Be Careful Little Ears What You Hear

I was at a park with the kiddos the other day, and was walking past an SUV, from which obnoxious and obscene music was coming... several derogatory-to-women lyrics were interspersed with various curse words...  As I walked by, my grumbling at this noise pollution turned to horror as I saw three children under the age of (what looked like) six sitting in there, waiting for their parent/s and listening to those lyrics as they sat. 

What in the world are we thinking, when we allow little ears to hear things that are not really appropriate for us, let alone, an innocent and very absorbing little mind? 

Some time ago, there was a little girl belting out Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" on a popular talk show, and everyone thought it was great. I think I am the lone ranger who found it extremely sad. 

Think about what Nicki Minaj portrays in her (soft-porn) videos, and then also take this selection of lyrics from the above mentioned song: 

From "Super Bass" 

He pop bottles and he got the right kind of bill
He cold, he dope, he might sell coke
He always in the air, but he never fly coach
He a &$#%@!$&* trip, trip, sailor of the ship, ship
When he make it drip, drip kiss him on the lip, lip
That's the kind of dude I was lookin' for
And yes you'll get slapped if you're lookin' hoe

and later...

He just gotta give me that look, when he give me that look
Then the panties comin' off, off, uh

The whole place stood up and applauded after this little girl sang this. 
I wanted to cry. 


We are daft if we think the words and images that are produced in our culture to illicit sales based on sexual  lust and desire for beauty/fame, will not influence our children because they are "too little to understand." 
It IS true: they are too little to understand... so why in the world would we develop a taste for these base things in our kids' minds, when they can not fully comprehend what they may be communicating and what the intent is behind these words? 

  

So, I appeal to you: be aware and discerning about what your child hears, both in your presence and with family or friends. We may not be able to control everything they hear, but our responsibility is to guide them into pure and true and beautiful things that build up character and imagination. 


We must not destroy their innocence just because we happen to "like" that music, or think it's "cute" when little  Jane sings about seducing a boy with her body or laugh when Jimmie drops the f-bomb. “They don’t really understand… They’re just being expressive.” 
Not OK. 
Curb these things away from children, do not make excuses and allow them. Your child’s very character is at stake.   

So please, invest in building the beauty of your child's mind and steer clear of making premature adults out of our precious children.