Culturally literate children
Our children are sometimes culturally literate in ways that make me feel vaguely guilty or irresponsible. We occasionally watch carefully chosen music videos online. Last week, we were having a good laugh over Weird Al Yankovic and 3yo Rachael peeked over our shoulders. “Hey! That’s Michael Jackson! And he plays Pa on Little House on the Prairie!”
She’s wrong, but I can see the resemblance. I was 10 or 12 before I even realized that TV people existed outside of their characters and that the same person might show up in different places with different names. Why does my 3yo know this already? And why does she even know the name Michael Jackson???
Maybe I’m just rationalizing, and I’m not denying that we may need to be more careful about our choices, but I also think it’s because we try to teach our children to be culturally discerning. In our day and age, it’s impossible to entirely shelter our children from the depravity of the culture around them. Try checking out at the grocery store or driving to church on the interstate without seeing vile things. We do work hard to limit their exposure to these things, but we realize that eventually they will be adults in this world so we also work hard at confronting worldviews head on. We want them to know and understand what’s wrong with what they see so that they will reject it wholeheartedly. We want them to hate the enemies of God with a perfect hatred (Ps 139:22) and to do so they must recognize those enemies.
And in so doing, I have to be prepared for the fact that my 3yo just might come to recognize Michael Jackson. sigh.
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Filed under: Christian living
This is so funny. I never realized the strong resemblance. We know there is no way to completely shelter the kids from the world. So, we have been teaching our kids how to have “blinders” on when necessary. My son will cover his eyes when we go to the mall and pass one of the only for women stores (he has actually ran into people on accident doing this because he has no idea where he is walking.). And during the news they all know to cover their eyes during certain commercials. And sometimes, their ears too if we can’t change the channel fast enough.
Also take into consideration that you have older children that you might have given the opportunity to discover who Michael Jackson is. My four year old doesn’t know who Michael Jackson is (I just checked!) but her younger sister sure did taste chocolate before her big sister did. I was so careful with the first but subsequent children probably are exposed to things earlier just because the ages of the children are greater.
Too Funny.
It is soo wierd what kids pick up, even when you try to shelter them.
My two youngest had built a block alter and were calling down fire from heaven, Elijah style, this afternoon… I mean, OH BOY.
Oh my goodness…I am laughing so hard. Too funny! I will never watch Little House through the same lens again.
LOL!! Yeah, Pa needs that sequinned glove while he chops the wood for the fire…
Our kids slightly know who Al Y. is only because the DH and I always seem to end up singing “Eat it” at the dinner table when the kids are hooing and haaing over dinner choices. “Just Eat It”. I don’t think they know who Michael Jackson is. Unfortunately, I have discovered they do know the names of the Jonas Brothers. (Well, my older two girls.) My son is more interested in Nascar and my three year old likes Pooh.
That’s a hoot! Pa Ingalls indeed!
My 10YO loves Weird Al. He has watched some of his videos on YouTube. He likes the “ebay” one the best, to the tune of a Backstreet Boys song, about all the stuff somebody bought on ebay. It’s cute.
When my now 17YO was 8 or 9, he once asked me if Donny Osmond was the guy who bites the heads off bats! I told him, no, that was Ozzy Osborne, and I’m still not sure where he even HEARD of that (trust me we are not Ozzy fans). And Donny biting the head off a bat?? too funny.
Anyway, seriously, as much as you try to shelter your kids (and we do try, from the worst of it), sometimes there are just things they will see and hear. I think your family handles it all very well.
Have a blessed week! Lisa