Should I bring my 9 y.o. to a Katy Perry concert?

[Anonymous]

I'm taking my 11-year-old, with earplugs.

Sexy lyrics have been around for-EVER. I remember happily singing "Squeeze Box" by the Who with my little friends ("she goes in and out and in and out" is repeated about a hundred times). We didn't know what the words meant and didn't care. If your DC asks, that's one thing--but if not, why even open that can of worms.

[Anonymous]

Younger kids may not even realize the sexual nature of the lyrics. For the longest time, my niece thought The Spice Girls' lyrics "If you want to be my lover" were "If you want to be my mother."

[Anonymous]

My friends are taking the 8 and 7 year olds

[Anonymous]

Sex on the beach? Skinny dipping? Melt your Popsicle? Ménage a Trois?

No, 13 and older. I went with my 16yr and her friend. I saw no kids younger than teenagers. That would be nasty. They have their whole life to go to concerts. Keep it simple like Taylor and stop trying to have them grow up quick and be their friends. Be a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember hanging around the neighborhood with my other eight year old cohorts singing Madonna's "Like A Virgin." Then my older brother asked, "Do you even know what that means?" and proceeded to explain. My response? "Ewww, that is so gross! Why would anyone write a song about that?!" and went on my merry way, continuing to sing the song.

Point is, kids don't care.

Agreed! There are soooo many songs and movies from my childhood that I had no clue what they were actually about. In middle school, I watched dirty dancing literally hundreds of times and had no clue that Penny was getting an abortion. I just thought she was sick! It goes over their heads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sex on the beach? Skinny dipping? Melt your Popsicle? Ménage a Trois?

No, 13 and older. I went with my 16yr and her friend. I saw no kids younger than teenagers. That would be nasty. They have their whole life to go to concerts. Keep it simple like Taylor and stop trying to have them grow up quick and be their friends. Be a parent.

Did you really see all 20,000 attendees?

You're perfectly entitled to set the standards for your child, but others aren't taking their kids to this show to "be their friend" or to make them "grow up quick." Music has always been my thing, and it's one of the chief ways I bond with my kids. On the other side of the spectrum, I'm probably more strict than you when it comes to movies and TV.

[Anonymous]

Do you remember Grease? Think about the lyrics to Look at Me I'm Sandra Dee, or better yet, Greased Lightning. "The chicks'll cream for Greased Lightning... She's a real pussy wagon." Uh yeah. That didn't stop my friends and me (in elementary school) from listening to the soundtrack over and over. I guess it helps that John Travota isn't so great at enunciating when he sings.

[Anonymous]

I used to go around quoting jokes from Steve Martin albums. Jokes about rubbers and diaphragms. Seriously, can't believe my parents let me do that.

Kids have no clue.

[Anonymous]

I agree, I loved Grease and had NO idea about all the sexual innuendo.

That said I was kind of peeved when my six year old started singing "I kissed a girl and I liked it" in the car today.

[Anonymous]

I'd bring my 9 year old. I took DD to see Maroon 5 when she was 9 and some of their lyrics are a little questionable. DD's smart as a whip though and she changed all the bad words when she sang along.

[Anonymous]

I think her concerts are pretty tame and, though not officially geared towards the younger crowd, I think you could take a 9 year old to one of her concerts - I don't think Perry does anything all that eyebrow raising on stage. Lyrics are indeed quite suggestive but, like others have pointed out, much of the innuendo would go over the younger girls' heads. And they hear the songs on the radio anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sex on the beach? Skinny dipping? Melt your Popsicle? Ménage a Trois?

No, 13 and older. I went with my 16yr and her friend. I saw no kids younger than teenagers. That would be nasty. They have their whole life to go to concerts. Keep it simple like Taylor and stop trying to have them grow up quick and be their friends. Be a parent.

Do you do as good a job modeling kindness to your impressionable children as you do judging others?

[Anonymous]

I went to the last concert and I never once saw young kids the age of 7 and 9. There was tailgating, drinking, definitely smelled some weed and it was loud with swearing. When the "I kissed a girl" song came on, teens and 20 something's friends were laughing and making out. It was a lot of fun but this is not a One Direction concert. Her outfits, lyrics and atmosphere suggested adults.

I don't have kids that old yet but would never take them to a concert like that. Why would you? Tickets are expensive, Isn't their bedtime when the concert starts?

[Anonymous]

my 9 year old went to the brownie ball recently and requested Rihanna's Monster and was told it was inappropriate. guess I should listen to the lyrics!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't have taken my kids to a concert like that when they were 9. There are just too many other far more age appropriate venues for that age.

The older crowd can see the humor in songs like California Gurls but the younger kids are far more impressionable, I just think that there are far better examples for kids.