Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

I was at the gas station today and as I was pumping my gas I noticed a little boy around six years old in the back seat of the car next to me. The music was blasting and the kid was singing alone. When I listened to him, I realized that he was singing some pretty racey stuff.

I know that some people may say that the kids don't know what they are singing but do you think this is appropriate?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

depends on the song i guess

can't really give an opinion without knowing

My good friend's son LOVEd 50 cent
and dancing around to It's your Birthday

i really didn'tsee anything wrong with it

and no he had no idea about the words...he liked the beat

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

I personally think children should not listen to lyrics that have profanity, sexual inuendos, or violence.....this also goes along with tv shows and movies.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

When my niece was two years old her favorite song was "Opportunity" by Eminem. She pretty much knew all the words - and did the arm motions too. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen.

Her next favorite song was "Picture" by Sheryl Crow and Kid. Even though it's not a rap or rock song - the words are still a bit much. He talks about drugs and stuff. She had no idea what they were saying but loved singing it. We used to do duets at all the family parties.

I think once they start getting a little older and start to understand what the words mean - and try to repeat them - is when it becomes dangerous.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

What about a song like the reggaeton song Gasolina. A friend told me that the gym teacher in the school where she teaches played it for the kids during class. And then the kids went around school singing it.

I guess I wonder what will happen if wise older sibling/cousin/family friend actually explains it to them.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Ummm, no! I'll be a strict mom in this respect. It's not appropriate for a child to be singing, "I'm into having sex, I ain't into making love ..." I don't care if the kid knows what he is saying or not.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

NO...I taught 2nd grade and this past year worked in 3rd grade...they would repeat these lyrics from songs....so explicit...I almost fell over.....they don't even know what it means...well maybe some of them do

And then the problems arises when they are looking up to people like 50Cent...yeah he is a real role model

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Yeah I don't think it is so cute to hear when I see these 4 and 5 year old girls singing "Hit me baby one more time." Or "My hump" song. I don't think it matters whether they know what it means - eventually they will either ask or catch on - I just don't think it is really appropriate.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

there was just a study showing that kids that listened to sexual lyrics had sex earlier; so no, my children will not be listening to explicit lyrics

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

i don't think it is appropriate. Thank God DH and I like country music, that will probably be playing most in our car.

i also enjoy showtunes
DH loves Harry Connick

I think the age has to start right away. If we take avoiding explict music from the start, I feel like we will be more effective at it.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

After having a 3 year old call his classmate a "B!tch", I'm going to say absolutely not. It's not just music either, his new vocabulary word came from Howard Stern. So I had to stop listening in the morning.

Message edited 8/31/2006 8:48:44 AM.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

In my case I say absolutely not. I know parents that let their 6 year old kids listen to hardcaroe stuff with very excplicit lyrics and I know others like myself that don't. I don't know if it really makes an impact on their behavior, but I feel better that my child doesn't hear that type of music. I think sahe will be exposed to it eventually, all in due time.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

I don't think it's appropriate at all. Even if they don't know what they're saying, eventually they will and soem of those words should not be part of a 5 year old's vocabulary. What if s/he comes out with them in public? Also, what kind of messages is this music sending to kids. Let kids be kids. What hapenned to sharon, lois and brahm and sesame street, etc?

One minute they're mimicking arm movements, then it's sexy dance moves, then it's hte violence and overly sexual behavior of the videos.

My sister has a friend whose 4 year old acts like a little thug, always repeating stuff from rap videos and mimicking violence from the videos. I don't think so. At that age they should be singing Barney and learn that "Sharing is Caring"

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Posted by Juliet


The teacher I know who told me this complained to the gym teacher (because he taught her students).

And our parents thought that singing along to Olivia Newton-John's Physical was bad for us.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

No, I do not think its appropriate. I think of this every time I hear the song "Promiscuous Girl" by Nelly Furtado... I mean should a little kid be repeating lyrics about being promiscous, even though they don't know what they are saying? I think its awful that so many artists are writing lyrics that are so blatently about sex or contain explicit lyrics.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

I don't think so. There are some songs are when sexual messages were very subtle (I had no idea that Hmm Bop was about mastrubation until I was much older).

I just think that kids are sexualized so young these days, I want to put it off as much as possible. At 6 years old, the kid is young enough to ask a question, what does this mean.

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?

mm bop? like hanson?

I sincerely doubt that it's about masturbation

Re: Should parents let small children listen to music with explicit lyrics?