So, I’m a nanny. That’s not new information for anyone unless it’s your first time here then it is. So welcome if that’s you.
I drive the kids all over the place using their parents’ vehicles. The other day, I had to take 2nd to a hair appointment and had to take 3rd and 4th along for the ride (they are too young to stay by themselves). I honestly had 4th in the car with no shoes. She hates shoes and I had already forced her and 3rd to come off the Xbox and go into the car just to drop their sister off. So when she was starting to whine about finding shoes, I just did what any sane person would do and said “ya don’t even need them bunny – go to the van without them.” and off she ran as happy as could be. She wasn’t getting out of the van anyway so I had no problem with it. But let’s not tell her mom just in case her mom has a problem with it haha.
But that’s not the point of this post.
As we were coming back from dropping her sister, we had the radio going, and we were having a singing and dancing party in the van. Which is how we do! As if I’m gonna sit in a car and not dance. Pfft! Please!
So there we were, just driving along, dancing it out as best we can in seatbelts and chairs, and then the song Body by Loud Luxury comes on. Do you know it? If not take a listen. And while you listen, pay attention to the lyrics.
Now, not only do I have a little bit of an issue with this guy being all “hell naw” over this girl he’s talking about because obviously he’s been waiting too long. Poor you. BUT can you imagine a cute little 8-year-old singing this?! My little hunny bunny!
Thankfully she only knows the words up to the chorus (which then turns into a bunch of gibberish it’s actually kind of cute) and doesn’t sing about bodies grinding on his innocence, but dang! There I am already not appreciating the words of the song (the beat is awesome though, I’ll pop to it all day long in the car!) and then to hear them come out of that sweet little girl, and I’m stuck. I’m like 93% sure that if their parents knew the words to the song then they would have a problem with it. Remember, they are a very strict Catholic family. Which is all good! I just keep my Harry Potter love to myself and try to suggest other books for the older two to read, even though I know they would LOVE the HP books.
If I tell them not to sing then I draw attention to the song. If I turn it off or change the station, I draw attention to the song, if I just ignore it then I have little munchkins singing it in the backseat. It’s a struggle guys.
So for all you parents out there, how do you handle that? Are you a “they don’t understand it yet so whatevers” type of parent? Or a change the station/turn it off type of parent.
I’m trying to be all whatevers, but I’m not sure if the whatevers are going to happen lol.
Depends on the age. My boys are now aware of every cuss word, sex, and what’s appropriate or inappropriate. We’ve always been very honest and up front with them, even as young lads. As an 8 year old, that isn’t my child, though, I’d likely turn the station.
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I’m definitely for being open and honest and if they were my kids I’d be that way all the time. But they aren’t my kids. I feel like they are a lot of the time but they really arent. It’s hard to tell what their parents would do in certain circumstances.
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Exactly. Best to err on the side of caution in those cases. 😃
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Definitely agree! Haha
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I think its so hard for parents, even if you try to protect kids innocence from stuff like this they’ll hear it through other kids, at school etc, I have a friend who has a 12 year old and won’t let him play video games that are for over 18s but he gets picked on at school for not being able to play online with his friends!
There aren’t many songs that don’t have sexual references are there?!
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Aww that’s so sad that he gets picked on! I totally support that choice though. And you are so right – not many songs at all haha! The 12 year old has started to pick up on things like that in sons and question it. Like in “shape of you” she had a whole thing about why he was only in love with her shape and not her mind or her personality lol
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There are very different rules for MY kids and THEIR kids.. I’m far more careful with other people’s kids and err on the side of caution with films/tv/music I might let mine indulge in. It’s tough but it’s safer!
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That seems to be the consensus – too bad she loves to sing the chorus so much haha
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When I would run into this problem in the past I would complain that I didn’t like the song and sing over the song with my own made-up lyrics. We made a game out of changing the lyrics to songs, which got annoying at times (like during songs that I actually enjoyed), but it worked.
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Awww that’s super adorable!
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It works for us haha
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Lol that’s good
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I relate to this post so much hahaha. Last summer, I watched these two kids who were 10 and 5, and they were a handful. This isn’t music related, but the little 5-year-old boy wanted to watch Men in Black literally every single day I was there. I would tell him “no” all the time because it was a PG-13 movie and I was trying to be a good babysitter, ugh. I don’t know if anything bad happens in the movie, but sweet child, why don’t you want to watch SpongeBob or something else instead???
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Haha! I’d have more of an issue with spongbob lol! But I totally get this! The kids want to watch certain shows and I’m like “um no turn that off until mamma gets home” cos I’m not going to be responsible for that. Like the 13 year old is in love with Riverdale on Netflix and I was SHOCKED that her parents said she could watch it. And stranger things too!
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I am of the belief that being open is always the best way. I would rather my kids be exposed to things around me than not. That way, I can explain whatever needs to be explained and answer any questions that they may have. Plus, the more open I am with them, the more open they are/will be with me… so I know they will always feel comfortable coming to me with anything and everything.
However… it’s totally different when they’re not your kids. I think you have to defer to the parents. If I screw my kids up, that’s on me… but screwing up someone else’s kids is different…
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Yeah totes! The kids already trust me for a lot of things they don’t want to talk to their parents about. Which is great! I love that I can be there for them and that they can tell me anything. My parents didn’t talk about anything with us really so I’m totally on the “open and honest” train in the seat right next to you.
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It’s pretty scary that I already have to make sure I talk to my kids about drugs and drinking and sex… even with the younger one who is only 10 (almost 11). I was totally naive at that age… even when I was my son’s age (13). I learned a lot from my friends. I don’t think my parents thought I needed to know about some stuff until I was 20! But I want my kids to get their info from me!
Oh… and both my kids watch Riverdale…
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Yeah same here! I didn’t learn anything about drugs or sex from my parents. Other than the “if you come home pregnant don’t come home”. I learned it all from tv/friends/inappropriate internet people haha
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My Barbarians are in high school now, but when they were younger I’d just turn the music down a touch and ask a question. They assumed the music was turned down so we could talk (I’d do it any time I had something I wanted to talk about with them) so when I did it “on purpose” they didn’t pick up on it.
In the town we used to live in they had a radio station that was aimed at families so you never had to worry about what came on so we did listen to that a lot.
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Ooo that’s a great idea!
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