This week we celebrated a big milestone in our family... our oldest daughter (4 1/2) began reading books (The Bob Book collection). We're always excited to see our kids learn new skills and we celebrate their progress, but it is also another reminder of our responsibilities as parents.
I remember when I first learned to read as a child and I wanted to read EVERYTHING... cereal boxes, bill boards, magazine covers at the grocery store. As a mom, the thought of that now scares me a bit. I'm thrilled that my daughter is learning to read and loves book, but I am not excited about the messages she'll be seeing and the questions she may be asking at a young age. I have frequently thought (as I read a billboard, bumper sticker, or tabloid headline), "I'm so glad my girls don't know what that says." Now, as her skill develops we'll be facing that head on.
Certainly we can and do censor messages in our own home and provide books that are appropriate for her age, but we can't censor the world and we don't want to isolate them from it. Finding and striking that balance and being equipped to answer questions when they do crop up is a daunting responsibility.
How do you handle questions in your home? Do headlines, billboards, and messages in the media concern you? Any advice?
Written by Kristina Light