Inappropriate or Not?

One thing we seem to struggle with around here, frustratingly so, is what is appropriate television for the kids? As you know we have a ten year old and now a four year old. What's appropriate for the four year old is easy and pretty straight forward. He's happily relegated to Noggin, Sprout, Nick Jr. , PBS, and the like. The speed bump comes with the Oldest. We have yet to have any kind of talk with him about boys and girls, birds and bees, you know what I mean. These days its just about infiltrated into almost everything that isn't on Noggin, Sprout, Nick Jr. , PBS and the like. So that pretty much means, sex is everywhere. Violence is everywhere.

I have held my ground and tried to shield him from it since he was little and it's getting tougher and tougher. What if you don't want your pre teen (I can't believe I just said that!) influenced by all the crap out there that we as adults can easily filter out as needed. In addition, I feel the other side of our once strong joint agreement to not let him see this stuff is slowly loosening his grip. Maybe I'm too concerned. Maybe I'm too strict. Maybe I need to lighten up. Do I? I don't know. It's hard being the only one when other parents our age allow some of this stuff. I don't even think SpongeBob Square Pants is worthy TV. It's not that it's horrible, but it's just junk. There's other, more illuminating television for kids, more appropriate. In my opinion, Cartoon Network has a lot of junk on it. Thankfully, the Oldest doesn't watch it hardly at all so that isn't much of an argument.

I just think the more they watch this stuff that is borderline, it influences them when they are so young. Some of our family members let TV shows and movies play with the kids in the room and I'm appalled and frustrated. They seem to be completely oblivious and cuss words are flying, violent scenes are playing, intense scenes that are clearly over the top for at least a 3/4 year old-and there are no moments of pause, there is no look of concern on their face, there is no question in their mind, 'oh, should I change the channel, is this too intense for the Littlest? too inappropriate for the Oldest?' nothing. I have long asked myself when in those situations, "Do I just give up? Do I say something? What do I do?" and usually end up shoo'ing the kids out of the room. You would think folks would hear or realize the hesitation in me/us about inappropriate shows (usually adult movies like rated PG-13 or rated R stuff I'm talking here). Nope. I must be ultra on the other side of the fence with this stuff. It has got to be me.

I will keep sticking to my guns as long as I can. Even if I'm the only one trying to protect them (their Daddy does too but not as ambivilant as me) I will continue till it's obvious they have a grip on whatever it is. I guess if folks think I'm too strict or over the top, then I can live with that. If we are their protectors and supposed to guide them in this life, then it's up to us. I don't want visions of guns/crime/sex/inappropriate intimacies that they have no need to be inundated with dancing around in their heads. In this day and age that is a VERY hard job. Guess it's one I'm up for. Even though it makes me want to scream at some of those around us sometimes, it's one I'm up for. Sign me up.

Jenn