Sometimes I let Hailey watch too much TV. It’s an easy habit to fall into, especially when you are a single parent and there are so many things to do. You plop your child in front of the television, just for a few minutes so you can get something done and a habit is started.
All the media in our children s lives is like another influence in the house. Our children are bombarded with messages and even if we are diligent about what they watch they may still see things that go against our values.
Many shows that you wouldn’t allow your children to watch are advertised during the shows you do allow them to watch, and kids absorb everything. It’s not only television, the internet, video games even music surrounds our children from the day they are born. Add peer influence to the mix and the amount of information they get from other sources far exceeds what they get from you.
When Hailey was young I carefully monitored what she watched, but she would come home from a sleepover and tell me about something she watched at someone elses home that wasn’t appropriate. I remember when she was 8 or 9 walking into her room and she was singing along to the radio, a song I had never heard and she knew every word. At first it was cute, until I listened to what she was singing, the song was about a young mother selling her body to support her son after his father left her. This was what her friends were listening to, she didn’t understand my concern. I realize she didn’t understand what the song was saying but I didn’t want those words becoming common place in my child’s head.
The media is not going to change so we, as parents, have to monitor it. In a case like that song I talked to Hailey a little about why the song wasn’t appropriate, and how it can negatively affect our perceptions of life.
The most important thing we can do is limit exposure and watch and listen with them. When they are exposed to something that goes against your values, change the channel, and reinforce what your family believes and the values that are important to you.
Let kids listen to the music of their peers but with clear guidelines. No offensive language, no sexual references, no racial or gender biases.
Also, expose your children to positive role models in the media, they are there, even if they are a little hard to find.