My friend T shared a facebook note on her wall yesterday. It's an open letter from a parent to bookstores in the Philippines (particularly to National bookstore and Powerbooks). The parent is asking bookstores in the country, as well as the Philippine government, to regulate the selling of books appropriately. He is asking for a regulating body for books just like what MTRCB is for films/movies.
He was concerned with the books that his teenage daughter bought recently, 50 Shades of Grey and The Perks of a Wallflower. I haven't had the time to read the said books yet but the former is actually in my iBooks already because a lot of people I know liked it. The parent was saying that the books are pornographic in nature and should not be read by teenagers.
I'm a regular at bookstores. I and my son, my sisters as well, are bookworms. Books for kids are separated from adult books. So my son, without me telling him at all, goes straight to the kids section of the bookstore. The other parent's problem though is his teenage daughter is neither a kid nor an adult. This is where parenting should come in.
The daughter is a teenager already. In my opinion, the parent should allow the daughter to read the books. Unless he wants her to read it behind his back. Unless he’d rather she know of "the ways of the world" from other mediums without his knowledge.
We are not in the medieval period anymore. The dad might be able to take those books away from her but she'll hear and see from other people like her peers, from the media and from the online world as well, those terms that they want to shield her teenage-mind from.
The best thing that the girl’s parents should do, in my opinion, is to also read the books their kids read. Discuss and explain the contents of the books with their kids. However awkward it may seem, they should do it. This way, lying and doing things behind their back, without their knowledge would be avoided.
Parenting in the past is not applicable anymore to the present time, even my mom said so. Everything in this world is fast-paced now. We should leave in the past what should be in the past, including the past’s way in parenting. We should go with the flow, so to speak. By being very protective with our kids, we’re actually doing them (and us) more harm than good.
22 comments:
I am also worried about my kid.He loves to read and I don't know if he reads the right book at his age especially if its an e book.
I have been dying to buy this book. I am sure that I could buy it :-) Parents know what books are appropriate to read or buy for their kids.
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I haven't read those books too, I think though there is just too much lax in writing which presents premarital sex as something to be accepted when it shouldn't be. True we're not in the medieval era, we've had so many advances but it doesn't mean that morality should come off with that. But then, sex education is another thing..it is in Pinas that it is taken with malice :/ unfortunately...
i heard about that book 50 shades of grey, but i never had a chance to read it yet.I wonder now what it is all about.
I agree with you, we are the ones who should be more understanding about our children. As for the teenager it is better that she reada that kinds of books than learn it first hand
it's true, you can't protect your children from all the things and information that the society is bombarding them with. you just have to be there to guide them and instill good values in them while they're still young so that they will have this "moral compass" that they can rely to when they got older and learned to decide for themselves.
that is sad that children these days weren't probably educated by their parents about adulthood books and out of their curiosity they'll try to explore themselves unsupervised. But if their parents taught them about adult subjects, they'll for be aware and don't have to seek information behind their parents back.
True, gone are the old conservative way of parenting. Nowadays, the stricter the parents are, the wilder the kids become.
if they would regulate 50 shades.. they should regulate tagalog pocketbooks as well! specially precious hearts romance novels.. mas malala kaya dun!
I heard about this book too! oh, my! it's really hard to be a parent.
This is how new era brings to people! And it gets even worst on years to come :)
probably some unit of the government should... but not mtrcb i think they're only for tv shows, movies and such.. unsure though...
thanks for voicing your thoughts.. :)
IMHO I will encourage my kids to open up to me for whatever it is that they want to know. This way they won't do anything behind our backs and we can guide them up.
I heard about this 50 shades of grey and I heard negative impressions about it, I don't know I begun to be curious too :-)
Kids are naturally curious and they are going to explore the world no matter how hard we try to protect them. It is our duty as parents to let them see the reality but make sure that we explain things to them.
I am a type of person that do not like to read books but in college I read since its necessary...
ah ha ha, i guess, that's the only great thing with my father and grand mother, although they are strict with those things, i have the liberty to choose whatever books i love to read even those with rated r, and i guess, i have several erotic books.
Oh my...I haven't thought of this issue. We really have to talk about this.
Why do the government loves to repress us? Although this particular book started a lot of controversies, not only on how it was published but also how everyone think it's okay to read an erotica in public. But that's a different topic altogether.
Anyway, I think we need to have limitations on what to allow our kids to read. Sure I would love my daughter to read anything she wants but if she's in grade school, I'd rather not have her read this kind of book. Perhaps when she's a teenager or had started her period because I'm pretty sure we'll be talking about the changes in the body and sex education by that time. I would insist that she choose young adult novels first, where teenage love and relationship are best portrayed. But if she insists, I'll let her read it but not before explaining everything to her.
I'd like to have an open relationship with my daughter. I rather have her ask me these uncomfortable questions than have her learn the wrong idea from others.
I am with her on the advocacy... I will take note of the book title...tsk tsk tsk
agree! i guess parents nowadays should learn how to communicate with their kids. These things that kids must should at least start at home.
I'll take note of this book. I'll check if this is included in my daughter's e-book.
I agree, some of the parenting styles of yesteryears are not applicable to our kids anymore. We should allow our kids more freedom, but we should also be there to monitor the things they do, read and watch.
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