I Mostly Let My Kids Listen To Oldies So I Don’t Have To Worry About X-Rated Lyrics

As parents, there are so many ways we can be embarrassed by the behavior of our children. It is a hallmark of my parenting style that I do whatever I can to mitigate the possibility of my kids saying or doing something awful that reflects on me as a parent. As I have said in previous posts, I am pretty old-school and have high expectations of their behavior. I want them to act- and sound- their ages, not like they are teenagers. Sadly, today’s music (and if I’m being honest, music from the last 20-30 years) has too many outright nasty lyrics. From “talk dirty to me” to “blow my whistle”, I have trouble keeping a pop station on for too long if my little dudes are around. That is why over the years, I have mostly let my kids listen to oldies so I don’t have to worry that they are going to hear something they shouldn’t.

Now, I am no prude- our family loves Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. And oh my word, we are BIG Taylor Swift fans. We do listen to pop music in the car sometimes (although my hand is never far from the radio dial, just in case). However, I find that I am much calmer when I know there is no chance of them hearing something they shouldn’t repeat. That said, at home, I constantly have music on in the background and 95% of the time, it is oldies. I love music from the 1930’s through the 1960’s. As a result, my kids know The Twist better than some Baby Boomers and will eagerly tell you that The Beach Boys are one of their favorite bands. Not only is it super cute, I know that I can leave it playing while they are around and not have to worry about what they will hear.

I enjoy pop music but I must admit- I truly prefer the music of other eras. I love how romantic the songs were and how no one is singing about tapping anyone’s ass or whatever. These older songs have lyrics talking about how wonderful it is to just hold someone’s hand or kiss them. That is the impression of romance and love that I want my children to have right now, while they are too young to even understand some of the awfulness coming out on the airwaves these days let alone, repeating it. I hold no judgment whatsoever toward parents who let their kids listen to these songs but I know it’s not right for us. They have their whole lives to hear such things and for now, innocence reigns in our house. And honestly, in a world of auto-tuned bullshit, I am happy to give my kids an education in Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and other deeply talented artists that sounded so amazing with very little help. I know there are still decent artists now, but I am happy to keep that history alive for another generation.

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