Do you "censor" reading material? (nonfiction)

[TracyP]

While we were unpacking this weekend my dd (7) asked to read my horse books. I of course said yes and have now had to explain breeding, castration, and a multitude of icky infections / diseases to her. I wonder how you all handle this. Both my dc (who can read) read far above grade level and I look hard for appropriate fiction books. I have never really thought about this with regard to nonfiction. Any thoughts?

[lionfamily1999]

I censor reading material, regardless of its fiction/non status. There's plenty of "real" stuff that my dc do not need to read about ;)

 

I went through my books about a year ago and 'culled the herd.' Any books that would make me sick to have the kids read I chucked (ok, well I donated them to the library). When we check out books from the library I glance through them. Sometimes it's a matter of a few pages (human body books for instance) and I paper clip them together. The kids don't peek, they trust me :D

 

ETA, I have taken a book from the library pile and said, "Absolutely not." In that case, it was a book dd checked out and I explained to her why she wasn't to read it.

[mommaduck]

While we were unpacking this weekend my dd (7) asked to read my horse books. I of course said yes and have now had to explain breeding, castration, and a multitude of icky infections / diseases to her. I wonder how you all handle this. Both my dc (who can read) read far above grade level and I look hard for appropriate fiction books. I have never really thought about this with regard to nonfiction. Any thoughts?

That's something I would not have censored. I do censor one of my midwifery books because it has a few drawings of positions for teA while pregnant.

[regentrude]

No, I do not censor. We have nothing overly violent in the house, and no pornography. Anything else, they can read. If they are old enough to read and phrase a question about it, the are old enough to get answers.

 

Not having books does not mean you do not encounter hard questions.

My 5 y/o asked about procreation, the biological role of the father, incest, puberty, the female cycle.... all without being prompted by nonfiction.

[Ester Maria]

From time to time I'll ask them not to read a specific work, fiction or not, if I feel it might disturb them too much; but other than that, not really. They're free to read what they like.

[Jen in PA]

It's all available around here, but I do try to pay attention to what dd takes from the shelves so I can be prepared for questions.

[PeterPan]

Those would not have been censorable issues in our house either.

[mammaofbean]

things that will cause fear or depression. reproduction, anatomy and health not censored at all.

[TracyP]

You justified my gut feeling. There are a couple topics I would definitely draw the line on (ahem...tea positions:lol:) but the things she asked about did not bother dd at all. I grew up on a farm and had some family who thought I "knew too much" so I thought maybe my radar was skewed. Thanks all!

[lisabelle]

No. I don't censor. Ds picked out a Stephen King book a while ago and I suggested it might make it hard for him to sleep. That's about the limit of it.

[LisaKinVA]

Non-fiction books are not censored. My 7yo just did a report on dogs...my dd has a horse book that goes into great detail. My 7yo enjoys reading about human anatomy. They have seen babies, and younger siblings naked. It's a matter of fact.

 

I would agree about the *teA* positions, though. Castration, whelping, mating, human anatomy, difference between girls and boys... all open for discussion.

 

We just finished talking about Henry the 8th, and why he kept getting new wives (because they didn't give him sons). *I* took that opportunity to explain the X and Y chromosomes, and how it's really the man's seed that determines the gender, but back then, they didn't understand this aspect of reproduction.

 

Not a single one of my children asked the dreaded question (how do the boys seeds get inside the woman?) They just weren't interested, I guess :D

[TracyP]

Not a single one of my children asked the dreaded question (how do the boys seeds get inside the woman?) They just weren't interested, I guess :D

 

This is hilarious! I am expecting so my kiddos have a fairly good understanding of reproduction because I answer every question they ask honestly. This is the ONLY thing they haven't asked! I brace myself and I am so ready for it......but nothing. Too funny!

[Michele B]

I censor - at least I talk to another mom I trust, or I gather reviews on the internet. I am so careful - and yet, I had a really huge slip-up earlier this year. I bought a used book 1 from the Alanna series. http://www.amazon.com/Alanna-First-Adventure-Song-Lioness/dp/0679801146

 

DD10 told me the main girl got her period in the book. No problem, I have gradually clued in the girls about that from the beginning. I have endometriosis, so it is on my mind a lot!;)

 

She loved the book, and we went to the library to get more. Then I started to wonder, if she got her period so graphically, what other biological adventures would she have. I started researching, and then ordered dd to hand the book over! I wish the librarian would have clued me in me - small southern town we live in an all!;)

[regentrude]

 

Not a single one of my children asked the dreaded question (how do the boys seeds get inside the woman?) They just weren't interested, I guess :D

 

When I had a similar conversation with my then 5 y/o DD, she paused a bit, and after a few seconds phrased her question like this: "But, if the egg grows in the mom and the sperm grows in the Dad, the two have to be brought in contact somehow!"

 

OK, so I explained. I thought it was hilarious how she worded it ;-)

[Kates]

I don't censor nonfiction...if ds is interested, he reads it. We then discuss it, I answer any questions he has. He's pretty open with them, I know exactly what he's reading, and he knows I'll be upfront with my answers. If he's not interested in knowing...well, he doesn't pick up the book. ;)

 

Fiction, I do censor, but it's because he literally picks up on everything - and hyperperceives what's going on with a character, a situation, everything. He's PG, so there are a lot of things that he comprehends but doesn't have the maturity to deal with. If I feel a book might be too much for him to handle, I'll let him know it wouldn't be a good idea for him to read it right now. He trusts my judgement.

[Dana]

I censor - at least I talk to another mom I trust, or I gather reviews on the internet. I am so careful - and yet, I had a really huge slip-up earlier this year. I bought a used book 1 from the Alanna series. http://www.amazon.com/Alanna-First-Adventure-Song-Lioness/dp/0679801146

 

DD10 told me the main girl got her period in the book. No problem, I have gradually clued in the girls about that from the beginning. I have endometriosis, so it is on my mind a lot!;)

 

She loved the book, and we went to the library to get more. Then I started to wonder, if she got her period so graphically, what other biological adventures would she have. I started researching, and then ordered dd to hand the book over! I wish the librarian would have clued me in me - small southern town we live in an all!;)

 

I wouldn't have had a problem with the Alanna books. I think there is a sex scene in Book 2, but everything is behind closed doors and nothing is overtly stated in my memory. I love those books :)

 

I do warn my son to stay away from some of my books (fiction & graphic novels). In particular, I've told him to check with me before reading "my" books because I don't him to see some of the pictures from graphic novels (Sandman, V for Vendetta) and I do have a number of mysteries (some very graphic) and a lot of romances. I don't want him reading those yet :)

 

My son reads very quickly, so I don't manage to preread what I give him. We had quite a few interesting questions when I handed him a book about the Bill of Rights. It discusses ways in which interpretations have changed and court cases. The first amendment was fodder for quite a few questions: "What's abortion? What's pornography?" It was also funny since it was written in the 90s that it said regarding 4th amendment: Airport searches aren't considered invasive. We had a discussion about that as well!

 

At least he knows he can ask us questions - even if he startles us with the questions. :lol:

[5Wizards]

 

Not a single one of my children asked the dreaded question (how do the boys seeds get inside the woman?) They just weren't interested, I guess :D

 

We discuss everything as questions arise, and we were shocked that it took until my DD was almost 9 to ask how the sperm got to the egg. Her reaction was HILARIOUS when we told her, and the question, "You and daddy did THAT?" with the face and sound effects even more so. There was added fun a few weeks later when there was a discussion about the fact that adults do this for fun, not just for reproduction purposes, and of course she had some comments about her father and I to go along with this conversation. :lol: Fun fun fun! My DH and I crack up later when we're alone every time we have one of these conversations.

 

To the topic at hand, there have been books that I've told her I think she should wait on due to knowing her (Harry Potter books waited until she was 8 as she would have had fear issues before then), but I haven't had to censor much else. There was one young series I said no to just because I couldn't stand the grammar (can't remember the series right now) and the books.

 

When I was a child, I was able to read whatever I wanted to, so I'm trying to go along with that. My kids are very comfortable discussing things with us, so I'm pretty comfortable with this decision. As with anything else, this topic can be revisited if I think there's an issue in the future. :001_smile:

[newbie]

I censor reading material, regardless of its fiction/non status. There's plenty of "real" stuff that my dc do not need to read about ;)

 

I went through my books about a year ago and 'culled the herd.' Any books that would make me sick to have the kids read I chucked (ok, well I donated them to the library). When we check out books from the library I glance through them. Sometimes it's a matter of a few pages (human body books for instance) and I paper clip them together. The kids don't peek, they trust me :D

 

ETA, I have taken a book from the library pile and said, "Absolutely not." In that case, it was a book dd checked out and I explained to her why she wasn't to read it.

 

:iagree:

[Caitilin]

I don't censor, as a rule. We don't check out library books that I consider junk, so no tv show-related books, etc, but as far as actual content, no I don't censor. If my sensitive ds is interested in a book I am pretty sure will scare him, I tell him that. That's about the limit.:D

[justamouse]

No I don't censor. I've found that for the most part, what they aren't ready for doesn't hit them. I answer all questions.

[HeidiD]

We discuss everything as questions arise, and we were shocked that it took until my DD was almost 9 to ask how the sperm got to the egg. Her reaction was HILARIOUS when we told her, and the question, "You and daddy did THAT?" with the face and sound effects even more so. There was added fun a few weeks later when there was a discussion about the fact that adults do this for fun, not just for reproduction purposes, and of course she had some comments about her father and I to go along with this conversation. :lol:

 

This is the reason I quickly changed the subject when my 5 yo asked me about reproduction last week! :lol: I think the anatomy lessons can wait a little longer.... :)

 

I don't censor the non-fiction stuff very often (except for graphic crime and other disturbing things). I read a book about Ed Warren that was so scary I didn't even want my husband to come across it! :lol: That went immediately into the trash.

[Old Dominion Heather]

I can only think of one thing that I have censored. Ds bought a book about the photography of WWII at a used book sale when he was about six or seven. There were GRAPHIC pictures illustrating the mass graves of the Holocaust. I took that one away for a bit and told him he could look at it WITH me only.

 

It was too much horror for such a little guy. We got the book out and looked at it over a period of about a week when we were studying the war. Then we put it up again.