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It was a promise you made long ago, an assurance of remaining relevant: you would be the envy of all parents, the mother that was forever current. There would be no strict rules for your child to follow. There would be no tedious chores. You would instead offer easy days and easier affection — ensuring that you were friends instead of just family. You wanted a deeper connection with your son or daughter. You wanted to inspire complete trust and admiration. There would be no refusals therefore, only fun.
Life has proven to be less simple than this, however — and you suddenly find yourself as frustrated as your own mother was (the memories of this are still sharp), fretting over all the day to day duties. You’ve tried to maintain your reputation. You’ve wanted always to be the perfect parent. It isn’t easy, however, when you suddenly discover that your young child is listening to lyrics far too dark and reading material that is far too lewd.
You have to confiscate every item. Your past self would be so ashamed.
The difference between being a friend and being a parent, however, is ignoring that shame and realizing what must be done. Censoring what a child is exposed to (whether through literature, television or music) is necessary. During formative years, a youth is shaped by all he experiences. You don’t wish therefore for those experiences to be ones of gratuitous violence, sex, drugs or more. There must be a limitation.
You once thought such things were impossible, however. You were destined to be so suave, so certain. Time changes all priorities, though, and now you would rather be diligent.
Taming what your child comes in contact with is necessary. You must restrict materials that offer adult concepts (which would baffle still young minds, stirring questions that can’t fully be answered). Censor what is seen to ensure that maturity isn’t forced.
It must instead develop naturally.
