would say). Throughout my adolescence and as an adult I've found it very hard to figure out just who I am because I'm constantly being exposed to new things. I also ended up getting pregnant(which i'd never take back) and making a few other 'poor 'choices very young with a lot of influence wrought from my naiveté and lack of real world big picture. So with my children, I let them watch, listen and read to anything they want, supervised and with some majorly intensive discussion, because it's important to me that they don't hear it from somewhere else with someone else's spin, and in the end, a lot of the censorship and the innocence we cling to so much as parents is still there naturally, because the forbidden is so much more appealing than the permissive.
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]]> By: JuliaStar http://offbeatmama.com/2009/09/kids-inappropriate-music/comment-page-1#comment-683 JuliaStar Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:19:55 +0000 http://offbeatmama.com/?p=82#comment-683 I know a lot of offbeat parents who have had an interesting time walking the fine line of protecting the innocence of their children and having the music and lifestyle that they prefer. Many of the parents I know have taken their children to concerts and festivals without any fear of the things their children would be exposed to. I believe they handle those awkward questions fairly honestly and implore their children not to repeat the words they hear in the music. Also their kids realize that they are listening to grown-up music and that if they don't behave with the things they hear that they will lose that privilege. They feel like they are getting a treat when they get to go to mommy and daddy's concert or listen to mommy's song in the car. I think it's great that you are exposing your children to so many diverse kinds of music and I hope they grow to become accomplished musicians/dancer/connoisseurs. I know a lot of offbeat parents who have had an interesting time walking the fine line of protecting the innocence of their children and having the music and lifestyle that they prefer. Many of the parents I know have taken their children to concerts and festivals without any fear of the things their children would be exposed to. I believe they handle those awkward questions fairly honestly and implore their children not to repeat the words they hear in the music. Also their kids realize that they are listening to grown-up music and that if they don't behave with the things they hear that they will lose that privilege. They feel like they are getting a treat when they get to go to mommy and daddy's concert or listen to mommy's song in the car. I think it's great that you are exposing your children to so many diverse kinds of music and I hope they grow to become accomplished musicians/dancer/connoisseurs.
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