Everyday you can see examples of parents scolding their children for using “inappropriate” language. Parents are on their children’s asses when it comes to playing games or watching TV that is socially intended for an older audience. Are parents doing this because their parents did it to them? Do parents resort to censorship based on an assumption of what they believe right and wrong is?
Most of us in the U.S.A have grown up with at least some sort of censorship as children. This is usually along the lines using “foul” language or watching mature rated movies. The funny thing is, when I was a kid, I use to use all the curse words I wanted to in school and with friends. Not only do kids end up doing all this behind their parents backs, but they grow up to do so as adults. Bad words my ass, we all curse as adults. Is it because our parents failed? Yes.
Parents seem to neglect this very important principle. Scarcity creates desire. When a child is curious and is told not to explore his curiosity, it only grows stronger. This is why they say women who are more sexually active early on in their lives are more likely to have better relationships with men. Girls who have been locked in the closet by a father with a shotgun wait for the opportunity to be free to explore their curiosity with men. In most cases, had they been able to explore early on, their curiosity won’t build into an unhealthy extreme over time.
Sex is pretty taboo in America, especially when it comes to parents and children. Get real, children don’t even give a shi’t about sex until they’re in middle school. In fact, they think it’s nasty up until the point where they begin reaching puberty. In fact, many of the traditional tribes didn’t wear clothing or stress sex. They all walked around naked, playing with each other as children. As adults, they never really had fetishes or any “perverted” desires because everything is in front of them. When they did have sex, it came casually and naturally.
What’s the harm of a little boy seeing some naked chicks on TV? He’s going to do worse in school? How about if he starts cursing? Oh yeah, he already does behind his parents backs. Too bad more parents don’t understand that they can’t control their children’s curiosity and desire.
I feel like it’s better for children to grow up with a clearer picture of reality instead of the fairy tale crap that censorship seems to promote. The real world has cursing, violence, nudity, etc. These are all a part of life and children should see what’s out there as they’re growing up. The parent is better of supporting and answering the child’s questions instead of trying to censor them.
Paul McGee says
The line drawn to separate childhood from adulthood varies with the culture. In India, children as young as 5 (or less!) May already be working or training to work. In my view, treating a younger person as a child results in the raising of an immature adult who is not prepared for the reality of the world. It is much better to treat young people as adults, and to be there to dispel misunderstandings and myths whenever possible. A child learns to communicate and operate physically in the real world from the “blank state” they started with in only a few years. It is no trouble for them to accept reality at the same time. Problems arise when the child is taught in a protected environment, and then later has to incorporate reality into the equation as they discover it. Much easier to just tell them the reality of things from the beginning.
elaine Norris says
I have grown up as the eldest child and my family being from Liverpool although they settled in Lancashire their every other word is swearing. Ive grown up surrounded by love and friends and my family although not posh areprobably tjthe kindest of people there is. My dad has been in prison for none payment of fines because they were too skint to pay them, through the recession in the 1970’s my parents lost their home. They would give you their last penny and my dad is the kindest man ever. He and my mum taught me about loss, no money and getting by but looking out for each other. Im educated to degree level and my degree is law. That wasnt given to me, I earned and worked hard for it and I appreciate it. I help people in my job, I work passionately to help people overcome bad times and its through my life experiences that im such a strong person because my parents have brought me up about the tough world! They showed me self respect and take no shit of anybody but to be courteous to others. Put it this way when I told my parents I was divorcing my husband of 12 years that I had tried and tried to make it work, they were proud of me, they were even more proud because I was fair it, my divorce was fair, quick and my parents were proud because I did it with dignity but they brought me up to be happy and my mum said that on my death bed all that matters is who I love and my family and loved ones were more important and if I wasnt happy with my husband and id tried that id done the right thing. So swearing and teaching children the correct path even if it means swearing will bring them up less naive and more streetwise. Its done me no harm at all.