CC: Have any of you felt the need to restrict your dc's exposure to pop culture?

[Unicorn.]

We don't limit music or limit TV, but I think Disney channel has too many shows with attitude. My ds used to watch a few shows on Disney, I didn't like some of the tone and attitude, especially that given to some of the quirky adult characters.

 

We read Fahrenheit 451 as a read-aloud when he was 11. It was absolutely the best tool to get him to turn off the TV. People staring endlessly at moving screens, interacting with them, thinking of them as family. I never said a word to him about his TV viewing while we were reading. We had a few discussions throughout the book and he hasn't watched Disney channel since. In fact he doesn't watch much television, even though we don't limit electronics.

 

Obviously reading F-451 is not something everyone will feel appropriate at age 11.

 

That's a great idea!! Thank you- I know what I'm getting from the Library this week!:D

[JennyD]

I also think the built in implication that all siblings fight and all young people have tense relationships with their parents is irritating, and actually many teens and young people these days report feeling very emotionally close to their parents, so it's not even true. I often get the feeling it's grumpy baby-boomers living out their own fantasies in pop culture, and (as a non-baby boomer) wish we could move on to another reality - our culture is way too fixated on people of that generation and their "take" on everything.

 

 

 

Sing it.

 

We're also not Christian but restrict TV (as in, we don't have one) and after considerable discussion with DH we have decided that we will not be going down the video game route either. (Peg Tyre's book The Trouble With Boys was quite instructive for me here.)

 

I'm concerned somewhat less with the content of TV and video games -- although last year I used to go to a gym that had TVs playing and I was frankly astonished at what was on prime-time TV, and I don't consider myself a conservative person -- and more with the spectacular time-wasting potential. Not that I don't model wasting time in other ways (Internet, anyone?), but there does seem to be something about video games in particular that can be very problematic.

 

That said, my kids are still young, so of course this all seems easy to me now. I imagine that it gets much more difficult as they get older.

[Mrs Mungo]

I have a 13 yo dd. She loves pop music; mostly Disney pop singers, Taylor Swift, ect. For awhile she was listening to some of the other pop music like Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, ect. I put a stop to that after listening to the music. She also likes a few Disney channel shows like iCarly. It seems that she's picking up some sayings I don't care for and a general attitude I don't care for. She is very sheltered, an only child. I know where these things are coming from. It's not like these things are so horribly wrong, but I just have a bad feeling. She really LOVES pop music. Her time is limited listening to it. I don't want to sound strange, but sometimes I wonder if there's not more to the *electronic obsession* than meets the eye. I know some will think that's very *woo woo*, but that's ok.

 

So, for those who have limited or eliminated these things:

1. How did you do it?

2. Why did you do it?

3. Did you replace it w/ something you thought was better/more appropriate?

Feel free to add any other comments on how you arrived at your decision. It's just been bothering me a lot lately.

 

I cut out the Disney channel shows because of the horrible attitudes and character displayed in them. Instead, I turned the kids on to shows they could watch on Netflix or rent through Netflix that are great shows-Star Trek, Dr. Who, etc. They can watch at their convenience and commercial-free. We watch together, it gives us something in common and there are plenty of other families who watch those types of shows. You can also get fun stuff from places like thinkgeek. Ultimately, this encourages the idea that being smart is a good thing.

[Oops, duplicate account :/]

Re: Bluegrass

 

This is a favorite CD...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Home-You-PEASALL-SISTERS/dp/B000A7Q1RE

 

It's by the Peasall sisters who where the singing voices for the movie Oh Brother where art thou and the related soundtrack. You can play parts of the songs on the Amazon link to get a feel for their music. Love it! You can also by the MP3 downloads on Amazon.

 

This is their debut album...

 

http://www.amazon.com/First-Offering-Peasall-Sisters/dp/B00007E8R6/ref=pd_sim_m_1

 

Love, Love this DVD...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Peasall-Sisters-Family-Harmony/dp/B001G6SOPA

 

They are also homeschoolers! We've also watched their DVD and it's neat to hear their story/music and see how they do show biz and family life including homeschooling. Personally, I like the music in the DVD better. They are older and better singers and it's live, so more lively. :tongue_smilie:

 

The above CD and DVD do have Christian content.

Edited October 27, 2010 by mommyjen

[Mrs Mungo]

Posting again now that I've read the whole thread. :)

 

What would you recommend to a person that is interested in listening to bluegrass music but has no idea where to start?

 

Showing my own inexperience here, but what about the Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack? I know at least one kid who was launched on bluegrass by that album. Plus, some of it fits neatly into your Modern History year. :D

 

I was going to suggest this!

 

We don't limit so much with music, dh and I both like a lot of new music. We have extremely eclectic musical tastes and listen to some of everything.

[6packofun]

We start out with our kids listening to mainly Christian music--and there is a TON of cool, fun, "pop-like" Christian music with a good message. Then, as they get older, we branch out into secular stuff and together we decide if a song or artist meets our set of standards. It sounds very strict, I'm sure, but it's not at ALL. We don't expect our kids to listen to ONLY Jesus music. ;) And we *love* music you can dance around to!

 

So for us, I think it's helpful to have a foundation in what's going on in the Christian music world and then branch out from there with a set of standards. Hey, even some Christian stuff doesn't meet our standards or we just don't like it. It has been very helpful for our older kids, too, to know secular artists and be able to point friends to similar-sounding Christian artists who aren't totally Jesus-in-your-face with every song, but are positive and could plant a seed in those kids' minds. All of life, including pop culture, is an opportunity, IMO.

 

To answer your question about Disney artists: Some of them don't meet our standards and some of them are OK. None of them are great, IMO, so our kids enjoy a song or two, but we do not buy entire CDs by these artists. Also, we discourage our kids from obsessing about secular OR Christian bands/artists. By that, I mean that we discourage any focus on the person--especially cute ones, hehe--and focus on their talent or the lyrics or their testimony, life story, etc. Musicians are just people with slightly more interesting or exciting lives than us. LOL

Edited October 27, 2010 by 6packofun
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[Parrothead]

Disney does not bother me. Some of the stuff on Nick bothers me so it is restricted. Cartoon network does not come into the house.

 

Thankfully dd is moving away from kids programming and into more mature programing. She likes Dr. Who, Stargate, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Sanctuary and the like. She also watches NCIS with us.

 

So yes, like many others there are some things she won't be able to reference. But not every one can be into everything.

[farmgirlinwv]

Great rec's for music! I've also ordered the book "Made You Look" so that we can read it together. We are even at this moment having a heated discussion on not being able to watch iCarly. sigh. So many of the phrases she uses comes from tv. "You are ruining my life!" "I can't believe you don't trust me!" "I'll never forgive you!" ect.

[LibraryLover]

Great rec's for music! I've also ordered the book "Made You Look" so that we can read it together. We are even at this moment having a heated discussion on not being able to watch iCarly. sigh. So many of the phrases she uses comes from tv. "You are ruining my life!" "I can't believe you don't trust me!" "I'll never forgive you!" ect.

 

 

The writers of iCarly invented these? I thought they were the first phrases translated when the Rosetta Stone was discovered. :D

[Laurie4b]

No, we don't restrict much at all with respect to pop culture. My dh and I are theologically conservative Christians.

 

Here's our main reason for not restricting even stuff which we would not listen to: we think our kids need opportunity to develop their moral muscles. Muscles that aren't used atrophy. If we are doing all the discerning for them, they have no need for those muscles. We have seen quite a number of kids from families who sheltered who get totally blown over by worldly temptations once they are in a position in which they have to stand alone. We know they are making some mistakes--but I also trust that God's Spirit within them will be pointing those mistakes out to them and they will, without our involvement, rectify those mistakes--of their own will. Personally, I think pop culture is a less dangerous forum for moral exercise than others a teen may pick. Our kids are 18, 16, 14, and 12. So far, so good. (Iow, there is some fruit of our decision, but they are not all adults yet, so I can't see the total fruit.)

[Mrs Mungo]

The writers of iCarly invented these? I thought they were the first phrases translated when the Rosetta Stone was discovered. :D

 

There are quite a few Greek and Roman writings lamenting the lax morals and work ethic of the younger generation. So, I'm pretty sure they had "it's not fair!" and "I hate you!" back then too. :lol:

 

Oh!! Fun story that is only sort-of related to this thread.

 

Sting was once on Jay Leno or some talk show like that. It was around the time that P Diddy version of "Every Breath You Take" came out. One of his teens was listening to it, Sting bursts in the room and says "hey, that's my song!" Kid says "no, this is P Diddy." Sting: "it was originally mine, I wrote it!" Kid: "you say you wrote everything," *eyeroll*.

[LibraryLover]

Sting was once on Jay Leno or some talk show like that. It was around the time that P Diddy version of "Every Breath You Take" came out. One of his teens was listening to it, Sting bursts in the room and says "hey, that's my song!" Kid says "no, this is P Diddy." Sting: "it was originally mine, I wrote it!" Kid: "you say you wrote everything," *eyeroll*.

 

 

That's hilarious.

[WiseOwlKnits]

We don't restrict pop culture. Having said that, we watch very little TV...but my DD has seen Suite Life, iCarly, Hannah Montana, etc. enough to know who they are. She loves Taylor Swift, Orianthi, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, etc. I doubt she could tell you who the singer of those songs is, but when something they sing comes on the radio she says, "Oh, I love that song!"

 

I grew up in a very restrictive household in regards to movie, TV, and music. I never saw Star Wars until I was in college. I didn't know Footloose or Dirty Dancing (the music or movies) until I was in college. I'd never heard Madonna. I didn't "get" a lot of pop culture references because I didn't have the background of experience that most 18-24 year olds had and it was awkward and made me feel an outsider. I had a great group of friends in college who decided to catch me up to pop culture and I'm infinitely thankful for their time and patience with me. But, even now my DH will make comments that I don't get and I'll have to ask him to explain the reference.

 

I don't want my kids to have that experience. I don't want them to grow up feeling like an outsider to their own culture and country as I often did and still sometimes do. Like it or not, Lady Gaga and the Disney Channel are part of being a child in the US today and will be part of the shared experience that their generation will have as they mature. I choose to expose my kids to mass media and pop culture while I can still talk to them about it so their first experience with it isn't on their own at college when their friends might not be as trustworthy and have as good of intentions as mine did.