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I think listening to your child's music is okay if you are listening with them.

Parents need to embrace the idea that parenting is not selective. You cannot pick and

choose when you are going to get involved with your kids. Music is a glue and an

expression. Just because there is something in the lyrics that may seem derogatory or a little

too suggestive does not mean that it is unfit to listen to. Our children are not what we

were raised to be. They are not as easily influenced as our parents thought we were. We

were not as easily influenced as our parents accused us of being. In other words, you cannot

judge a book by it's cover. It is ridiculous to assume that all rap music is crude or that all

country music is whiny or that metal is just noise. I am a lover of music and I have a very

large collection of music from every genre...literally. I have Jazz, Blues, R&B, Hip Hop,

Metal, 80's, 90's, 60's, 70's. I have folk music and classical, gospel and Gregorian chant.

As a music lover and a parent I have exposed my daughter to all these types of music. Some of

it she likes and some of it she could really do without and she will tell me that but, the

long and short of the thing is that I share music and movies and books and education with her

and believe me it is exhausting! I hardly have time to think, let alone join a cause against

teen music. I share all that is me with all that is her and just hope and pray that somewhere

we will meet in the middle. I try to influence her with my experiences and let her share with

me hers and I hope that I am raising her to make choices that will make her better, stronger

and open-minded. I don't judge her for the music she likes or the clothes she wears (even

though some of it makes me cringe in stereo). I figure this way she can be well rounded,

centered, non-discriminating, and never feel oppressed by me as her role model and mother.

Learn more about this author, Andrea Miller.
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