I'm fighting with Phillip over Graphic Novels (ALL graphic novels, including those based on "classics".)
Ok I KNOW that I am the POLAR opposite of most of you here and mostly disagree on lots of things and I'm ok with that. I read for entertainment ALL the time! I LOVE to read and will read anything I can get my hands of. You can have standards for reading of course based on the age of your child but if you never allow them to read anything they are actually interested in they aren't going to want to read anything. I am NOT saying the OP should allow her child to read the book. I'm not saying that at all! I'm not even addressing the OP really. I'm just saying that you can not censor your child for the rest of their lives and just because a child reads something you find out of the question isn't going to make them some perverted wild child. As a young teen I was fascinated with Poe and VC Andrews. If my mother would have not allowed me to read those things I would have been turned off reading forever. Now as an adult I am a voracious reader of all types of books. When my dd14 brought home a letter from her pre-ap english class I gladly signed off on the book list because I never will know what type of book will be the one to make her the reader I am today. Throw all the tomatoes you want. I won't appologize for who I am or how I parent. AND most importantly Ava Rose you are gorgeous girl!!!!! LOL!!! Love the picture!
Not throwing tomatoes, but I'm pretty sure you were referring to me in most of your post since there were several references to my post verbatim......There are many of us who read constantly (including myself) who don't read whatever comes our way just for the sake of reading. If we don't learn to be self-disciplined at an early age, what direction will our entertainment take us as we travel down the road of indiscretion? I understand you are the polar opposite of many of us, but there are times I'm curious if you post on Christian topics in an attempt to take jabs at those of us who hold ourselves to a certain standard. The OP was asking for feedback from other conservative parents.
I read (past tense) V.C. Andrews and John Jakes. And, partly because I DID read that trash, I'm careful about what my children read. You're right; I can't censure them forever. But I CAN guide them toward good literature and develop in them the ability to discern what IS appropriate and what isn't.
Wow. What lovely Christians you all are. I happen to be one too but for those that aren't they probably still wouldn't be after that. Sorry to be harsh. Really. But I am so very happy that you are all so darn perfect. Brooke I am a christian and therefore post on the christian topics with my point of view. As a matter of fact non christians can post here as well. Your assumption of me is wrong. You may hold yourself to a "certain standard" but you seem to have issues with those that don't think the way you do. I have just as much right to post my opinion here as you do. On any topic. Just because it differs from you or even the norm around here does not mean I can not post it.
I didn't say I think you shouldn't post. I was saying that you seem to come on and contradict the conservative opinion often, and with somewhat of a retaliatory air. I'll go back and reread my post, but I believe I prefaced it with "in my home". When you preface your post with capitalized words implying yelling and close your post with phrases that let us know you are loudly and proudly speaking out against what we do in our homes, then you should expect the ones you disagree with to be a bit put off.
Monkey, no one is throwing tomatoes at you, so quit dodging them. GEESH! No one is questioning whether or not you're a Christian, no one is judging you for what you do/do not read. So unbunch your undies and stop taking everything so personal.
I don't feel that I am conservative but my daughter hasn't read anything like that and she's ten soon to be eleven. She's read Harry Potter, Warriors and now the Percy Jackson series. What book(s) is she reading?
Jackie: Just out of curiosity (and you don't have to answer, it's just a curious question) Why don't you allow Graphic Novels? I assume you mean a Manga sort of book? There are some really good ones out there that are pretty clean (I read them for the pictures anyway. lol. This coming from an avid anime/manga fan. lol) Kingdom Hearts is a good one for smaller kids. It has Mickey Mouse's gang in it, however, like with some graphic novels they have magic in them and I'm not sure if that's something you allow or not. If you can find a passable manga, they can be quite educational as far as cullture goes, since the authentic ones read back to front, the direct opposite of how we read our books. It takes a page or two to get used to it, but you get a feel for how the Kids over seas in China and Japan read. Not trying to be confrontational at all, just asking. lol
My undies are just fine Jackie. I simply gave a diffent opinion than the norm. I don't come here simply to contradict people. I happen to have a different opinion and I give it and many of you don't like it. Sorry about that. I am not the only one taking things personally here. Anyway I certainly don't care what you read or do in your own homes, I just gave my opinion and that is all.
We all tend to do things different in each of our homes and NONE of us are perfect. How we choose to regulate books in each of our homes is personal opinion. I censored my kids readings when they were younger and now they are 14 & 16 and I really don't need to. They are both a very good judge of what is right and wrong. I'm very thankful for that. My dd mostly reads mysterys and my ds needs something that is busy to keep his interest.
Gosh, how boring it would be if all posts were "I agree"..... I, personally, appreciate hearing differing opinions and the reasons for them. Just so long as there are no attacks and fighting over not agreeing... Use to be there were some great discussions here with polar opposite views....and everyone respected each other in the discussion. What has happened?
Classics Why does she say they are boring? Has she read old books, or is she just repeating what she has heard you or her friends say? Have you introduced her to books like Mr. Poppers Penguins, Homer Price, or The Cricket in Times Square? It does sound like you've influenced your dd's taste. I suggest trying to cultivate a taste in yourself for the classics. I was required to read Pride and Prejudice in my high school English literature class. I hated it and thought it was so boring. However, thirteen or more years later, the A&E/BBC P&P came on TV. I watched it and loved it. I decided to try the book again and loved it. Fast forward to 2007. My church library had the DVDs of that movie, so I decided to watch it again. I watched it several times before returning it. I read the book again and loved it even more. I got the audios from the public library and listened to it a few times. I bought my own audio of P&P. P&P has been my favorite book since 2007. I've watched all the other movies I could find that came from Jane Austen books, and I've grown to love her books. I also had to read Jane Eyre in English lit class, and I hated that, too. I saw the BBC 1983 version with Timothy Dalton at the public library, so I checked it out. It is excellent, and I absolutely loved the movie. I returned it but got it again soon afterwards. Because I was sick for a couple of weeks, I watched that mini-series about four times during that time. I read the book and even followed along in the book while watching the movie. I also watched the 1973 BBC mini-series, which is also excellent. So, I now love the Jane Eyre book, too. I watched the BBC North & South movie (not the Civil War movie) and loved it. Then I read the book and loved it, so I read it again. Eventually I want to get around to reading Elizabeth Gaskell's other books. I've enjoyed many of the BBC Dickens movies and read some Dickens after watching. His books are harder for me to get through, though, because he was soooo wordy. However, I do want to read a few more of his because I loved the movies so much. Do you like mysteries? Agatha Christie books are great, although there are curse words in them. Hmmm. Even though I've maintained quite high standards on reading material, my kids read plenty that they're interested in. My older two were always interested in almost anything, so I never had any problem finding books for them. However, dd was pickier. She didn't want to read in the first place. She was my slowest to learn to read. I picked out books for her and made her read. She finally acquired a taste for easy reader chapter books I allowed (Cynthia Rylant's books, Amelia Bedelia, and some others I don't remember -- I was very choosy and passed over most that the library had). Then she didn't want to expand her reading selections. She wanted to stick with the easy reader chapter books. However, I made her read various other types of books, and eventually she acquired a taste for them. It is taking work and patience on my part, but it is paying off. This year she has been reading in her bed every night before going to sleep. She has a lot of books in her room to choose from, so she's never lacking in something to read, and her reading selections are continuing to expand. So, it seems to me that it's not an either/or situation -- either you let the kid read whatever he wants or he won't read at all. It's a matter of training and cultivating taste in literature.
you all make some very good points. I was so concerned that she would never read for pleasure and then I realized that was ok. I was trying too hard to make her like reading for reading's sake,but not everybody enjoys reading.(thanks Brooke!) I guess I should have explained that my daughter has always been a bit more mature than her age. She's 9,almost 10, and hit pubery 2 years ago and most people assume she is about 13 or so. so I guess her emotional maturity makes it harder for her to like some of the books geared toward children, like Mr. Poppers Penguins.(I had to Google this book, I had never heard of it) So anyway I have decided to continue monitoring the material, and just be ok with not having a voracious reader(like myself). Thank you all for trying to expand my horizons!LOL That' what I love about the spot!
Squarepeg thanks I don't see the problem with different opinions either. Alegnacb I agree it isn't an either/or situation. I certainly think how we censor should be based on the age of the child. Of course I am not saying just let the kids read whatever they want to. I'd never let my dd7 read things I would let my dd14 read. My earlier post was really aimed at teens since I have a dd14 who doesn't share my love of reading and I want her to find things she enjoys. In MY home I don't censor everything my kids read or see or hear but it depends on the age. I also won't let dd7 watch things on tv that I let my dd14.
Leissa...glad you found a comfortable solution. My ds14 was very mature (and still is...he's had a full beard for 2 years ) and he hated reading fiction because what he was offered at public school was written for the purpose of inceasing fluency rather than keeping a precocious child's interest. He mostly read the dictionary until he was 7, when he found his nitch in Star Wars, Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Now he reads historical non-fiction and biographies/autobiographies. I never thought I would see the day when I caught him reading without it being on his assignment sheet. :lol: MonkeyMamma....sorry if I misunderstood your intent. I need to learn to be less defensive myself. (I can say that now that I unbunched my own tights ) Hope you forgive me.
I do censor what my kids read, but probably not to the extent of some here. I've allowed Harry Potter (when ds was 10) and the Percy Jackson books. I try to balance that with classics and biographies. I would not allow the book you are describing. (None of The Clique series are allowed here.) When ds14 was in K-1st public school, his love of reading was almost killed, because he'd want to check out a book on spiders and would be told "no". He was a very good reader and was required to read AR books, so he could be tested on them. (These tests did not affect grades.) There has to be balance. I absolutely cannot read everything all four of my kids pick up. I have to trust that the values that I've instilled in them will hold if they glimpse another lifestyle in a book. That does not mean I want or allow them to constantly read trash, just that they are probably going to come across things that go against our beliefs. Be open for dicsussion when those things come up. Oh, and get your dd a copy of Homer Price. It's funny, has mischieveousness, and is a great classic!! My kids LOVED it!!
Sixcloar didn't you just hate those AR book tests? Grrrrr! Samantha reads far above her grade level but did terrible at those tests and so they labeled her and she had to stay in from recess to work on those stupid tests. One reason i pulled her out. Brooke I really wasn't trying to attack you and meant nothing at all personal in my post. It's all forgotten ok?
First of all, I don't think any of us have a problem with "different opinions". That's what makes life interesting! But NONE of us should take it personal when someone disagrees. We can disagree with the OPINION, but still respect the PERSON (and the person's right to express that opinion!). Meg, the graphic novels are just ME. I simply don't like them. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE good literature, and graphic novels are NOT good literature. I don't do "abridged" books, either. OK, there's a few exceptions. I had Phillip read Wishbone's version of "The Red Badge of Courage" when we did the Civil War, because there was no way he was going to read the original at his age (and I HATED it when I had to read it, and wasn't about to read it aloud to my kids!!!). But I'd much rather do the "real" thing. Abridged versions are so watered down, and classic graphics are even more so. Part of the joy of literature is to have the words paint pictures in your head; graphic has the pictures already there for you. It's like comparing a song being played with one finger on a piano to a classical piece. BTW, I didn't say I didn't "allow" Graphic Novels. Phillip DOES get them, but he's limited to how many he can get at a time.
I totally agree, but it also depends on how the person expresses themselves or words their opinions. I've read quite a few responses recently and in the past that were not worded very nicely. A person's choice of words are important, especially since we can't 'hear' each other talk.
