Do you let your kid read Diary of a Wimpy kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For parents who say it's okay to expose your kids to these types of books at an early age, I don't know how much you have to deal with counselor issues at school. We're friends with a guidance counselor and she tells me it's amazing how kids pick up behavior at school and can be really mean to each other. Your angels might not be showing it at home, but their interactions and language with others might not be ideal in a school environment.

I’m one of the PPs above who said I don’t censor what my kids read - in part because I want to encourage independent thinking. And fwiw yes, I did recently get a very nice write up from the school about my kid’s nice personality and behavior at school - a kid who I let read these books. I know this doesn’t need to be said but nevertheless i am saying it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My son read these books in Kindergarten and we let him read them because he enjoyed it - even though some of the concepts were over his head (he had no idea what "detention" was, for example). I think it's ok as long as you reinforce that the inappropriate phrases/themes are not ok.

Just had to slip in a brag there, huh? classic DCUM.

NP -- what's the brag?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My son read these books in Kindergarten and we let him read them because he enjoyed it - even though some of the concepts were over his head (he had no idea what "detention" was, for example). I think it's ok as long as you reinforce that the inappropriate phrases/themes are not ok.

Just had to slip in a brag there, huh? classic DCUM.

PP here. I wasn't trying to brag, there are a lot of parents of early readers on DCUM. I mentioned his age to show that I let my kid read the books at an earlier age than OP's kid - so I clearly would let my 8 year old read them. No big deal. It's not so impressive to have an early reader.

Sure, Jan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes, so my DS is impressionable and tries out language and attitudes he sees in movies or reads in books. He’s read the whole Captain Underpants series, and while he was in that phase we had to have serious talks about respect for teachers.

I hated those books, but the stuff they do is more imaginary and in a strange way, Harold and George have a conscience and a sense of responsibility. They don’t after all let Mr. Krupp wander off alone.

Greg Heffley just seems to revel in lying, stealing, cheating, and taking advantage of his frenemy, Rowley. ( yes, I have read the books with DS, which is why I dislike them so).

I’d rather DS were reading A Wrinkle in Time or Charlotte’s Web (he got 3/4 of the way through, then got bored). He is thankfully also reading the Percy Jackson series, which is less morally bankrupt.

DS says Wimpy Kid will not have any real effects. I’m not so sure. However, I never had my reading censored as a kid, so I hate to do it myself. But DS may just be a lot more impressionable than I was.

I am reading A Wrinkle in Time to my 8 and 10 year olds. My 10 has always been a strong reader, but Wrinkle has a theme, concepts and vocabulary which are challenging to him. I think most 8 year olds would give up reading it on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For parents who say it's okay to expose your kids to these types of books at an early age, I don't know how much you have to deal with counselor issues at school. We're friends with a guidance counselor and she tells me it's amazing how kids pick up behavior at school and can be really mean to each other. Your angels might not be showing it at home, but their interactions and language with others might not be ideal in a school environment.

I’m one of the PPs above who said I don’t censor what my kids read - in part because I want to encourage independent thinking. And fwiw yes, I did recently get a very nice write up from the school about my kid’s nice personality and behavior at school - a kid who I let read these books. I know this doesn’t need to be said but nevertheless i am saying it

New Poster, it is not a problem. I do not like the idea of censoring my kid, but rather explaining things. Sometimes we will talk about the stuff in the books "what do you think about this character," the response is, "he is not nice, I do not understand why ____." Or "this part is funny."

When my kid was in first grade and reading these books, he has been noted as a helper, one who intervenes when other kids are being mistreated. We talk about who is mean in the class, how to avoid them, other kind ways to respond to similar scenarios. He knows the difference between what happens to books and even that other kids say things and do things and that is not how it is done or said in our family and that it is a challenge to be different, and stand up for being kind and that it takes practice, courage and intention to make good choices.

It is better to have more direct conversations about what people are doing in books and in class and talk about different ways to approach similar situations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For parents who say it's okay to expose your kids to these types of books at an early age, I don't know how much you have to deal with counselor issues at school. We're friends with a guidance counselor and she tells me it's amazing how kids pick up behavior at school and can be really mean to each other. Your angels might not be showing it at home, but their interactions and language with others might not be ideal in a school environment.

Oh, FFS. Kids are not being mean to each other because of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

I don't know. Advertising companies spend millions on ads because looking at them for just a few seconds influences the purchases that adults make. It seems reasonable to think that a child's behavior might be influenced after reading something for hours.

Well, I do know. Why are you comparing books to advertising? They are not the same.

Elementary kids are influenced by media that they watch, older siblings and friends, other family members. If they have crappy behavior, look to these sources first. Books like Wimpy Kid? not so much. I have an 8 year old and am shocked by the stuff his friends talk about - watching "It" and other R movies, playing online video games where people trash talk one another, older siblings using foul language ("I'm going to f-k you up you piece of sh-t"), wildly inappropriate You Tube videos of Minecraft characters doing very adult things like spying on naked women through a window. And this is all at an affluent public school. You and OP are living in a fantasy world if you think that the mild humor in Wimpy Kid is messing up behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but also have an 8 year old and very very tired of the language. I've thought about stopping them. When he was younger we did take away as in K-1 it was completely not appropriate.

veiled brag alert

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes, so my DS is impressionable and tries out language and attitudes he sees in movies or reads in books. He’s read the whole Captain Underpants series, and while he was in that phase we had to have serious talks about respect for teachers.

I hated those books, but the stuff they do is more imaginary and in a strange way, Harold and George have a conscience and a sense of responsibility. They don’t after all let Mr. Krupp wander off alone.

Greg Heffley just seems to revel in lying, stealing, cheating, and taking advantage of his frenemy, Rowley. ( yes, I have read the books with DS, which is why I dislike them so).

I’d rather DS were reading A Wrinkle in Time or Charlotte’s Web (he got 3/4 of the way through, then got bored). He is thankfully also reading the Percy Jackson series, which is less morally bankrupt.

DS says Wimpy Kid will not have any real effects. I’m not so sure. However, I never had my reading censored as a kid, so I hate to do it myself. But DS may just be a lot more impressionable than I was.

I am reading A Wrinkle in Time to my 8 and 10 year olds. My 10 has always been a strong reader, but Wrinkle has a theme, concepts and vocabulary which are challenging to him. I think most 8 year olds would give up reading it on their own.

The will like the audiobook for a car ride. Hearing it again after so long, I did not care too much for the writing. There were odd spots where characters were talking about another in the room as if that person was not there hearing their critique.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For parents who say it's okay to expose your kids to these types of books at an early age, I don't know how much you have to deal with counselor issues at school. We're friends with a guidance counselor and she tells me it's amazing how kids pick up behavior at school and can be really mean to each other. Your angels might not be showing it at home, but their interactions and language with others might not be ideal in a school environment.

Oh, FFS. Kids are not being mean to each other because of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

I don't know. Advertising companies spend millions on ads because looking at them for just a few seconds influences the purchases that adults make. It seems reasonable to think that a child's behavior might be influenced after reading something for hours.

Well, I do know. Why are you comparing books to advertising? They are not the same.

Elementary kids are influenced by media that they watch, older siblings and friends, other family members. If they have crappy behavior, look to these sources first. Books like Wimpy Kid? not so much. I have an 8 year old and am shocked by the stuff his friends talk about - watching "It" and other R movies, playing online video games where people trash talk one another, older siblings using foul language ("I'm going to f-k you up you piece of sh-t"), wildly inappropriate You Tube videos of Minecraft characters doing very adult things like spying on naked women through a window. And this is all at an affluent public school. You and OP are living in a fantasy world if you think that the mild humor in Wimpy Kid is messing up behavior.

Exactly!!! There are studies that kids learn more (after less repetitions) in person than what they see on TV and I would imagine they learn more from TV than what they read. What they hear among their peers, older siblings is the first wave of impression and bad behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but also have an 8 year old and very very tired of the language. I've thought about stopping them. When he was younger we did take away as in K-1 it was completely not appropriate.

veiled brag alert

I think you are just jealous that my 2-yr-old read these Wimpy Kid series and was unfazed. Now that he grew out of that phase, he is on college text books in the second grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I think that we're all clear on the idea that boys and girls are different. But people don't read books with their genitals.

Male and female brains are different, too, genius. That's why they're interested in different things, and want to read different books and see different movies.

Which kind of a brain did E.B. White, the author of Charlotte's Web, have? How about J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series?

Haw. Brilliant examples. I will tell you that, as a former teenage boy, JK Rowling has no frigging idea how teenage boys think or act. It was so far off base it wasn't even funny. Harry's relationship with Cho Chang and especially Ginny reflected total ignorance of teenage male psychology.

As a woman, I thought the same thing. It seemed awkward and forced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I think that we're all clear on the idea that boys and girls are different. But people don't read books with their genitals.

Male and female brains are different, too, genius. That's why they're interested in different things, and want to read different books and see different movies.

Which kind of a brain did E.B. White, the author of Charlotte's Web, have? How about J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series?

Haw. Brilliant examples. I will tell you that, as a former teenage boy, JK Rowling has no frigging idea how teenage boys think or act. It was so far off base it wasn't even funny. Harry's relationship with Cho Chang and especially Ginny reflected total ignorance of teenage male psychology.

As a woman, I thought the same thing. It seemed awkward and forced.

I don’t know...listening to oldest DS talk about the girls he’s liked...there’s a definite similarity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I think that we're all clear on the idea that boys and girls are different. But people don't read books with their genitals.

Male and female brains are different, too, genius. That's why they're interested in different things, and want to read different books and see different movies.

Which kind of a brain did E.B. White, the author of Charlotte's Web, have? How about J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series?

Haw. Brilliant examples. I will tell you that, as a former teenage boy, JK Rowling has no frigging idea how teenage boys think or act. It was so far off base it wasn't even funny. Harry's relationship with Cho Chang and especially Ginny reflected total ignorance of teenage male psychology.

As a woman, I thought the same thing. It seemed awkward and forced.

I don’t know...listening to oldest DS talk about the girls he’s liked...there’s a definite similarity.

You're not really supporting the "Male and female brains are different, too, genius. That's why they're interested in different things, and want to read different books and see different movies." narrative here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I think that we're all clear on the idea that boys and girls are different. But people don't read books with their genitals.

Male and female brains are different, too, genius. That's why they're interested in different things, and want to read different books and see different movies.

Which kind of a brain did E.B. White, the author of Charlotte's Web, have? How about J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series?

Haw. Brilliant examples. I will tell you that, as a former teenage boy, JK Rowling has no frigging idea how teenage boys think or act. It was so far off base it wasn't even funny. Harry's relationship with Cho Chang and especially Ginny reflected total ignorance of teenage male psychology.

As a woman, I thought the same thing. It seemed awkward and forced.

I don’t know...listening to oldest DS talk about the girls he’s liked...there’s a definite similarity.

You're not really supporting the "Male and female brains are different, too, genius. That's why they're interested in different things, and want to read different books and see different movies." narrative here.

Yes, I’ll have a long talk with myself about my failure to support the narrative.

I have kids of both genders. There are things they all love - Harry Potter, sports, baking, and animals. Things they all hate: purple, piano lessons, and trips to Costco. Mostly they’re all individuals. I have two boys and one girl who love nerf guns. I have one girl and one boy who can’t own enough pink shirts, and one of each who hate the color. Oldest DS loves to go for no-polish pedicure; youngest DS can’t be bothered to sit still that long. 3 out of 4 are great at math; oldest DD loves science, and oldest DS is a history buff. All are comfortable with the gender they were born and generally won’t feel constrained by what girls or boys are “supposed to do.” Even their personalities: oldest DS obsessed about what to wear, his hair, what someone really meant when they said X; oldest DD is comically logical and matter of fact and DNGAF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For parents who say it's okay to expose your kids to these types of books at an early age, I don't know how much you have to deal with counselor issues at school. We're friends with a guidance counselor and she tells me it's amazing how kids pick up behavior at school and can be really mean to each other. Your angels might not be showing it at home, but their interactions and language with others might not be ideal in a school environment.

I’m one of the PPs above who said I don’t censor what my kids read - in part because I want to encourage independent thinking. And fwiw yes, I did recently get a very nice write up from the school about my kid’s nice personality and behavior at school - a kid who I let read these books. I know this doesn’t need to be said but nevertheless i am saying it

My DS (age 10, 5th grade) says one of his classmates is reading Stephen King's "It".

I would not let him read that if he wanted to. Totally inappropriate. As well as not being desirable for him to read it, it is not necessary for him to read it in order to develop "independent thinking".