Now, I love to listen to music. However, I am finding it difficult to listen to music with my son present. For example, Lady Gaga’s “Love Game” ( http://blip.fm/~7u6se from Blip.fm. It is free to listen to. Lyrics found at MTV.) song is upbeat and catchy, but if you truly listen to the music, you will find some things that you might not want your children to hear.
Excerpt from Love Game:
Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick
Don’t think too much just bust that thick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick
The term ‘disco stick’… well, that is self-explanatory. In fact, when my boyfriend first heard the above verse, the kids were with it. He turned the station immediately. When my son recited Flo-rida’s “Low” (lyrics from MTV found here), it did not seem so bad, but the innuendo is there.
I admit listening to this without children is fine, but this music is now quickly spreading to radio and television and easy for little eyes to see. I almost feel like I have to use parent control all the time. It sounds dramatic, but is this the type of message we want to convey to children? Yes, I could shut it off and I would, but what about the other children? There are countless songs today. How much is considered too much? Is just turning it off enough or do you need to explain why before you do?
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8 Comments to 'Parenting And Music: When To Turn It Off'
June 9, 2009
I don’t really care if my son listens to my music. He can’t understand it anyway, unless it’s Manson or Korn. xD
June 9, 2009
I think you should care, Jenny. He might not be able to understand things, but children are inquisitive. Your son is curious, right? He’ll eventually ask questions and you’ll have to explain.
I’m not a parent and I was an only child. I don’t see why children are the way they are today except parents aren’t nurturing their children properly. Too many little punks running around. Kids are having kids much earlier and violence amongst teens are even worse. Just look at the newspapers and news on tv.
I’m scared of having children. There’s too much around every corner that isn’t held sacred like it use to be.
June 9, 2009
He can understand simple words, but not the innuendo. When my son imitated me cussing, I put a stop. I didn’t want my son to become a potty mouth early on.
Now, I know parents who are really strict, and I am pretty liberal about what to allow Angel to hear, but I don’t think just letting your kid listen to it fine. There has to be a line to where you will turn it off. So, there are none…is that what you are saying?
June 9, 2009
Parents should care… I agree. You have a point about children being curious and wanting to ask. I have only known a few children that do not show interest in questions… the rest are eager to provide an infinite amount of questioning.
June 9, 2009
I find myself skipping a lot of songs on my mp3 player. Heck, I was listening to an audiobook, and had to change due to some language.
I do my best to shield them from adult language and themes, but when Shrek contains music from Sir Mix-a-lot, nothing is 100%.
June 10, 2009
I’m lucky that the music I like really doesn’t have a lot of foul language or innuendo I guess. I definitely would watch out for what my child listens to. I’m not fanatical, and if it’s a singular, quick swear I don’t worry, but I won’t play our local top 40 stations with my son in the car because I know too many of the songs are more vulgar than I’d like.
June 10, 2009
I do that too. Occasionally I get so engrossed, but I have found that if I just listen to the music I like before he comes over from being at his father’s I can just put Kidz Bop in. I am a bit leery of some of the songs put on Kidz Bop as a few are a borderline, but as long as they are not producing material like what I have in this blog…then my kid can listen to it anytime.
June 12, 2009
I explain that it is inappropriate. My kids get wide eyes and say ok. I tell them it is to keep them clean as long as possible. Music can be good or evil.
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