If they bring home fifty shades, I’ll treat it just as if they brought in Dean Koontz or a copy of Grendel. I’d have a frank discussion about how not all books and writers are good. They can read it as examples of either what not to do or as warning signs to look out for, either in literature in general or in people’s actions. I’d also recommend better stories that they’ll enjoy more.
If they bring home books I do enjoy but have either problematic contents or authors, I’ll treat it just the same. I love Asimov but the way he wrote women was gratuitously sexist. Lovecraft was xenophobic. Rowling is a terf and her house elves and goblins are definitely not good. Etc etc etc
And advise that they may get in trouble if they read it in front of some people because they have this weird hangup about preventing children from recognizing toxic relationships or the realities of the world.
If they’re old enough to understand the words and concepts in the book, it doesn’t do them any good to pretend like they don’t exist.
Again, withholding knowledge and understanding because people think the children must be protected reduces their own agency and tools to understand the world.
Have you read Fifty Shades? There should be zero debate the book is soft core porn. Even if you want to have a discussion about toxic relationships or any of its other themes you can provide age appropriate books with those themes. You are not witholding information, you are stopping your fifth grader from reading smut. As the parent of a young kid you should be monitoring what they watch and consume.
It’s not even very good softcore porn. Tell me, at what age is reading about people having sex where one of the two uses their power and money to trick the other into thinking that they’re loved and not just some playboys breathing sex doll?
If they bring home fifty shades, I’ll treat it just as if they brought in Dean Koontz or a copy of Grendel. I’d have a frank discussion about how not all books and writers are good. They can read it as examples of either what not to do or as warning signs to look out for, either in literature in general or in people’s actions. I’d also recommend better stories that they’ll enjoy more. If they bring home books I do enjoy but have either problematic contents or authors, I’ll treat it just the same. I love Asimov but the way he wrote women was gratuitously sexist. Lovecraft was xenophobic. Rowling is a terf and her house elves and goblins are definitely not good. Etc etc etc
And advise that they may get in trouble if they read it in front of some people because they have this weird hangup about preventing children from recognizing toxic relationships or the realities of the world.
If they’re old enough to understand the words and concepts in the book, it doesn’t do them any good to pretend like they don’t exist.
Again, withholding knowledge and understanding because people think the children must be protected reduces their own agency and tools to understand the world.
Have you read Fifty Shades? There should be zero debate the book is soft core porn. Even if you want to have a discussion about toxic relationships or any of its other themes you can provide age appropriate books with those themes. You are not witholding information, you are stopping your fifth grader from reading smut. As the parent of a young kid you should be monitoring what they watch and consume.
It’s not even very good softcore porn. Tell me, at what age is reading about people having sex where one of the two uses their power and money to trick the other into thinking that they’re loved and not just some playboys breathing sex doll?
Exactly, it’s bad porn, give them a better, more age appropriate book.