Thread: "Uh oh. close your eyes"

i don't really think that's wrong, he's two, he can't exactly comprehend death... let alone self imposed death...

as for censorship, i'm not really that into it... if kids aren't aware of dangers of life, be it cartoon or real, it really takes away their sense of reality and consequences....

reality from a cartoon? yes, if they see that actions have reprocutions in the cartoon world, they'll acuiate them with reprocutions in the real world as well...

as for sex and stuff, umm... it's not some big secret, so i don't really see the point in keeping it from them.

the difficult thing is HOW to talk to the child about it (or any topic for that matter) that helps them understand, not confuse them more...

but i have no kids, so my opinion doesn't really matter at this point in time...

Originally Posted by Peach_follows

Well, Ive had a few decent discussions about this with family members and my parenting group. And I thought I'd bring it here and see if anyone had some input.

The topic at hand is parental control. As far as what parents should censor their children from in society.
Now I know many of you don't have children. So (using your imagination), what would you censor your kids from. What would you allow?
Would you use the V-chip on your television? What ratings of movies would you allow them to see, and at what ages? What about music... will you only listen to unprofane music... with no prevocative lyrics. Or will you just continue being yourself and teach your kids whats right and wrong?

I must admit I don't do much censoring beyond not showing anything extremely gorey or sexual. But I've watched movies with the occasional sex scene. "Close your eyes" is what my parents used to say to me. I turned out ok...

An exampe is: My 2 year old loves a song with the lyrics as follows. "you're way too beautiful girl, thats why it will never work. you'll have me SUICIDAL when you say its over" He can barely talk, but tries his best to note the lyrics. Is that wrong?

I think u nailed it, pretty much. Especially the part 'bout overtly gory or sexual scenes. Not that I'm against teachin' kids 'bout sex, it's jus' that I feel that it should b on their level as they're growin' up. As far as the song lyrics, has he asked u any ques 'bout it? If he has then jus' try and explain it the best u can. My 5 year old nephew asked me 'bout a song that my sister listens to, and I tried, with a noddin' approval from her, ta explain it the best I could. Sometimes kids r gonna hear and c things no matter how hard u try ta either keep it from them or limit their exposure ta it. That's where u gotta do the best u can wit what u think is right.

Here's a story (hope it will fuel disscusion)

Last night In my parent group. I was told about a 6 year old boy who killed the class pet. It was a hamster. "He popped its head off". The man who told me this story was the social worker for this boy's mother. Apon visiting their home. The social worker was told that the little boy watched horror movies everyday after school. The boy's mother said they were one of the few things to keep his attention.

Any thoughts?

Well Abu, I appeciate your input. As a parent, Ive been thinking alot about this topic. And weather you're a parent or not, I think what you had to say is important... Afterall there was a point when I was not a parent. (aahh the good ol' days) ^^

As I said, im not big on censorship either. And, you raised alot of good points about kids seeing reprocussions behind actions via cartoons.

As for the song... My mother gave me a really hard time becaused I encourage him to sing it. But anything a 2 year old sings is adorable!

@Joe. Yeah when things are designed to scare adults, of course you don't want your kids to sit underneath you as you watch it (at least you gotta wait till the double digits ) And, it almost sexually abusive to watch explicit sexual content around children in my opinion.

Originally Posted by Peach_follows

@Joe. Yeah when things are designed to scare adults, of course you don't want your kids to sit underneath you as you watch it (at least you gotta wait till the double digits ) And, it almost sexually abusive to watch explicit sexual content around children in my opinion.

I don' disagree, my point was that we should b open 'bout sex wit children, of course on their level. Meanin' which, exposure ta sex, as a topic wit children; not a form of entertainment, should b limited in it's scope based upon their age. This is the recommended course that is suggested by child psychologists and sex therapists and that was the course that my mom and dad chose. They did this in an effort ta keep us from havin' sex at an early age, worked on my sis and I, not so much on my bro though. And yeah 'bout the scary movies, when my sis was livin' wit us; I'd wait 'til after her kids were in bed 'fore I'd watch Dawn of the Dead, Underworld, or etc. No scary movies for them, I didn' want them ta b up all night from nightmares and stuff.

I have no idea what a V-chip is, I never heard of it, but it appears as if it's some kind of a monitoring device that controls what one can view? Anyways...

If I can have it my way, I would have my children (this sounds freaking weird!!) grow unattached to television. Of course, they can watch it from time to time, without becoming a habitué of TV world ~!! As for censoring, I think I will let them indulge in stuff that's appropriate for their age. What's appropriate for specific ages? I can't present case to case examples, but I certainly wouldn't have my ten-year-old daughter watch a TV program or movie inflamed with obscene and risqué references. >_>; As a parent, it's one's responsibility to put forth and suggest material that's suitable for their children... without constraining them too much for one's own sadistic pleasure and over-protective purposes. I'm talking about sane beings here, not those who rubberneck wanton garbage and presume it's suitable for their children, too... since it's fine-viewing for them.. and not those who find even an earnest kiss between two adults as inappropriate. And for music, it's pretty much the same. No rubbish, foul-worded lyrics.

~ I would employ methods used on me by parents on my kids, including those, which I will develop unassisted, hoping to see them become conscientious individuals. And of course, I will teach and disclose to them what I perceive as I right and wrong, but I would also carefully subject them to learn stuff by their own reasoning. Own experiences are critically essential. And besides, I don't want them to become mindless automatons!

So yeah, I think I will enlighten my kids with worldly didactics with the help of God and my wife (if I marry).

@kedar

See, I envy that. Im sort of a lazy\selfish parent in that sense. My oldest son likes eminem (known for his contriversial (sp), and obscene lyrics), hes only 4. His father was really the one to introduce him to it without my knowledge. And I admitedly have listedned to such music around him.

Thats the music I like, and my kids are almost always around me.

However, my son also knows what he can and can't say. He isn't overly violent. He's exceedingly intelligent. And he's developing a sense of spirituality.

On the other hand I've seen other kids his age who dont know their colors, but they can repeat lyrics from songs that glamorize selling crack.

BTW heres alink for v-chip info: FCC V-Chip

Here's a story (hope it will fuel disscusion)

Last night In my parent group. I was told about a 6 year old boy who killed the class pet. It was a hamster. "He popped its head off". The man who told me this story was the social worker for this boy's mother. Apon visiting their home. The social worker was told that the little boy watched horror movies everyday after school. The boy's mother said they were one of the few things to keep his attention.

Any thoughts?

Wow, this kid might be a serial killer when he grows up. I don't think watching the horror movies did it, sounds like this kids messed up to begin with. The only thing to keep his attention, wow scary stuff. I couldn't handle those movies until i was in my teenage years, and even then i was spooked.


I would probably do what Joe Mage says, let them see stuff appropriate for their age. I wouldn't shield them from sex, just teach them about it in a way they can handle it at there age. As for the song lyrics, they wouldn't be listening to that kinda stuff until there about 15 or 16.

In todays world i know they may still hear or see these things, but im not going to add to it.