Pop music at school

[Anonymous]

You're a fruit loop.

Anonymous wrote:My kids seem to hear a lot of pop music at school, mostly in PE. I think that's fine and fun... music is great for getting people moving. And I never had any idea about popular culture growing up, because I had intello-hippie parents. It was a detriment as a young teen, and I don't have anything against pop culture for my kids.

But the teachers don't seem to be censoring what the kids are hearing. So in the car, Wrecking Ball came on, and as I reached to change the station, my kindergartner said "Oh, I love this song!" And my 1st grader asked me to download "that song, you know, it goes, "you know you want it, you're a goooood guuuurl!"" and did a little butt-wiggle as he sang.

For now, I've just said "those songs are not for children because they talk about romance and other grownup stuff". ("Romance" is code at our house for all that lovey-dovey stuff like kissing on the mouth, but does not include hugs and kisses with family.) But if it was happening at your children's school, would you address it with the PE teacher (who is fresh out of college and in a little over her head), or the principal, or would you keep the discussions of readily-available but totally-inappropriate pop culture at home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're a fruit loop.

Anonymous wrote:My kids seem to hear a lot of pop music at school, mostly in PE. I think that's fine and fun... music is great for getting people moving. And I never had any idea about popular culture growing up, because I had intello-hippie parents. It was a detriment as a young teen, and I don't have anything against pop culture for my kids.

But the teachers don't seem to be censoring what the kids are hearing. So in the car, Wrecking Ball came on, and as I reached to change the station, my kindergartner said "Oh, I love this song!" And my 1st grader asked me to download "that song, you know, it goes, "you know you want it, you're a goooood guuuurl!"" and did a little butt-wiggle as he sang.

For now, I've just said "those songs are not for children because they talk about romance and other grownup stuff". ("Romance" is code at our house for all that lovey-dovey stuff like kissing on the mouth, but does not include hugs and kisses with family.) But if it was happening at your children's school, would you address it with the PE teacher (who is fresh out of college and in a little over her head), or the principal, or would you keep the discussions of readily-available but totally-inappropriate pop culture at home?

Whereas you, my friend, are clearly the voice of careful reason.

[Anonymous]

Maybe I'm just an old stuffy stick in the mud but I'd even go so far as to suggest that unless you're having a lesson on music history ( of which pop is a legit part) or otherwise using it to educate ( maybe it DOES have the perfect beat for your multiplication rap...), that maybe schools should be a pop culture- free zone. I think that somewhere in our culture there needs to be a line drawn by the adults to expose kids to more intellectually-rich material over the flash-in-the-pan pop-culture offerings they're exposed to everywhere else. School seems like the logical place to do this. I know it's unrealistic to expect that every 22-yr-old new teacher will be interested in doing this, but I'm willing to take some heat to say it. Thanks for bringing this up OP. You are right in my book.

[Anonymous]

My mom always let us listen to everything (including her 1920s blues albums with songs like "sugar in my bowl" and "my man o'war").

My husband & I generally do the same with our daughter. We do pay close attention and discuss anything that concerns us (unless it's going right over her head, in which case we leave well enough alone).

I thinking teaching kids to think critically about media is preferable to sheltering them from it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you listen to the radio with the kids in the car? Do you ever take them shopping with you to a store that has music piped in? They'll probably hear it.

I'm not worried because my children do not understand double entendres. They take songs at face value without looking through the viewpoint of an adult with adult understandings and experiences. If a song says "you know you want it", they think it is about something they want. Like, legos.

Not the OP, but I have a problem with stuff like this because they may not understand the lyrics NOW, but I don't want them to get into a mindset of 'well I like the beat -- the words don't mean anything'. Yes the words do mean something and are often a manifestation of the objectification of women, the marginalization of men seen as ATM'S masquerading as ballers, and promiscuous and dangerous sexual behaviour. I don't want my DC's first exposure to sexuality is 'i know you want it'.
YES, I went there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you listen to the radio with the kids in the car? Do you ever take them shopping with you to a store that has music piped in? They'll probably hear it.

I'm not worried because my children do not understand double entendres. They take songs at face value without looking through the viewpoint of an adult with adult understandings and experiences. If a song says "you know you want it", they think it is about something they want. Like, legos.

Not the OP, but I have a problem with stuff like this because they may not understand the lyrics NOW, but I don't want them to get into a mindset of 'well I like the beat -- the words don't mean anything'. Yes the words do mean something and are often a manifestation of the objectification of women, the marginalization of men seen as ATM'S masquerading as ballers, and promiscuous and dangerous sexual behaviour. I don't want my DC's first exposure to sexuality is 'i know you want it'.
YES, I went there.

Also not the OP, but I agree with this PP.

The words DO mean something. There is lots of other good music out there. Why promote some of this crap, and in the schools, for that matter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you listen to the radio with the kids in the car? Do you ever take them shopping with you to a store that has music piped in? They'll probably hear it.

I'm not worried because my children do not understand double entendres. They take songs at face value without looking through the viewpoint of an adult with adult understandings and experiences. If a song says "you know you want it", they think it is about something they want. Like, legos.

Not the OP, but I have a problem with stuff like this because they may not understand the lyrics NOW, but I don't want them to get into a mindset of 'well I like the beat -- the words don't mean anything'. Yes the words do mean something and are often a manifestation of the objectification of women, the marginalization of men seen as ATM'S masquerading as ballers, and promiscuous and dangerous sexual behaviour. I don't want my DC's first exposure to sexuality is 'i know you want it'.
YES, I went there.

OP here, and thank you. "I don't want my DC's first exposure to sexuality is 'i know you want it'." is a great way to put it. I'm sincerely concerned about the sexual behavior I'm seeing from children. Not teens, not young women... children. Remember the kid sister from Mean Girls? Yes, it's fiction and comedy, but it's much less funny when you personally know a six-year-old whose signature dance move involves running her hands down the length of her body while doing hip-thrusts and making open-mouthed pouty lips.

Not to overlook the misogyny question. I don't understand parents (or humans, really) who are ok with that.

[Anonymous]

FYI: KidsBop changes the lyrics if it's at all questionable. For example, the beginning of Trouble (or whatever it's called) by Taylor Swift changes "a new notch in your belt" to "a memory in your head'. And Stronger, by Kelly Clarkson, starts off about life feeling better, not some reference to someone being in her bed.

[Anonymous]

I find the whole scenario rather surprising. As a high school teacher, I NEVER play pop music ever unless I have screened it- I don't use Pandora, I don't let the kids near my computer to play their own music, etc. And my kids are old enough to hear that stuff (theoretically)- or what they're doing on their own time is far raunchier than any music I could possibly play at school. I guess I just find it strange that an elementary school teacher would play pop music indiscriminately.... ? I'm with you, OP.

I do agree, though, that as a kid, I heard music on the radio with my mom all the time, sang along, and no clue what any of it meant. (What's coming to mind now is Elton John: "rolling like thunder under the covers....")

[Anonymous]

She Bops, he bops, we all bop-Cyndie Lauper

I did not even know it had anything to do with masturbation and I was in high school. Sometimes it just does not matter.

[Anonymous]

I hear you, OP. My son gets a lot of pop music exposure from the before/aftercare provider. At least his teachers seem to have some sense of what's appropriate for ES; the aftercare providers seem to have NO idea. When he came home saying the song that includes a line "$20 in my pocket" was the favorite of all the aftercare counselors and asked if we could get it, I gave it a listen and was appalled!
I absolutely suggest asking the teacher how/where these songs are showing up, and letting him/her know you are concerned. If no one ever speaks up, they'll think its just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teacher first.

I had to do this at the daycare we use. One of the younger teachers was playing her own playlist on the daycare's sound system. I walked into "Moves Like Jagger" after already discussing it twice with the teacher, then I went to the director. I didn't want my 3 year old listening to that.

moves like Jagger?

you got something against Mick?

weirdo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're a fruit loop.

Anonymous wrote:My kids seem to hear a lot of pop music at school, mostly in PE. I think that's fine and fun... music is great for getting people moving. And I never had any idea about popular culture growing up, because I had intello-hippie parents. It was a detriment as a young teen, and I don't have anything against pop culture for my kids.

But the teachers don't seem to be censoring what the kids are hearing. So in the car, Wrecking Ball came on, and as I reached to change the station, my kindergartner said "Oh, I love this song!" And my 1st grader asked me to download "that song, you know, it goes, "you know you want it, you're a goooood guuuurl!"" and did a little butt-wiggle as he sang.

For now, I've just said "those songs are not for children because they talk about romance and other grownup stuff". ("Romance" is code at our house for all that lovey-dovey stuff like kissing on the mouth, but does not include hugs and kisses with family.) But if it was happening at your children's school, would you address it with the PE teacher (who is fresh out of college and in a little over her head), or the principal, or would you keep the discussions of readily-available but totally-inappropriate pop culture at home?

Whereas you, my friend, are clearly the voice of careful reason.

"lovey-dovey stuff like kissing on the mouth?"

That's the language of a fruit loop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI: KidsBop changes the lyrics if it's at all questionable. For example, the beginning of Trouble (or whatever it's called) by Taylor Swift changes "a new notch in your belt" to "a memory in your head'. And Stronger, by Kelly Clarkson, starts off about life feeling better, not some reference to someone being in her bed.

I laughed when I heard Gangham Style on KidsBop. Instead of "Oh Sexy Lady" which is one of the only English phrases, the kids sing "Hey, hey, lady".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All I wanted was to break you off...a piece of my Kit Kat bar

And your kid knows what the hell that means? My 11 year old very savvy son wouldn't know what that means and I don't sensor anything.