Sunday, January 25, 2009

How Young Is Too Young?

Hazel has been begging to read Twilight. I just got it back from my neighbor, (the same neighbor that told her kids that coke/diet coke will kill you) she didn't finish it BTW (I don't know why. Maybe someone less desensitized can shed some light). She did let her twelve year old daughter read it though, so maybe it had more to do with motivation, than condemnation. I want to encourage Hazel's love for reading, but do you think the subject matter is too mature? I am quasi-liberal when it comes to letting my kids do stuff like this. I let them watch pg-13 movies (but I usually have to fast forward the boring parts), I let her read "The Pretties" because I knew it would be too boring for her to finish. So if anyone has an opinion...go? (I added that question mark for effect. I think it worked.)

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Katie I think u should wait for Hazel to read it or she will dream about vampires like me mayb wait until she is about my age.

Love ya all'
Ethan

Julie said...

Don't we all dream about vampires after we read that book? Maybe for some it is nightmares, but for others it is not. Are you ready for her to have her first crush? If yes, then go ahead and let her at it. Just remember this will be the beginning of a long string of boyfriends. At least this one is not real so there will be no making out involved.

Anonymous said...

LOL.... I don't care u pick. Do you want her to fall in love or somethin' w/e just choose something and let it happen

Anonymous said...

W/E = whatever

Anonymous said...

W/E = whatever

Anonymous said...

WHOOPS!! :0

Elder Jack Anderson said...

I took Jbird to the movie. He loved it (I think the baseball scene stuck with him more than the kissing stuff... lamerz!) and so he then wanted to read the book. I let him. He got 1.5 chapters into it and declared it boring.

I dunno. w/e

E said...

Whoa! I know Hazel, and there is no way she could read and understand Twilight. She's a first grader--it would bore her to death, like reading a text book on a subject she doesn't understand. Reading should be enjoyable, not painful. Most kids like to "read up," so she might be interested in middle-grade books (Harry Potter age-genre), but not young adult yet.

I don't know if you want to challenge her or just recommend a really good book to her, but I think "The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall" will do both. It's way above first-grade reading level, but the content and characters are more her age. Hazel will LOVE it. It's has a lil adventure, and lil kiddy-romance. It's a fairly new series--two so far.

w/e though.

ManicMandee said...

It seemed like Aunt Michelle posted something like this once before -- whether or not to let Megan read it. I'm not sure.
Anyhow, I think Jenny's advice was perfect. Go with that I say.
Celeste who is about to be 10 and loves reading books way above her, is not allowed to read it. But who knows, maybe I'll let her later on.
I had a YW who wanted to read it really bad. Her mom decided to go ahead and let her but marked out all the parts she didn't want her to read. Like all the sleeping together type of stuff. I thought that was not too bad of an idea.
And Twilight wasn't nearly as sensual as book 3 & 4 for sure.

Emily said...

I think it's completely your call. Everyone knows how I feel about the movie...

Amanda said...

I wouldn't let my kids read it until they were like 13, but you would know her better than me.

Memzy said...

That's a tough one. I'm quasit-right wing when it comes to that kinda stuff cuz I'm a control freak with my kids sometimes. Brains wanted to read it and I said no, not yet. He's 10. Who am I to know tho right? You also know your daughter better than anyone.

Hazel said...

So this is what I decided. I would let her read it, and judging by the amount that she has already finished, she is just turning the pages...It has been just over and hour, and she is almost done. We both win. She gets to say she read it to me, and I don't have do deal with the nightmares, and the kissing stuff.

Amanda said...

Also, I keep forgetting to tell you about the x-ray thing you asked about. It's fertility stuff. I just don't want to explicitly say that on my blog because some people don't know. But, next month I will be on Clomid, so here's hoping!

Anna B said...

I'm not sure about this one but could you help me with this one: Is it too young to leave a 9 year old in charge of the 7 & 5 year old for 3 hrs. while you go out on a date with some friends? I'm just asking.