My mom sent me this article about how kids today are acting like teens a lot younger than they ever used to. It really hit home for me because the kid in the article reminded me so much of my ten year old, Aric. He wants to be grown so much and often tries to act older than his age. I do agree with the article’s point of view that it’s the media today driving these kids to grow up well before they should even be thinking about it – and it’s frustrating to know there’s not a whole lot I can do about it.
We limit what the kids watch on TV, although Aric will push those limits as often as he can. We’re constantly having to reevaluate if the current lineup of shows he is watching is still suitable, because we notice a change in his attitude and actions when he watches certain programs. The sad thing is, Nickelodeon used to a safe choice for kids to watch, but I’m finding more and more that there are things on there I’d rather he didn’t see. Music is another avenue of assault – and we try to influence Aric with good music from CDs as much as possible. He still listens to the radio, though, and it truly bothers me to hear both the lyrics of some of the songs and how the DJs are talking in between the music. I’m not sure it’s fair to ban the radio for Aric, so we just try to limit how often he’s listening as best as we can. We’re mindful of ratings for movies and try to not let him watch things that he shouldn’t. There have been a few slips along the way, but for the most part, we’re vigilant in this arena. I believe it’s important because even though Aric is determined to grow up quickly, I think being a child and maintaining the innocence that goes with it should last as long as possible.
Another thing I believe is some kids are easier influenced than others – and this includes how they will act after watching or hearing age-inappropriate material. For instance, my twelve year old, Connor, does not show a notable change in attitude or show any indications that he’s been influenced at all by TV shows, music, movies, etc. He holds himself to a pretty strict standard of behaving and doesn’t bend who he is to “be cool” the way Aric does. I don’t believe we’ve parented them any differently, aside from the inevitable discrepancies in parenting as we get more experienced.
As Aric gets more exposure to more inappropriate things – as I’m sure he will – and once the hormones really start kicking in, Rob and I will be holding on to our hats. I have a feeling it’s going to be a wild ride.
