Comments on: Why I’m a Censoring Censorer

By: Tanya

Tanya — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:21:26 +0000

Hi Amber,

I think it’s important that we censor what our children are exposed too. I really liked Treehouse tv when Madelyn was little (she’s 6 now) because there were no commercials. Now that she’s watching the “older kids” channel, she begs me to buy Tide detergent, dishwasher soap with the energy balls in them and asks me if I have blackheads . I am still working on my husband to censor more from them – especially movies that he watches. He was watching a particular movie one day that I felt was too complex for Madelyn to understand but he felt was ok (“I watched this movie when I was 6″), as soon as she started with the questions I explained to him that she doesn’t understand the content, hense the questions. I don’t feel it necessary to explain adult movies to a child unless there is a lesson or I feel she’s ready for it. He changed the channel. So mostly I’m censoring TV but I did come accross a Blink 182 cd case in Madelyn’s room, it is covered in what looks like cartoon people. Upon closer inspection, some of the people on the back were naked! It was immediately put away. : X

By: Jessica - This is Worthwhile

Jessica - This is Worthwhile — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:26:44 +0000

I’m barely beginning to censor since my son is only 2, but I plan on doing a lot of explaining and censoring later on (particularly with violence – I won’t mind so much if he sees sex or hears swearing, it’s the lobbed off head with all the blood I’m most concerned about).

And I’m with @*pol, how in the hell do you censor the commercials?? Sometimes those are freaking terrifying! Remember the Excedrin one recently where the woman was HOLDING HER OWN HEAD in her hands?? OMG!
.-= Jessica – This is Worthwhile´s last post ..Offically 2! =-.

By: Francesca

Francesca — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:02:10 +0000

Great topic, Amber! I find that most of the times I have the opposite problem: because we have no TV and a house filled with books mainly in English that my kids aren't tempted to read and age appropriate books in Italian, I often fear that my kids are growing up too ignorant about many issues. And we've found that discussions on particular sensitive topics give better results when they come up accidentally, as explanations rather than "lessons". My 12 year old boy has began reading the newspaper recently, and learning facts from words (read and discussed) other than images seems good to me. .-= Francesca´s last post ..Family bike rides =-.

By: Lady M

Lady M — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:10:39 +0000

Some things we censor, some we explain in simpler terms than a movie or book might do. Even in G rated movies, there are parts where Q-ster asks us to skip, since they make him uneasy. .-= Lady M´s last post ..Running, Reaching, Climbing =-.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:17:02 +0000

It kind of breaks my heart to think of the things my daughters will eventually have to learn. That animals and people get killed, for example.

We went to the beach over the summer and my husband went fishing with his brother and dad. They came back with a cooler of sharks, and took them out to the back porch to clean them. They weren’t paying attention to two-year-old Suzi and she walked back there and got a glimpse of a gray fin. She got excited because she thought it was Baby Beluga. Luckily she didn’t see enough to realize what was going on before I grabbed her and took her to another room.

I’m not ready for her to see these things yet. My heart gets broken about every day just watching the morning news. She should enjoy a few years of happy innocence first.

By: Allison

Allison — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 02:34:29 +0000

I’m not sure censorship is even the right word here. To me, censorship is when a governing body denies mature adults the opportunity to decide what reading or viewing material is or is not suitable for consumption. Our children are not necessarily capable of making that decision for themselves. I don’t agree with what some people will or won’t let their kids see, and vice-versa. I suspect that I err on the side of permissiveness — I was livid when I found out that a mother caused Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes to be taken out of our school library because it had the word ‘slut’ in it. In England, the word slut means someone sloppy or messy. How hard is that to explain? To me, that is a woman with too much time on her hands and not enough real problems. And Eve wants to see Twilight, and really the only reason I’m not letting her is that it’s the dullest film in decades. Let her learn to read — the books have way more witty banter.
.-= Allison´s last post ..************Sometimes I put dishes in the dishwasher too! =-.

By: Mama Rissa

Mama Rissa — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:00:21 +0000

I believe in censorship. I think we, as parents, are responsible to filter what our children absorb for their own sake.
The truth is, even if what we’re censoring is a fundamental part of the world we live in, our children are not always ready to process the information. For example, why would we voluntarily explain sex to a child that doesn’t even understand physical attraction? It’s pointless, and would probably freak them out. Now, if they ASK, that’s a different story. But I’d rather introduce things like that to my kids when I know they’re developmentally ready to receive that information. Does that make sense?
Another reason I censor? I want to give my kids a good chance to be found respectable. Since I know my son is far from being capable of choosing how to appropriately apply certain swear words, I don’t want him to use them.
Love this post – very thought-provoking!

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:20:30 +0000

PS I censored books when my kids were younger. My youngest became very upset about the Daniel and Lion story in the Bible. He was really sick and asked me to read him the Children’s Bible. When it got to that part he said “This is scary! It’s supposed to be for children!” He has never requested the BIble since.

I myself censor parts of books that I am reading. I don’t need to read about the sodomy in Kite Runner or the rape in The Lovely Bones. I am delicate. It disturbs me too much to read that stuff so I turn pages until the scene calms down again.

For my kids I would do that, too, but usually their books didn’t have anything scary. They were drawn to comedy or sci fi.
.-= Amy´s last post ..We Lied to You, Kids =-.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:10:55 +0000

I don’t let my 9-year old see anything on TV that’s scary, gross or violent. If there’s a scary commercial I yell “close your eyes!” and I mute it and change the channel as fast as I can. Then he says, “It’s not scary. I’ve already seen it.” I reply with “It’s scary to me and I don’t think it’s good for people to see that stuff.” He says, “It’s not real, mom.” I say, “I don’t care. Our adrenal glands think it’s real and we…” And he says, “I know. I know.” and finishes my sentence about cortisol.

My husband lets my 13-year old watch things that I would censor. That’s their “guy time”. It’s usually odd stuff that didn’t really need to be part of the plot.

We watched a documentary on marijuana last night as a family. My 9-year old said “It should never be used. It’s bad!” My 13-year old said “People with cancer and AIDS, people in pain or with post traumatic stress should be able to get it prescribed.” I said, “But YOU won’t smoke it, right??” He said, “No way.”

My 9-year old said “No one should be allowed to smoke it!”
That’s the one I worry about. Not the 13-year old.

I would rather talk as a family about sex and drugs and these shows often are great conversation starters. But violence and gore? I never let them watch that. It is pointless.
.-= Amy´s last post ..We Lied to You, Kids =-.

By: Jasie VanGesen

Jasie VanGesen — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:10:42 +0000

Silas is a bit older than your wee ones, so some things we have to censor a lot less, and some things we censor more. I’m real sensitive about what sexual imagery he’s exposed to. it’s a rough world for kids when it comes to sex… it’s a lot to deal with and we’re answering his questions frankly and honestly as best we can.

Violence is a little tricky. We finally got cable shut off and so now his only exposure is through video games, movies, but we’re careful about what’s he participates in without limiting him. Certain games will never enter the house, but the ones that did, he can do as much with them as he wants.

We’re pretty frank with him in general… We got some sideways glances in the store yesterday because he started asking me about guillotines and iron maidens and I was explaining what each one did and he was all, “Oh COOL!!!” and it was funny… atleast to me.
.-= Jasie VanGesen´s last post ..flashes before your eyes =-.