OK, am I being a prude here?

[Pigeon]

It's on a list my 12 year old wanted me to download for her. I declined (along with half the other songs on her list), because I'm the Meanest Mother On Earth, a title I take seriously.

As far as whether or not the other parents let their kids listen to stuff, I just tell my kids I'm parenting them, not their friends.

Yes, she'll hear that stuff elsewhere, but I don't have to pay for it, and she won't hear it over and over again the way she does the stuff on her iPod.

 

[dawn1620]

My kid..my rules.

And the kid or anyone else does not have to like it.

 

[lillygator]

I used to listen to 2 Live Crew with my aunt when I was about 6ish. I knew ALL of the words to every song and sang them in the car with her. I had NO idea what any of it meant, but my family sure got a kick out of me singing some of those songs!

OP, it's your house, your rules. I think you're doing just fine telling her she can't download it.

I saw 2 live crew live in Gainesville when I was 18, at the FL theatre on Univ I think. talk about raunchy! They ended up getting kicked out....


anyway, I think most lyrics are over kids heads...I know they are my girls. If I had to pay to download...nah, wouldn't do it, if it was free....maybe.

 

[N&B'smom]

Here's the other thing. Why do we need to let little kids listen to junk when tehre's so much quality stuff to hear? Its just not necessary. Now, I know that they will hear it with friends, etc., but that doesn't mean you have to let them have access to it all the time. Do you let your kids eat candy bars anytime they want? So, why would it be OK to have a steady diet of junk gonig into their brains? Our kids are worth so much more than that.

 

[klacey1]

Absolutely not. I would not approve of my 7 year old listening to that filth. I get offended by that new Rhianna song (that "boy can you get it up" one ) and I'm in my twenties! Whether or not it goes over their head is irrelevant, my child won't be listening to such music. Not that there's anything wrong with the parents who DO let their kids listen to it-- I just will say no, for my kids. And OP, you have every right to as well.

 

[*BTMRR*]

I allow a little junk once in a while but like a PP said above, a steady diet of junk (whether it's Cheetos or Kei$sha) rots minds and bodies.

I think there's a difference between allowing a child to download something to their personal iPod and listen to it constantly, and just letting them hear it occasionally when it comes on the radio or when they're at a friend's house (well of course at first a popular song may be played every 10 minutes on the radio but that dies out pretty fast).
It's the same way for movies, IMO...we see some things in the theater--ONCE--that we won't purchase on DVD because I don't mind something once but if we get it on DVD they will be watching it over and over.

So no, I wouldn't download that junk to my 7-year-old's iPod. I'd explain why (in an age appropriate way), and offer an alternative.

 

[LaraK]

Well, the meanest mommy in the whole wide world (I wear my title with honor) may have redeemed herself. I spent an hour with my daughter going through songs old and new and burned a new CD for her. Lots of nice dance tunes. A few that I thought about for a while. But enough that she's happy. Now I just have to listen to the Macarana and The Climb over and over and over again.

I was testing some of the songs before I put them on there. Some of my favorites got vetoed too.

 

[Imzadi]

Are you a prude? Only you can decide - and on what songs you want DD to listen to.

But, remember, she is 7. There were songs I was listening to on the pop charts and singing that I now consider so suggestive, but they went waaaay over my head even as a tween - as they should have. Like the old song by Bread, "I'd like to make it with you." Sheena Easton's, "Sugar Walls." Cyndi Lauper's song, "She Bop" is by her own admission, a song on m***********.

To point out that the songs are suggestive may backfire, as they may make her & her school friends try to find out what the song lyrics really mean.

 

[luvsJack]

Not sure I would let a 7 year old listen to Keisha, but dd does (she's 11) and she listens to Brittany and Rhianna. Like others, music isn't a big enough issue for me to battle over.

I will say that when dd was 7, her music consisted of Disney songs, Cheetah Girls and Kids Bop. She didn't start listening to that kind of music on the radio until just the past year or so.

 

[MinnieMe87]

Well, the meanest mommy in the whole wide world (I wear my title with honor) may have redeemed herself. I spent an hour with my daughter going through songs old and new and burned a new CD for her. Lots of nice dance tunes. A few that I thought about for a while. But enough that she's happy. Now I just have to listen to the Macarana and The Climb over and over and over again.

I was testing some of the songs before I put them on there. Some of my favorites got vetoed too.

Sounds like you did good! Though, I will have pity for you on having to listen to The Climb over and over! LOL

 

[wdwfan16]

If you are a prude then I will be sitting right back to you on the prude bench. I would not let a 7 year old listen to that. Many parents don't listen to the lyrics before they allow their child to listen.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Music isn't generally a battle I am willing to take. I object to Kesha because she is a hack, not necessarily because of her lyrics.

 

[Minnie_me]

I'm usually pretty liberal with music, and my DD9 loves to sing along to all kinds. But when I heard her singing "Tik-Tok", I had to draw the line. I don't want my 9-year old singing, "Everybody gettin' crunk, boys try to touch my junk, gotta slap 'em if they're gettin' too drunk..."

Ick.

(btw, "crunk" is a combination of being high on chronic and drunk)

 

[MinnieMe87]

(btw, "crunk" is a combination of being high on chronic and drunk)

Is it really? I had no idea! Everyone around here uses it as a combo of Crazy and Drunk.

 

[momof1princess]

if you're a prude, then so am i. no way in the world i'd let my 7 year old (if i had one-DD is now 12) listen to that garbage. as i said, my DD is 12, and doesn't listen to ke$ha. probably doesn't even know who she is. her mp3 player consists of miley cyrus, selena gomez, the jonas brothers, nsync, backstreet boys and some classic pop and disco. we've never had an issue with inappropriate music...at least, not yet.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I don't think so. thats the whole idea of being an adult and a good parent.

kids really don't have the judgement in spite of what they and others say. You have to be the "bad news" person from time to time. thats just part of raising kids.

I know my kids let me know I went from being the "cool" dad to the "mean" dad when they were not allowed to do things or listen to certain music. I remember my daughter tried to pull the "best friend" trick on me. she found out that I am not her best friend, I am her parent and would not allow her to do what she wanted, just for my convience.

as they got older I allowed a bit more latitude, but not much.


funny, they are raising their kids the same way.

 

[SandrA9810]

I hate that song... But at that age, a lot of things went right over my head. One of the songs my mom hated was red red wine... Of course the bigger deal she made out of it, the more I understood what it was talking about.
But songs like, my angel is the centerfold and quite a few other 80's songs, I had no clue about till some one else told me recently. And recently on the radio, they were taking requests and a mom called in asking for the lady antabella - need you now song, because her 4yr old wanted to listen to it, and she knew all the words to it. The dj was taken aback a little by it, but at 4 I don't think the kid has any clue what any of it means.

Funny some one brought up 2 live crew. One of the guys that had a family owned a home a couple houses away from me. And they used to throw the biggest parties ever for that kid. Carnival rides, pony rides up and down the alley, and of course music. HUGE block party... It was so long ago that I can't remember who it was, but I remember the party. No one was turned away... it was open to the whole neighborhood.

 

[iheartjacksparrow]

It's so hard to say. Obviously the song is not appropriate for that age, but at the same time kids probably have no idea what it means. Half the time now I don't even know what a song is about and singalong to it.

The only thing that gets to me about "not allowing" it is that it makes the song more appealing to kids. Then they start to wonder why they cant listen to it and what its about, but yet if it was on there ipod they would just get bored of it soon.

It's so tough, and I think its even harder with the technology we have now. I mean when I was a kid I would play cassettes, until I got a cd player. Which meant that I was definetly not listening to it as much as an ipod..

Tough situation...but I don't think you are being a prude parent.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Oh, and She Bop....I just found out what that song meant about 4 years ago!

I just wanted to say I realized last yr. that I learned what the Go-Go's song, "Our Lips are Sealed" was about. I can't believe that never dawned on me..duh.

OP, your house, your rules. Don't sweat it.

 

[ICF]

Not a prude at all....she's 7 (and in the 1st or 2nd grade)....no need to listen to songs like that. If it comes on the radio, we change it. Our kids are 7 and 10.

Your house (car) your rules....A 7 year old listening to that song is a lot different than a 13 year old listening too it.

Nice to see someone not giving into their kids wishes, like so many parents now a days seem to do.