Do you censor what your children listen to... and......

[Papa Deuce]

if your kids attended a school dance, would you expect / want the school to?

I was asked to DJ a HS dance ( not a prom ). I was told that there would be a "very big" list of songs that I am not allowed to play due to explicit content. I am fine with the "idea" of that. However, what I have learned is that much of what kids are dancing to today has all those explicit or sexually implied lyrics.

Doesn't leave much to play that the KIDS want to listen to. So sad.


Do you censor what your kids listen to?

 

[Christine]

No, I don't censor for my high schooler. We listen to the radio station that has all the "nasty" stuff on it. She buys whatever CDs she wants. If I don't like something or find it disgusting, I will have my rant about it.

As for my 11 year old son, yes I censor him. He gets WAY TO MUCH joy out of hearing the lyrics to "My Hump".

 

[worm761]

yes...but then my son is only 9.

 

[Papa Deuce]

No, I don't censor for my high schooler. We listen to the radio station that has all the "nasty" stuff on it. She buys whatever CDs she wants. If I don't like something or find it disgusting, I will have my rant about it.

As for my 11 year old son, yes I censor him. He gets WAY TO MUCH joy out of hearing the lyrics to "My Hump".

My Humps is on the DNP list.

 

[Planogirl]

I do but probably won't much longer. My son will be 13 soon and I'm easing up on him all the time. A lot of my feelings on this has to do with his attitude.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I do but probably won't much longer. My son will be 13 soon and I'm easing up on him all the time. A lot of my feelings on this has to do with his attitude.

Meaning that he has an understanding that the attitudes portrayed in these songs are not acceptable?

BTW, remember when "Afternoon Delight" was considered bawdy?

 

[Colleen456]

So far this is not an issue in our house. DS still likes Veggie Tales so we're good.

But I think up into high school I won't allow it in my house. Especially since DD is 6 years younger than DS. I hope he's respectful enough to understand why and abide by my rules. Plus I just don't like the message it sends out.

 

[Planogirl]

Meaning that he has an understanding that the attitudes portrayed in these songs are not acceptable?

BTW, remember when "Afternoon Delight" was considered bawdy?

I do!

It's not so much that he understands that the lyrics are unacceptable. He knows that they're unacceptable to me but I don't require that he think exactly like I do.

I want him to have good values and beliefs and understand that these lyrics are no more "real" or important than the dialogue in movies and video games. It's all a part of telling the difference between fantasy and reality IMO and I emphasize that all of this is a just a part of fantasy and that not even the singers necessarily believe what they're singing. He's always had a good grasp of reality and also is quite kind in his thinking so hopefully it's getting through to him.

 

[LvsTnk]

Thankfully DD listens to all the old music of my youth so that's fine with me. My family still listens to alot of Disney as well because of my special needs son.

And yes, the kids go to a Catholic HS so the DJ has a limited play list. I have asked the kids about this and they still say it's a good time. The whole school was on a Bruce Springsteen kick last year so they played lots of that lol!

On a side note DD plays basketball and one of the girls made a CD for their warm up that had all that popular rap and such on it but without all the bad words. Could you do that?

 

[cardaway]

Makes sense for the school. They don't want a parent there on Monday morning freaking out about what their little darling heard at the dance.

As for music and movies at home, we put them in they player, not the kids.

 

[eeyore kelly]

My kids are 10 and 13 and we listen to a lot of 80's metal, and yes I censor what they listen to.

 

[NMAmy]

I don't censor dd's music. I find some of the lyrics nonsensical and I'll laugh when I hear them. For example, Eminem's "Cleaning Out My Closet"--I realize he means it metaphorically but to listen to, "Mama. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to make you cry but tonight, I'm cleaning out my closet." The first time I heard it, I told dd, "Well, that'll show her!" Now we both laugh every time we hear it.

She also likes a lot of country music which I find just as annoying. She really likes the most maudlin stuff. I remember being the same way as a teenager but I can't decide which annoys me more--the pitiful country songs or the songs where people are yelling.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

Yes I do censor what my kids listen to even my 12 year old. Thankfully he really isnt into todays music and perfers to listen to contemporary christian music.

 

[Chicago526]

Just a suggestion to the OP, if there is time, why not have the school kids vote on what songs they want you to play? Obviously the ones on the DNP list are out, but this way they get a say in what's played and wind up with songs they want, and you don't have to try and guess. I'm sure you could aproach the school and ask that they put a song sign up sheet in the cafeteria or something like that.

 

[transparant]

Yes I do - even for my teens. They have younger siblings and I don't want them hearing that garbage either.

 

[luvdzny]

No I have never censored what my kids listen to. My theory has always been that it is impossible to protect your kids from all the "bad" stuff in the world, so the best defense is to teach them what you believe is right and wrong and instill strong values and hope & pray for the best. So far I think it is working. My kids are 16-21 and have not let me down yet. I am very proud of them and of the choices they have made. And believe me, they have listened to some questionable lyrics from time to time. I don't think our school has a censored list and that is fine with me.
Papa Deuce - can you play the edited versions of these songs? If not, good luck, I think your playlist may be quite small!!!

 

[GoofieRuthie]

Nope. I hate listening to songs that are censored myself, so I don't make my kids listen to them that way either. I can't think of any songs that I haven't let my kids listen to at all due to content either. (OK, so I didn't used to play ICP when the kids were around, but that is about it) My DD13 refuses to go to any school dances because she hates the music they play. Funny thing is, this same daughter is VERY into her church youth group and loves christian bands.

 

[barkley]

to an extent-at this point ds isnt interested in much music, but with dd (11) i do keep an eye (or ear) on it. i'm more concerned with some of the inappropriate sexual stuff in the tween marketed songs these days.

i do find it amusing when i hear her singing some song lyrics "of old" and try to figure out where she picked them up -one day it was "god bless the queen she's not a human being"-thanks to dad popping in an old sex pistols tape in the car, more recently it was "don't go breakin my heart" (the old elton john song) apparantly it was in "chicken little"

 

[luvflorida]

Two issues here.

Yes, I think the school should censor the music at dances and I believe there are 'cleaner' or edited versions of some of the 'dirtier' songs.

No, now that my daughter is 15 and in high school I don't censor what she listens to. I feel there is a difference in hearing the music in a public place with other people around, (a school dance), and listening to it at home or on her Ipod.

She knows I don't like some of the music she listens to, but I do know that she has a wide range of music she enjoys, most of it acceptable to me. Occasionally I'll fool around with her Ipod and a song will come up and she'll suggest that I might want to skip that one. Out of the four hundred plus songs she's put on her Ipod there are only a handful that I find distasteful.

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, I remember the big uproar with both Elvis and then the Beatles. They were pretty racey back then!!!! Pulsing pelvis's and all that hair!!! No wonder we turned out the way we all did!!
Anyway....yes, I do censor what my 12 y/o dd listens to. However, that will change over the next year or so. She will be able to make her own judgement calls. I still question her big brother (32) as to why he listens to some of the 'music' he listens to...it's just plain nasty. But, I'm sure that's what my mother thought about my music back in the 60's!!!