Do you let your kids listen to "adult" music?

[hillview]

I recently downloaded "boom boom pow" onto my iPhone. DS #2 really likes it and dances up a storm. When he sees my iPhone, he chants "boom boom cow" -- the song has some bad words in it. My kids honestly do not know these words (yet). Do you censor this or do you just roll with it?
/hillary

[crl]

We're bad. We pretty much let DS listen to any music. (Eminen and most other rap gets turned off.) He loves Bob Marley.

Catherine

[trales]

I do right now. We will see when she starts saying the words.

[bubbaray]

My girls know the words to many Nickelback and AC/DC songs. Thanks, DH.

[infomama]

We let them listen to our tunes but all in all they aren't too heavy. DH works out to some pretty hard core stuff and no, they don't listen the that.

[SnuggleBuggles]

The question should be is do we listen to kid music? The answer to that would be rarely. Ds1 hardly ever got to listen to kid music and he just listened to grown up music. Ds2 knows the words to "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas and it cracks me up. :)

Ds2 does Music Together now so we do listen to that music sometimes.

Beth

[Elilly]

We listen to Radio Disney almost exclusively in the car. But, at home, when I'm cooking in the kitchen etc. I listen to what I want to on the Radio (so it is censored). So, two weeks ago, DS walked into school singing, "who says you can't get stoned" by John Mayer. I got a lot of smiles that day!

[alexsmommy]

Somewhat. I have DMSR (Prince) on my ipod and when I saw my 2 y/o dancing to it I realized he had hit the age where I have to monitor what I play around him. As long as the lyrics aren't grossly inappropriate then it doesn't bother me.

[cono0507]

My 4yo son's favorite song at the moment is Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl". I got the version from itunes without the explicit lyrics. :)

[brittone2]

Yep. We do a mix of kid and adult music. DS heard Eminem one time (was on an old iPod) and thought it was the most hysterical thing ever :rolleye0014: and still talks about it, LOL. We at least have a clean version on iTunes now. The first was the not-so-clean version ;)

[maylips]

My DD doesn't even know Disney Radio exists in the car and I hope she never finds out. But I don't listen to hard core hip hop, so does that bump me up at all? :)

[Mommy_Again]

DS and I were just singing to Kings of Leon together in the car today. When he was a baby he loved the Black Eyed Peas lyrics "Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture." It never occurred to me to play kid music in the car when he was a baby...and I have friends who have trapped themselves into ONLY being able to play kid music or their littles ones flip out, so I don't ever regret my decision. Plus, its pretty cool that my 6 year old likes Kings of Leon!

[MMMommy]

Our girls love Kings of Leon, alternative rock, and fun Jason Mraz music.

[pinkmomagain]

My kids listen to everything we do.

[caleymama]

My kids listen to everything we do.

:yeahthat: (with the exception of stuff with really inappropriate lyrics)

DH almost always has music on at home, either his ipod or Pandora, and he listens to a wide variety of stuff. In the car with him they probably get stuck listening to sports talk radio. I don't put on kids music in the car or at home as often any more, but DDs do have a pretty good collection of kids music that they listen to on their own. They also have their own "adult" music on an ipod shuffle they can plug in to their cd player and some mix cds.

[niccig]

DS's favourite music is the Foo Fighters, Cold Play and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. DH went through and made up a play list just for DS. I've never like Kids Music.

[Clarity]

Call me Tipper. I do not let my dd's listen to adult music with adult themes, no. Especially more contemporary popular music, they are too explicit and I don't want to expose her someone else's ideas about women, sex, drugs, death, etc.

I do let her listen to some less explicit music with general themes. Our current favorite is Brandi Carlile. She can yodel right along with "Have You Ever". :)

[g-mama]

Yes. That's all we listen to. Our kids enjoy adult music. We've had to be more careful with lyrics as they get older. Overhearing my ds in the bathtub singing "my humps, my humps, my lovely lady lumps" was a bit unsettling. That was the last time for that song!!

[purpleeyes]

DD's favorite song is "I Gotta feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. "My Song, my song" she shouts when it comes on and she even know some of the lyrics.

DS prefers U2 and Carbon Leaf.

I've also added Lady Gaga and Katy Perry to their mix on my ipod. Combined with rocknocerous and the john deere songs, it makes for an interesting mix.

I'll worry about lyrics when they get older. Right now they smile and laugh and innocently sing along and that works for me.

[elektra]

Yup. DD's favorite song is Sex On Fire by The Kings of Leon.
I can barely tell the words in half of the songs.
I think I posted this same question about a year ago!

[Twin Mom]

DC listen to pop music like we do. They currently love Lady Gaga Paparazzi. Honestly, I don't think they really understand the lyrics or what they mean right now. I know I usually don't know the lyrics myself. Will I show them a Lady Gaga video, um, no!

[s7714]

I reserve the explicit stuff for when I'm in the car alone, but we definitely listen to adult music most of the time. If a song comes on the radio that's a bit over the top I'll switch the station as well though. My girls haven't clued in to the fact there is a Radio Disney and I'm planning to keep it that way as long as possible!

Funny enough my DDs never paid the slightest attention to the music we played, until we got the Rock Band video game and they started (trying) to play with us. Now that they recognize numerous songs from there they perk up when they hear them on the radio. My older DD has even started asking me to turn up the radio when a song comes on with a sound she likes, which makes me chuckle.

[stefani]

The question should be is do we listen to kid music? The answer to that would be rarely. Ds1 hardly ever got to listen to kid music and he just listened to grown up music. Ds2 knows the words to "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas and it cracks me up. :)

Ds2 does Music Together now so we do listen to that music sometimes.

Beth

O my goodness! My DS said that his favorite song is "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas, and I was like "huh?". He heard that in DH's car. In my car it is usually NPR, or Chinese, or classical music :-)

[SpaceGal]

We don't listen to kids music much...or at all...with the exception of say the Backyardigans. But they listen to what we listen to, or better yet what I listen to...so The Killers, Gwen Stefani, Pearl Jam, the Twilight and New Moon soundtracks. :) The list goes on. It's cute to see them sing along and get all excited.

[Tondi G]

Our kids listen to whatever is playing... sometimes it is perfectly appropriate sometimes not. But their mama has a bit of a gutter mouth sometimes so often it isn't something they haven't heard at least once in their lives!

[lizzywednesday]

Baby has no choice but to endure my commute-music ... which is Classic Rock. So far, "he" gets really active whenever Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC (Baby love Angus; who doesn't?), Bruce, Lynrd Skynrd, Guns 'n' Roses, Def Leppard or the Rolling Stones come on the radio. (It still bothers me that GNR and Def Leppard are considered "classic rock" ... though not as much as Nirvana ... they were super-popular when I was a freshman in high school, just before Kurt shot himself.)

I have what my DH calls an "eccentric" taste in music and it is very difficult to get me to listen to anything outside of my comfort zone.

However, I don't often enjoy music with cuss words or offensive themes in it anyway, so I think we're pretty safe. The most offensive songs theme-wise that they play on the regular rotation are 'Under My Thumb' by the Stones and 'Every Breath You Take (I'll Be Watching You)' by the Police.

Sure, there are a couple of drug-influenced songs in there, but it takes a while before the kids are gonna understand that Skynrd is singing about the effects of drug abuse in 'That Smell', right?

[secchick]

I don't listen to anything I wouldn't want them to repeat to my parents. Some of the 3 year olds in DD's class know ll the words to Single Ladies and (I find inappropriate) If You Seek Amy. But I am a fuddy duddy. I listen to talk radio, DD's Just Me Music Elmo or Veggietales CDs, the Cars soundtrack, Kindermusic materials or select CDs of my choosing (right now the Glee soundtrack). DH is pretty much the same, but he has the all 80s station thrown in the mix and does sports radio if DD isn't requesting her music.

[Mikey0709]

Right there with you - my 4 year olds favorite song is BOOM BOOM POW!!!! Took about a month in the car of getting all the lyrics - and all the S**T words.... so somehow the cd just got lost and replaced with the Yo Gabba Gabba cd and the new Here's comes Science cd. At first it was cute - then it was ugh oh... he's getting the words.... but we really never rule out MOST modern music.

[updacountry]

um, I'm glad there are others out there. I hate to say but her favorites are Kid Rock and Guns N' Roses. She is 4 so I'm starting to worry that the words will actually have some meaning to her if she really listens to what she is singing.

My car is Sirius Martha Stewart most of the time (except when Martha is on, lol). DH's truck is the other stuff. Of course she would rather ride with him!

[elizabethkott]

Oh heck yeah.
My favorite is when DS starts singing along to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck":

"Tun-dah! Ah-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! TUN-DAH! Ah-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

:ROTFLMAO:

[n2ou]

I use it as a teaching moment for my 6 year old.

She is aware that writing music is just like her writing her little story books. The writer has complete control.

That being said she is also aware that there are words not meant for children to use.

Funniest thing is to listen to her explain the difference between "as" and "a$$" (from Toes by Zac Brown Band).

[Moneypenny]

DD likes to listen to either Disney princesses or Tool. Like a PP, we use it as a teaching moment if she does happen to notice a bad word or unsavory things in the lyrics.

[caleymama]

Oh heck yeah.
My favorite is when DS starts singing along to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck":

"Tun-dah! Ah-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! TUN-DAH! Ah-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

:ROTFLMAO:

LOL! My betta fish is named Angus and he lives on the kitchen counter so whenever this comes on DH's docked ipod DH chants "Angus, Angus" to the fish like the audience does at the beginning of whatever live version of the song he has. DDs just roll their eyes now :p.

As for stuff we don't let the girls listen to. . . somewhere along the line "Walkin' Round in Women's Underwear" (http://www.bobrivers.com/#v8730) (a spoof of Walking in a Winter Wonderland) ended up on a Christmas mix and it's in itunes. Thanks DH! That's one we skip.

I also draw the line at AC/DC "Big Balls" even though I know it's not about those "balls." Still don't need DDs walking around singing this one!

[american_mama]

Not exactly. My kids listen to a lite rock station at nightime and have learned lyrics to many songs (all veyr lite, classic hit songs). Nevertheless, it disturbs me: I never listened to the radio or current songs until I was nearly a teen, so I interpret it now as a sign that my children are advancing into the tween and teen stuff too soon.

In the car, it's pretty much all no music or kid music. No music is winning out lately; I think everyone's ears and minds need a break from the constant sound that is the rest of our life. It's a legitimate theory, but comes from a grumpy place inside me, actually, and I don't feel great about it. DH will sometimes play music in the car and change the channel if he is unhappy with the lyrics, but mostly he doesn't play music in the car anymore. I think I nagged him so much about the volume and was so non-interested in the songs that I became a killjoy, unfortunately.

[daisymommy]

ONLY if they don't have bad words in them or truly sexual words. Kids repeat everything they hear, and I personally don't want my kids hearing or saying those words.

[Puddy73]

Um, yes, they listen to pretty much everything that we do. We do censor really inappropriate stuff, but they do know the lyrics to far too many Buffett songs. "Volcano" and "Fins" are family favorites.

[rfeibelm]

I haven't had a chance to read all the replies - but I just wanted to say that my boys LOVE Boom Boom Pow! So much so that my DH let DS1 (5) watch the beginning of the Victoria's Secret fashion show on DVR :) My 2yr old runs to the phone when my sister calls since I have that song as her ringtone! Then again, I've never been real concerned about being inappropriate ;)

[Clarity]

Not exactly. My kids listen to a lite rock station at nightime and have learned lyrics to many songs (all veyr lite, classic hit songs). Nevertheless, it disturbs me: I never listened to the radio or current songs until I was nearly a teen, so I interpret it now as a sign that my children are advancing into the tween and teen stuff too soon.

This is a big reason why my kids don't listen to "adult" music. It's for adults. I wonder what is the difference between letting them listen to adult music like Nelly/Lady GaGa/etc. and letting them watch TV and movies with adult content? In my opinion, there isn't any. I don't even let my dd watch commercials because they often contain adult content. I get fired up when I am trying to choose a digital "on demand" preschool show on cable and the trailers showing in the background are geared toward adults. Nothing like an exploding tanker truck in the background while I'm trying to find Little Bear. :angry-smiley-005:

I'm sorry, I'll step off my soapbox now. I went off on a tangent.

[daniele_ut]

If by adult music you mean Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninoff and Brahms, then yes. Dh is a classical musician so they hear a lot of classical music at home. They do get their fair share of TMBG, Barenaked Ladies, Jimmy Buffet and more, however!

I generally listen to NPR in the car.

[crl]

One of DH's favorite songs is Beeswing, which is this super long ballad. At one point in the song is the phrase, "hard booze." At about 2, DS loooovvvveeeddd this song and would run around asking for "hard booze." Then a couple of months later he started using "pot" for potstickers, which he also loves. And, yes, he ran around yelling "I want pot, I want pot." I lived in fear of CPS.

Catherine

[Melaine]

This is a big reason why my kids don't listen to "adult" music. It's for adults. I wonder what is the difference between letting them listen to adult music like Nelly/Lady GaGa/etc. and letting them watch TV and movies with adult content? In my opinion, there isn't any. I don't even let my dd watch commercials because they often contain adult content. I get fired up when I am trying to choose a digital "on demand" preschool show on cable and the trailers showing in the background are geared toward adults. Nothing like an exploding tanker truck in the background while I'm trying to find Little Bear. :angry-smiley-005:

I'm sorry, I'll step off my soapbox now. I went off on a tangent.

:yeahthat:

We listen to a lot of different music, but avoid anything with inappropriate lyrics. If I don't want them to say the words outloud, then we don't listen to it. It's as simple as that, because they WILL pick it up. That being said, DH and I don't really listen to much music anymore so it's either Christian, classical, or CDs we approve of them hearing. We've been going instrumental more lately since there is usually so much talking going on around here anyway.

[Nooknookmom]

Another music lover here and both my DD's love it as well. I let them listen to most of the stuff I/DH do. Which is mostly rock (some country on my part). Now that DD1 is 14, she mixes in the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, etc.

I, for sure, censor any bad words in lyrics. Videos are touchy, they're all pretty much the same nowdays-lots of crazy dancing and skin tight outfits. I just use my judgement - if I feel weird watching it then DD2 does NOT get to see it.

DD2 LOVES Boom Boom Pow - knows most of the lyrics. Loves- Poker Face, Bad Romance, Paparazzi...geez why do *I* know these songs, lol.

DD2 asks for Motley Crue on a daily basis and I don't let her listen to songs w/ bad words in them. Bon Jovi and Rob Zombie are also favorites (no bad words at all in Jovi).

I DRAW THE LINE at the new Britney Spears-123 Peter Paul Mary? Um NO! The chorus is catchy but uh, my kids don't need to know what a 3some is. Yikes.

I remember turning down the radio in my Moms car when listening to Guns and Roses, so she wouldn't hear the lyrics.

Now I'M censoring my kids stuff - boy have I gotten old!

[AnnieW625]

DD likes The Beach Boys, she calls is Beach Music, and likes the stuff like Lets Go Surfing, and Surfing USA more than God Only Knows or Wouldn't It Be Nice; she calls those songs "little beach music." She also listens to other mainstream music, oldies, and classic rock in our cars.

DH is known for saying random annoying rap lyrics like Back It Up Like a MACK Truck and DD started saying that recently. I told him to stop, and DH said oh but at least she likes Mack from Cars.

[rlu]

We don't have too many "kid" cds. We did get DS the Imagination Movers cd and he went overboard on it so I put it away. We generally only listen to music during dinner or in the car.

At home we try to vary the music in the player. I borrow heavily from the library instrumental, opera, broadway (careful there), whatever. We have classical and a good mix of country, surf, and 80s pop. We do watch the lyrics, when in a hurry I just put on classical or instrumental jazz.

In the car I have preset two country stations and one "classic rock" (I hear pp on Def Lep being on that station, but then, Greg Kihn is hosting in the morning) plus a mix cd of fav disney songs that generally stays in the player. I generally switch the station if an inappropriate song comes on and switch to the cd if nothing appropriate is on. This week I switched one of the presets to all-Christmas music and that's my current default.

We don't watch music videos, but if we see one listed On Demand that DS might like, we screen it first.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I guess I don't have a problem with my kids hearing questionable lyrics because my 2yo and even my 7yo doesn't get that they are questionable. They just sound catchy. I don't think I am warping their minds by letting them hear some lyrics about adult subjects. To them they are just words. I remember when "Me So Horny" came out and there was a huge uproar over that. I had no idea what horny meant and I was in jr. high. :) So, if my ds wants to listen to Margaritaville or some other songs with grown up lyrics I just don't get that worried. This is all just my personal take and an explanation about why I let them listen to my music.

Beth

[clc053103]

DS listens to adult music- at 4, he doesn't know the bad lyrics and makes up his own.....in Boom Boom Pow, during the bad line he sings "I'm eatin' eggs now".

[smiles33]

DD1 listens to adult music, but it's only women singers and they tend to be Sarah MacLachlan, Dido, Shania Twain, Melissa Etheridge, etc. Since she doesn't like male singers, DH was making mix CDs for her.

I will say it was awkward when he put a Pat Benatar song on a mix CD and DD1 started singing along, "I don't wanna be your friend, I wanna be your lover." :ROTFLMAO:

Yeah, I'm not sure why he put that song on there so now we skip it.