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The classic problem of the overprotective parent- underestimating your kids beetnemesis Send a noteboard - 09/06/2011 05:33:54 AM

We you talk about all these terrible things can't you see why most parents want to shield their children from these things if possible? For the bad things you describe there are still a lot positives in the world, probably more than ever. You will get happier and better adjusted kids if you can teach them to focus on those positives and not wallow in misery over things they can't change and probably don't even really understand anyways.



You can't shield your kids from things forever. When they're 5, sure, but if they're 14, inquisitive and intelligent enough to want to read the things that interest them, do you really think you're doing them any favors by saying "No, you can't read the Diary of Anne Frank until you're at least 16."


Focusing on the positives is an excellent thing. Telling a teenager that they're not allowed to read a book in which a character gets raped because they're not old enough to handle it will have the exact opposite effect- the very fact that it's forbidden will make it more attractive.


Finally, what exactly do you think is going to happen? They're going to read a novelization of the Saw franchise* and just give up on life?


There's a difference between protecting your kid from attacks, and keeping them cloistered. I'm not saying force-feed them violent imagery. I'm just saying if they're old enough to read through hundreds of pages of a book that has adult or "dark" themes, then the very fact that they have the interest and dedication to read it means that they're too young to have it snapped away and being handed a Boxcar Children mystery.




*God, I hope that doesn't actually exist.
I amuse myself.
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This WSJ article has kicked up a huge fuss on the internet - YA is "too dark". Rebekah - 05/06/2011 03:46:50 PM 2048 Views
There's only one thing about this literature that disturbs me Tom - 05/06/2011 05:39:35 PM 1003 Views
This is a thought out, finely articulated response. beetnemesis - 05/06/2011 06:47:13 PM 1040 Views
If it were just vampires that would be just fine Tom - 05/06/2011 08:03:02 PM 821 Views
People have been complaining about this since the novel was invented beetnemesis - 05/06/2011 11:02:58 PM 894 Views
This is different. Tom - 06/06/2011 01:56:56 AM 896 Views
Apparently the article did paint far too bleak a picture, Rebekah - 06/06/2011 12:39:46 PM 980 Views
Why waste time with "YA literature" at all? Tom - 06/06/2011 02:14:03 PM 759 Views
Re: Why waste time with "YA literature" at all? Rebekah - 06/06/2011 02:28:42 PM 716 Views
I think that's a post factum justification, not a reason. Tom - 06/06/2011 05:08:09 PM 907 Views
Maybe. It's hard to separate, I think. Rebekah - 07/06/2011 01:06:29 PM 947 Views
One certainly has to choose the real literature to present, certainly. Tom - 07/06/2011 02:27:00 PM 967 Views
Very good post. Legolas - 06/06/2011 08:52:22 PM 779 Views
You seem to be the only one who thinks so. *NM* Tom - 07/06/2011 01:17:18 AM 277 Views
I don't think it's a bad post... I just think that the "despair" is a teen fad, and not as bad as beetnemesis - 07/06/2011 03:19:03 AM 1039 Views
Suicide rates have gone up significantly Tom - 07/06/2011 02:42:55 PM 715 Views
Heh. beetnemesis - 08/06/2011 07:24:44 PM 1019 Views
you are having trouble finding cultural ideas that turned bad? random thoughts - 08/06/2011 11:56:23 PM 936 Views
The classic problem of the overprotective parent- underestimating your kids beetnemesis - 09/06/2011 05:33:54 AM 875 Views
the classic problem of people who have no idea what they are talking about random thoughts - 09/06/2011 04:16:25 PM 825 Views
Are you really equating reading about trauma with trauma? They are not the same. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 09/06/2011 07:10:34 PM 291 Views
The Diary of Anne Frank? Seriously? Legolas - 10/06/2011 08:13:47 PM 861 Views
I'm sure the percentage of good books must be higher than they make it sound, nossy - 05/06/2011 05:53:21 PM 1072 Views
I'd say books offer a fundamentally different experience than movies beetnemesis - 05/06/2011 06:53:55 PM 995 Views
I'm not sure that makes a difference here. nossy - 06/06/2011 04:47:05 AM 997 Views
Because thinking makes you LESS susceptible to these things you're afraid of beetnemesis - 06/06/2011 05:27:26 PM 1028 Views
I don't completely agree with that. nossy - 06/06/2011 07:26:21 PM 982 Views
I feel like I just can't relate to parents determined to shelter their kids from everything beetnemesis - 06/06/2011 10:21:44 PM 974 Views
I don't think that is what this is. nossy - 06/06/2011 10:41:06 PM 872 Views
I suppose I'm giving a lot of credit to the status of "reader" beetnemesis - 07/06/2011 03:08:48 AM 865 Views
Your response is about where I sit. Rebekah - 06/06/2011 12:30:04 PM 878 Views
Nope, this is stupid beetnemesis - 05/06/2011 06:38:51 PM 868 Views
To think the content described is acceptable, when they ban "Huck Finn" for using 'nigger'. *NM* Macharius - 05/06/2011 09:45:15 PM 308 Views
CNN: "On a website, a person named 'Macharius' used the 'N-word'". Tom - 06/06/2011 01:58:35 AM 761 Views
Parents have the right and resonsibility to know what their children are reading random thoughts - 06/06/2011 03:41:22 AM 789 Views
Re: Parents have the right and resonsibility to know what their children are reading Rebekah - 06/06/2011 12:40:24 PM 923 Views
I'd argue if you're old enough to be interested in the subject matter, you're old enough to read it beetnemesis - 06/06/2011 05:32:33 PM 1052 Views
well so far you have failed to make the argument random thoughts - 07/06/2011 04:22:00 AM 977 Views
Depends on the subject matter. Rebekah - 07/06/2011 01:07:57 PM 801 Views
Basically? Yes. beetnemesis - 07/06/2011 06:42:04 PM 1046 Views
why do think there is value in letting them read whatever they want? random thoughts - 07/06/2011 06:52:20 PM 716 Views
Don't be an idiot. beetnemesis - 09/06/2011 05:25:26 AM 901 Views
I am being an idiot? random thoughts - 09/06/2011 04:10:28 PM 888 Views
I wasn't calling you an idiot for disagreeing with me. beetnemesis - 09/06/2011 04:44:37 PM 942 Views
Do we restrict access or alter parenting? fionwe1987 - 06/06/2011 04:31:13 AM 1099 Views
Well, I wrote a long piece related to this Larry - 06/06/2011 05:21:06 AM 988 Views
Great post. She really tries to muddy the waters relating to censorship and parenting. Ghavrel - 06/06/2011 08:05:21 AM 870 Views
She kind of conflates some issues that are quite different, if you ask me. Legolas - 06/06/2011 08:47:33 PM 923 Views
A+++ would read this reply again *NM* beetnemesis - 06/06/2011 10:23:11 PM 291 Views
+1 *NM* Darth_Katie - 07/06/2011 01:12:16 AM 278 Views
Wait wait wait wait wait... NYT reviewed Game of Thrones? I must read this beetnemesis - 07/06/2011 03:20:08 AM 800 Views
I think he's talking about the review of the tv show they did. Darth_Katie - 07/06/2011 03:30:19 AM 734 Views
Indeed. Everything she said. *NM* Legolas - 07/06/2011 06:13:20 PM 260 Views
it does take a lot of work to keep track of your kids random thoughts - 07/06/2011 05:02:55 AM 938 Views
*I agree with this* *NM* Stephen - 07/06/2011 01:18:58 PM 342 Views
Having now read one of the books mentioned, Cheryl Rainfield's Scars... Larry - 08/06/2011 02:18:23 AM 1024 Views
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