Do you censor your kid's music

[nmmom95]

My 6 year old listens to Green Day, so....no.

 

[Ohiodislover]

I guess I do, because my kids are only 10 and 7. They can only watch or listen to or read things I select and give to them. I guess they could probably pick out a book at the school library that I haven't screened, but I wouldn't screen them anyway.

Kids are going to see or hear things that we'd rather they didn't. In this society it's practically unavoidable. So, the best I think we as parents can do is instill our values and beliefs and leave it up to them.

My daughter, for example, started reading a book by an author that's very acceptable for her age group. She, however, found the book very scary and disturbing for herself and quit reading it. I think she has a lot of common sense and wouldn't expose herself to things she can't handle.

I will just keep telling them what I expect and believe they are capable of being and hope for the best. Once they are teens - how could I prevent them from listening to music in the car or at their friend's houses anyway? If I caught one of them listening to, reading, or watching something I don't approve of, I would probably ask them to stop and explain why I felt that way.

I believe in keeping the lines of communication open, and constantly telling kids what's on your mind, but micro-managing anybody, especially teenagers, I don't think will get you very far.

Exactly
My SIL would never let her daughter listen to certain stations, or watch MTV. I didn't understand that, because then she would sneak to listen and watch. My DD (11) will censor herself, and turn things off that she shouldn't or doesn't want to watch, or listen too. A much better quality to instill, IMO.

My older DD watches and listens to things I would rather her not, but she knows the difference of when things are appropriate and when it is not. She treats others w/ respect, gets straight As, and compliments about how mature, and responsible she is. So we must not be screwing up too bad.

 

[pearlieq]

At 6? Heck yeah!

Kids that age don't need to be exposed to vulgar language and strongly violent or sexual themes. They're way too literal. They aren't ready to understand it in context and they aren't always capable of determining when/where it's OK to repeat what they've heard or what impact it may have on others.

I'd prefer my kindergartener still found potty jokes to be the height of hilarity instead of walking around like they stepped out of an episode of Deadwood.

 

[wenrob]

Nope, my parents never censored my music either. Now I might 'steer' a little bit but the choice is ultimately DD's. Like mentioned above kids at a certain age just don't 'hear' the meaning the way we do. When I was a kid my Dad would play the Eagles Life in the Fast Lane, a sample of the lyrics: "There were lines on the mirror and lines on her face, she pretended not to notice she was caught up in the race." I had no clue what that meant as a kid, it didn't dawn on me until I was a late teen. I see stuff dawn on DD now that she never thought about. What's most important IMO is that we are available to talk to them and explain to them what it's about once they do start to understand.

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't censor much here. Either they're too young to get it (I loved GREASE as a 5th grader - wow, I had no idea!), or they are old enough to have heard it many times before. When dd13 was younger, I didn't let her download explicit versions on her ipod, though, if there was a cleaner one available.

 

[mjkacmom]

Its funny you ask this question. I was just listening to Kid Rock and Skid Row on the stereo when I was making dinner, and I was thinking the same thing.
I don't censor. DD13, dd9, ds8, dd6 and dd3 listens to Lady GaGa and all my 80's heavy metal, gunsnroses, motley crue, eminem, pink, kid rock, def lepperd, alanis morrisette, averil Lavigne, Slaughter and many more that I like to listen too. The kids actually sing along they have been listening so long to them. Right now, the words just go over their heads. Although dd3 does listen to stupid girl by pink to much (she likes to say those words )

Its not a big deal to hear the words or music imo. I do draw the line with seeing movies with nudity of course or violence. Swearing they hear enough at home, they are not shocked by it. jmo

You should hear ds6's rendition of Big Balls by AC/DC - "We've got the biggest, balls of them all!" Gotta love AC/DC rock band for the Wii! Dd6 has an awesome "Highway to Hell!"

 

[wenrob]

You should hear ds6's rendition of Big Balls by AC/DC - "We've got the biggest, balls of them all!" Gotta love AC/DC rock band for the Wii! Dd6 has an awesome "Highway to Hell!"

When DD was about 5ish she got a Barbie microphone for Christmas and next thing I know I hear her belting out Puddle of Mudd's 'She Hates Me' the uncensored version of course. I was vaulting over Great Grandma to get to her! Honestly, I never thought about it being on and her hearing. For the record at 13yrs old she wouldn't dream of using those kinds of words.

 

[luvmy3]

My rule is if it has an explicit warning then its not allowed. I do not like alot of the music that there is out there but I don't believe that listening to it is going to turn my kids into delinquents.

 

[turkeymama]

My kids are 9 and 5, so of course I do right now. I think I will continue to do so and I'll try to explain why. It's for the same reasons I censor the t.v. shows and movies they watch. I would not allow someone to sit in my living room (or my home) and use profane or sexually explicit/suggestive language in front of me or my children. To me, listening to that material (or watching it on t.v.) is no different than allowing someone to do it in my home. I realize the kids will hear it and see it in school and other places, but that doesn't mean I have to invite it or allow it in. By allowing it into our home, I am condoning it, in my opinion. So yes, I will continue to censor what they hear until they are old enough to be responsible for themselves. In the meantime, we deal with the inadvertent exposure to inappropriate material on an as-needed basis.

 

[minniebeth]

With some of the stuff DS14 tries to download, um, yeah, I do. About once a week I swipe his ipod while he's at school (he doesn't bring it with him to school) and listen to his playlists while I'm at the gym. I'm not trying to smother him, just keeping in touch with reality, not wanting to bury my head in the sand. Some of the alternative stuff out there is horrible and DS is a pretty conservative kid. Try listening to some of Eminem's music/lyrics and
3OH3 and you would probably sensor some if it too.

 

[testifyoncruises]

I guess there are far worse things in the world to worry about.

I can remember parents having a conniption about She-Bop and I Touch Myself. My six year old happens to love the Doors and "The End". Check out those lyrics sometime.

Beatles? Loves Rock Band, some of those lyrics. Woo Hoo.

Next thing you know Elvis will be swiveling his hips on the teevee.

Now I do censor Fancy Nancy books because they use horrible English and grammar. She is forbidden from checking those out from the school library.

But music, most of all the lyrics go over her head. She just loves the music.

 

[turkeymama]

I guess there are far worse things in the world to worry about.

I can remember parents having a conniption about She-Bop and I Touch Myself. My six year old happens to love the Doors and "The End". Check out those lyrics sometime.

Beatles? Loves Rock Band, some of those lyrics. Woo Hoo.

Next thing you know Elvis will be swiveling his hips on the teevee.

Now I do censor Fancy Nancy books because they use horrible English and grammar. She is forbidden from checking those out from the school library.

But music, most of all the lyrics go over her head. She just loves the music.

OT, but what about Junie B Jones, Dr. Seuss, and Shel Silverstein (particularly Runny Babbit)? Those are full of either bad grammar or non-sensical language. Of course, then there are the stories about Wodney Wat. (I actually like all of them myself and so do my kids)

 

[testifyoncruises]

OT, but what about Junie B Jones, Dr. Seuss, and Shel Silverstein (particularly Runny Babbit)? Those are full of either bad grammar or non-sensical language. Of course, then there are the stories about Wodney Wat. (I actually like all of them myself and so do my kids)

Absolutely. Junie B. Jones and Shel Silverstein are also No-Nos in this house.

We do not read Disneyfied fairy tales either, but the original stories of Cinderella, etc.

 

[leagirl12]

My kids are 9 and 5, so of course I do right now. I think I will continue to do so and I'll try to explain why. It's for the same reasons I censor the t.v. shows and movies they watch. I would not allow someone to sit in my living room (or my home) and use profane or sexually explicit/suggestive language in front of me or my children. To me, listening to that material (or watching it on t.v.) is no different than allowing someone to do it in my home. I realize the kids will hear it and see it in school and other places, but that doesn't mean I have to invite it or allow it in. By allowing it into our home, I am condoning it, in my opinion. So yes, I will continue to censor what they hear until they are old enough to be responsible for themselves. In the meantime, we deal with the inadvertent exposure to inappropriate material on an as-needed basis.

ITA

It drives me crazy when someone says I let my kids watch this or hear that because they are going to hear it at school anyway. Just because they hear it at school doesn't mean I have to allow it at home because allowing it shows I am condoning it.

Now I also don't tell them NO to something without explaining why. I think that is a very important part of it. So far we haven't had any problems or big fights....when I say something isn't age appropriate they accept it and drop the subject without a fight. I even had a mom of one of ds's friends tell me that while he was at their house they were about to watch something that we don't allow and he very quickly told them he wasn't allowed to watch it and would they mind if he went in the other room. I was very proud of him...knowing he could have watched it without me ever knowing but he didn't.

As they get older I do loosen the reigns some but at 10 and 12 they will not have free reign for a while. It is my job as their mom to guide their choices.

 

[emer95]

ITA

It drives me crazy when someone says I let my kids watch this or hear that because they are going to hear it at school anyway. Just because they hear it at school doesn't mean I have to allow it at home because allowing it shows I am condoning it.

Now I also don't tell them NO to something without explaining why. I think that is a very important part of it. So far we haven't had any problems or big fights....when I say something isn't age appropriate they accept it and drop the subject without a fight. I even had a mom of one of ds's friends tell me that while he was at their house they were about to watch something that we don't allow and he very quickly told them he wasn't allowed to watch it and would they mind if he went in the other room. I was very proud of him...knowing he could have watched it without me ever knowing but he didn't.

As they get older I do loosen the reigns some but at 10 and 12 they will not have free reign for a while. It is my job as their mom to guide their choices.

Oh, I think I would be very good friends with you, leagirl12, and you, turkeymama.

I absolutely censor what my young daughters listen to/watch/read. The great thing is, I am seeing that they are taking on the same values I have. I don't let them listen to songs with swear words in them. We don't swear in our home- why would we invite music in our house that does? We were listening to the radio in the car one day and "Give you He!!" (by ...I think Fall Out Boy?? Not sure of the band) came on. My youngest daughter said, "That is a terrible song, change the station!"
She's only 9. I'm sure things will get much tougher as she gets older, but for now, I'm enjoying her purity.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

No. I don't censor things.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Its funny you ask this question. I was just listening to Kid Rock and Skid Row on the stereo when I was making dinner, and I was thinking the same thing.
I don't censor. DD13, dd9, ds8, dd6 and dd3 listens to Lady GaGa and all my 80's heavy metal, gunsnroses, motley crue, eminem, pink, kid rock, def lepperd, alanis morrisette, averil Lavigne, Slaughter and many more that I like to listen too. The kids actually sing along they have been listening so long to them. Right now, the words just go over their heads. Although dd3 does listen to stupid girl by pink to much (she likes to say those words )

Its not a big deal to hear the words or music imo. I do draw the line with seeing movies with nudity of course or violence. Swearing they hear enough at home, they are not shocked by it. jmo

I think we are the same! My kids sing all the songs and leave out the bad words or just change it to "bad word"

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

my parents never did and in high school i listen from everything from the Backstreet Boys to Marilyn Manson and i was the only one of my friends who never did drugs, had a steady job, and didn't go out and "party" all the time. i just don't think that music has anything to do with how kids are raised or how they turn out.

altho back when i was going to church with my parents when i was in high school i had the one pastor trying to tell me that all the music i listened to was "secular" and "promoted pre-marital sex, drinking, and drugs" and i told him that at the time, i'd never had sex, never did drugs, and never drank. he, of course, didn't believe me. i've since been against organized religions. for more than just that reason, but still...anything that tells me that i'm going to turn out a certain way for listening to music just sounds batty to me.

 

[momof1princess]

i don't censor what DD12 listens to. her mp3 is filled with taylor swift, miley cyrus and selena gomez, as well as classics like "thriller" and some disco music (earth, wind & fire). i come into contact with a LOT of song lyrics in the course of my daily work, and 99% of it is so vulgar and disgusting, i can't imagine it being played on the radio, much less my daughter paying to listen to it. but honestly, she chooses the clean stuff on her own-i really haven't had to say no to anything.

 

[Sparx]

Absolutely. Junie B. Jones and Shel Silverstein are also No-Nos in this house.

We do not read Disneyfied fairy tales either, but the original stories of Cinderella, etc.

i do not understand how even the rankest heavy metal music is any worse than the "real" belle et la bete, or sleeping beauty.