judy blume | Imamother

↑ Clarissa ↓

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 3:49 pm

At some point, children start to discover their own tastes and interests. I lived in libraries as a kid, both the town library and the one at whatever school I was attending. I read and read, and I chose my own reading material. I loved the experience of looking up and down the shelves, I loved sharing books with my friends, and I loved spending long, lazy, Summer days reading out loud with my then best friend. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to defend my reading choices to my parents, explain why something caught my eye or intrigued me.

Sure, I do take note of what my kid reads, and I do pick them up and check them out (usually after he goes to sleep), to stay in touch with what he's doing. But I don't interfere, because he's his own person at this point. If I saw something really objectionable, I'd consider doing something about it.

↑ cassandra ↓

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 3:53 pm

Clarissa wrote:

I could have written this. I'd be a completely different person if my parents would have monitored what I read.

(Even though my mental defiling did not come from books. The ironic thing is that when I was 12 I got a television as a gift for my Bat Mitzvah and I had a huge fight with my parents about whether I could keep it in my room. Unfortunately they did not know that that the bigger problem was my stereo with radio I could listen to this s-x call in show every night-- anyone from NY remember Z100 Love Phones? That's where I got my real education as a seventh grader. shock

)

↑ leomom ↓

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 4:02 pm

cassandra wrote:

As long as there is real dialogue between parent and child I think that's fine, and probably even beneficial to the child. I'm not sure that all parents who want to keep their kids away from certain outside influences handle it so intelligently.

Ooh! I'll take that as a compliment! Very Happy

I'm big on having high standards, but not big on dictatorship.

↑ leomom ↓

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 4:07 pm

Clarissa wrote:

Hi Clarissa,

I have a teen daughter as well as younger kids, who also live at the library. I do more heavy-duty monitoring when they are young so they can get a feel for what is OK and what isn't. By the time may oldest was a teen, it may not have been 100% perfect, but generally she knows how to be selective on her own. She wants to read good literature that is also kosher. She knows to be cautious about newer novels and to read the jackets to see if the themes and attitudes are in tune with our values. She still comes home with stacks of books, and she is pretty good at finding great stuff.

Quote:

Sure, I do take note of what my kid reads, and I do pick them up and check them out (usually after he goes to sleep), to stay in touch with what he's doing. But I don't interfere, because he's his own person at this point. If I saw something really objectionable, I'd consider doing something about it.

That sounds like what I do. The only difference may be where we each draw the line as far as what is objectionable.

↑ leomom

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 4:10 pm

cassandra wrote:

Unfortunately they did not know that that the bigger problem was my stereo with radio I could listen to this s-x call in show every night-- anyone from NY remember Z100 Love Phones? That's where I got my real education as a seventh grader. shock

)

I wasn't in NY, but I definitely got an education from Dr. Ruth...

We seem to have a few things in common! My father bought a cheap old TV for me at a yard sale on a whim... when I was probably about 12... and he put it in my room! Big mistake. I stayed up until all hours doing my homework and watching garbage. (Got straight A's anyway, which is why my parents probably were not concerned...)

mummiedearest ↓

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 4:55 pm

I liked her books. though I remember reading "then again maybe I won't" and thinking it was a little inappropriate at the time. I guess as a teenage girl I felt the whole idea of the teenage boy next door sitting in his darkened room with binoculars watching the neighboring girl get undressed was pretty gross. I finished the book, though. there is only one book I can think of that was so inappropriate that I actually stopped reading it in middle. and that was certainly not a judy blume book.

↑ mummiedearest

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 5:16 pm

to each her own, clarrisa. did you read that particular book? I thought I was going to read something a little more intelligent and less...well...trashy. and this was a book I kept in the bathroom, btw, along with my uncle john's bathroom readers. I found uncle john to be so much more interesting...

↑ Clarissa

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 5:49 pm

mummiedearest wrote:

No, I haven't read that one, but I've read nine of his other books, and many of his short stories. I think he's a great writer and very intelligent. His Maples stories, about one particular couple and their marriage (originally from the New Yorker, and then published in a collection called Too Far to Go), are wonderful, I think. To each her own.

↑ octopus

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 6:14 pm

mummiedearest wrote:

yeah-that's the book I'm talking about.

↑ Isramom8 ↓

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 8:48 pm

greenfire wrote:

dd3 loved her books ...
and what's wrong if your son finds out about a period What

sooner or later he will

Yes, but in what context and with what associations? Our DSs certainly hear something about menstruation - overhearing hints in divrei Torah at home, in gemera learning, by people leaving shailos for DH, etc. Recently DH explained a Mishna involving losing virginity, and DS was right there. I think their association is one of respect.

↑ RachelEve14

Wed, Dec 03 2008, 10:07 pm

chaylizi wrote:

she also wrote freckle juice. haven't a clue what it was about though. it's been a long time.

It's been a long time, but Freckle Juice is about a kid who wants freckles or somethign. It's written for much younger kids, bigger type, etc. I used to teach it in 2nd grade to averagre readers as a 1st chapter book.

The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo is another good one for young kids. A boy stuck between his bigger brother and younger brother (or sister??? it's been years). Both of those are something like 40 pages of big type and a parent could certainly pre-read them in about 20 minutes I would think.