Kids should just be able to be kids. Not confused by dark, dreary, hopeless attacks on all their five senses. Way back in the medieval days of the twentieth century, there were actually G rated movies. And that meant a general audience could watch them without worry there’d be sex and violence and bathroom humor.
But now, G rated movies just ain’t all that cool.
And, as so many parents would have you believe, when it comes to sex and violence and bathroom humor, “Well, they’re gonna learn it somewhere. Might as well be at home.”
Yeah, I’ve heard real people say that. Really.
But that’s a mighty stupid approach to raising kids.
For example, I read a part of a study in an issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. And it said that kids who watch R-rated movies are more likely to smoke, have sex earlier, and even experience “teen aggression.”
And my guess is that ain’t all that’s likely to happen.
And here’s another wild and crazy guess of mine. I’ll bet similar results can occur when kids listen to R-rated music.
So, when people ask why I write the kind of children’s songs I write, I just have to smile and wonder why there would be any other kind.
Because, as I said before, kids should be allowed to be kids. Full of innocence, awe, and wonder. And the music they listen to should just be for fun. Not some excuse to teach them how to be intimate with the opposite sex. Or worse, how to beat up on or belittle others.
Sadly, so much music for mass consumption does just that.
And it doesn’t even stop at the R rating anymore. No, it’s full on X rated stuff now. I’m sure you’ve had a car pull up next to you, at a traffic light, and heard the filth rapping through the dark-tinted windows. If not, you will.
Well, my kids music doesn’t do that. Never has. Never will. I still believe in the ideal of a child’s imagination. I still cater to that. My children’s songs will always seek to inspire, tickle the fancy, and spark the imagination of as many kids as possible. And they’ll shine a light in a dark world.
And I support any other singer/songwriters out there who will do the same.
I believe G rated movies should be the norm. And I don’t think they have to be the cutesy kind of stuff that adults feel weird watching. Because you can tell real, human stories about countless things in life where families bond together to overcome the odds. And I give kids credit for being able to understand the value in watching those stories with their parents.
But I’m just one storyteller.
One poet and singer with dreamy-eyed longing for a cleaner world. So, what chance do I have to convince the masses to turn back before it’s too late? The answer is, I don’t have a chance, in D.C. of ever doing that.
But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t or couldn’t try to reach as many as possible.
So, that’s why I’ll keep on keepin’ on.
Because it’s not over when we’re gone.
And kids deserve better than a dismissal letter.
They deserve the hope of a new dawn.
Now, why waste time going online to find all my rollicking, rolling Rhymes and Reasons? Just jump on the The FunderFlash. And I’ll send them directly to your inbox. Do it now, and I’ll send you some songs and a couple of other surprises: https://www.TonyFunderburk.com
Stay tuned,
