I'm generally not one for censorship. I am happy to be living in a country where people are free to read, watch, or listen to whatever they want. This of course applies to adults, but what about children? I absolutely adore
A Clockwork Orange and
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (both the books and movies), but would I show/read them to a ten year old? Hell no! So where does one draw the line for a child who may not be able to tell the difference between real and imaginary? Also, are there any toys that I should not allow my child to play with before a certain age?
As far as movies go, the ratings system in my mind is a little too overprotective. Obviously, the most important thing will be to know my child and his/her sense of reality to determine when certain movies are appropriate, but generally I'd say using the rating system minus two years is a relatively safe bet. Most PG-13 movies are VERY tame and can be handled by anyone over the age of ten. With the R rating, I know that by the time I got to high school I had no problem seeing any movie I wanted (and that was before high-speed
internet), so I think that would be a logical time to lift the ban. More important than setting a specific age is to start a dialog at an early age about the difference between what they see on the screen or read in a book, and what is acceptable in real life.
As far as toys go, I have a
feeling this may be a lost cause, and I use myself as an example. My parents decided when I was born that I would not be allowed any toy guns. Then at some point around the age of three I picked up a stick, pointed it at a tree, and started yelling "Bang! Bang!" Clearly I already understood the concept of a gun, and keeping me from a toy wasn't going to change anything... Then we have toys that indoctrinate children with stereotypes about the way they should act and look (
Bratz, I'm looking at you). This is what scares me the most. After teaching at a high school for two years, I know how much today's kids are influenced by what they are told on TV and in music. Not that I wasn't so influenced when I was a kid, but now it seems out of control.
Is there a line of children's toys out there that encourages free thinking? I'm sure there are plenty, I just need to look into it.
