we have been hearing a lot about families these days. parents are all over complaining about video game violence and adult content in movies and tv. can't have little johnny or janey seeing naked folks in art either- might damage them. you are about to get my view on this whole thing- so if you are pro-parent and pro-kid- you probably should stop reading now.
i am not saying parenthood is an easy job- and for those who think of kids as accessories to your lives- i say that you should not have had children-- but it isn't supposed to be. people in this country feel that having children is the thing to do and is their right- but don't give it much more thought than that. it's a shame. because of your poor parenting skills, you think that the entire society needs to change for you to do your job better. here's the bottom line-
if you don't want your kid to listen to racy music or watch adult content tv shows or movies- don't let them. you have the power to turn off the button or not drive them to the movies. you have the power to put the tv block on and there is software you can buy for the computer. it is YOUR job to monitor YOUR child's entertainment. not mine. here's a news flash: not every place that YOU choose to go needs to be child friendly. there are those of us who are adults who don't have kids that have the right to go to a bar or restaurant without the dubious honor of your presence. take your kid to friendly's or disney world- not on a dinner cruise. i have the right to watch adult shows and rated r movies without little johnny or janey screaming in the aisles.
you folks agitated for ratings- and now we have them- on cds and dvds and games and movies. use them. don't take your kids to places that aren't age appropriate. don't buy them toys or other things that aren't age appropriate. don't take them to movies that aren't age appropriate. i don't want to watch a disney movie and that shouldn't be the only types of movies made. deal with it. and a news flash prudes- not all naked art is porn. get over it. it's your responsibility to shape your child's value system- not to be his/her friend. you are the parent- not me. i shouldn't have to rearrange my life to accommodate you- simply because you thought you were capable of raising children.
7 comments:
*applause*
Nicely put! I totally agree even, especially as a fairly new dad!This is the challenge of parenting. We are not trying to change society to fit our kids; we are trying to raise our kids to change society!
Great post!
Get Out Of My Head, betmo! LOL
You ranted pretty much a lot of what I rant to Mister Dizzy.
I love my children, dearly but I also love being an adult, with adult tastes and no-kids-allowed experiences. I don't like dealing with other people's kids in certain public settings and thus there are settings where I don't bring my kids, out of respect for other grown-ups. I use the v-chip on all my televisions and I use the blocker on the cable box and have the computer set up so that the kids can access ONLY kid-friendly sites with very limited exceptions. It drives my teenager crazy, but that just means that I am doing my job. He has to ask to surf certain sites or watch certain shows or movies and that helps me get better acquainted with what it is he "jus' has to see...".
At home, my husband and I go through great pains to conceal those things that we don't want our children to be exposed to while at the same time, taking liberties with those things that we wish to enjoy (all legal, of course...just not age appropriate for our little angels). But, when we go out, we like to enjoy ourselves without having to watch out for little eyes and ears (especially of other people's kids).
You read about my experience doing the prom and that was a hell I never want to relegate myself nor anyone else to. If mom and dad can't handle jimmy and janey learning about the world, then maybe they need to keep them in a cage and leave the rest of us the hell alone...
I could have authored that.
We stopped doing it in front of the kids some time ago. Hee Hee:-), like you say.
As a Grandpa, we just don't take kids to places where they don't belong. It's for our comfort, really, but also for thier comfort. I don't want to go to places that don't want kids either. If they don't want them, then I don't want to be there. It's simple really.
By the way, my own kids were never blocked on the TV or ushered out of the room when we were talking alone or with friends. They are part of our life and lived in the home we werer in. When we werer out, they were with us and part of us. We never ignored or disregarded that fact that they are alive human beings.
When something needed to be explained, they werer explained to, not told to sit down and be seen and not heard.
So, let those that don't like whatever to say thy don't like it and take their kids to Chuck E. Cheese. Even my Grandkids don't like that place. It's too childish and a rip-off for them.
What does 'werer' mean? It means fat ass fingers going too fast on the keyboard of life. Mea Culpa.
Very good post, I agree 100 percent.
We live in a society which is in a baby frenzy. Turn on the television channel TLC - I cannot tell you how many shows they have based on families with 13 or more kids. It's bad enough that 14-year old girls are already picking out names for their future kids. It's even worse that they give birth two years later and expect society to overhaul and support their kids.
Then, mix in our Puritanical "values", and you get the family friendly madness.
Parents need to take responsibility for their children, not society.
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