Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Hannah Schmannah.


Yep, I'm going there.

I know some people reading this will think I'm crazy. (As if you don't already.) But you know what? I kinda am.

We don't allow Abi to do the Hannah Montana thing.

Now, before you read any further, please know that I'm not writing about Miley Cyrus's faults and blemishes. Miley is a girl whose parents have apparantly sold her out and let Hollywood shape her. She is a child. The fact that she posed on the cover of Vanity Fair looking like she was selling anything BUT Hannah Montana memorabilia has nothing to do with why we don't do Hannah Montana.

The fact is, Abi is 6. That's why.

See, I already have a child who acts like she's grown. For crying out loud, when she was 3 and a half, we moved her up to the 4-5 year old class at church because she was bored with the preschool class. Know what she did the first Sunday? She stood at the door and greeted kids two years her senior with, "Hi children! Come to class! It's so good to see you today!"

Rod and I decided that we didn't need Hannah's drama... the boyfriends, the gossip, the fashion... all things that are a normal part of adolescence.

Keyword- adolescence.

If we give children privileges that they are too young to inherit, we end up with children who are mini-teenagers before their time. Elementary school students should be thinking about when's the next time to go outside, what's in their lunch boxes, boogers, and poop.

And the fact remains that just because the world deems something acceptable, doesn't mean it's appropriate. Seriously. There are some PG-13 movies that 13 year olds have no business watching.

But somehow, we think because Disney says it's ok, then it must be ok for our first graders.

Um, nope.

Is it that Hannah Montana, iCarly, and the Cheetah Girls are vile and terrible influences? No.

Is it that their shows are filled with sex, awful music, and barely dressed girls? No.

It's the fact that in elementary school, life shouldn't be about middle school drama. That kind of drama will come soon enough.

So when Abi asks why she can't watch Hannah Montana, I just tell her, "If you get to do everything now, there won't be any fun stuff for later."

And oddly enough, that's satisfactory to her.

4 comments:

  1. Bravo!! Now some of the mommies need to consider what role models they are being?? If mommy acts like Hannah Montanna (drama-and-all) so will her little girl!

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  2. so true. We did not do Hannah Montana either. of course, my duaghters rules are different these days with their dad..so they have now seen her. BUT, we still watch little house on the praire, cosby show and gilligans island. We don't do I carly..or Nick.. OK we do sponge bob:)...BUT, my little diva brings enough drama to her life with out Hannah Montana..:)

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  3. So true! I'm amazed at the plots & story lines in these shows that elementary age children are watching.

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