» Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:16 am
Really, the best place to learn about six, violence, and swearing is from your parents. Let's be honest: by the time your kid is 15, he/she will have learned all about these advlt topics one way or another, so to hide them from it now is just an exercise in futility. But more than that, I would argue that it is even harmful to your kid's growth as a mature human being. When I was nine/ten years old, my Dad did not neglect to tell me exactly what six is and even told me how it works. Eight years later, I'm very happy I did not grow up to be an ignoramus, but at the same time, I am convicted to remain a virgin until I marry. No matter how many six scenes I see, whether in movies or games, nothing can convince me to do otherwise.
Another thing: when your kid innocently says something or does something offensive, most likely he's not doing it because he wants to offend. When I was a kid, I learned a new swear from a video game and, not knowing any better, said it in front of my parents. Rather than explain to me how I was being offensive, my parents gave me a scolding and physically destroyed my copy of the video game (just to make sure I didn't say the swear again, which of course is ridiculous). Ironically enough, I ended up buying the game again a few years later.
My point to all of this is: don't avoid teaching your kid and even subjecting them, to a degree, to some subject matter which is considered taboo by the greater part of society. The more they can learn now, the better, and as a parent it's your job to be upfront and honest about the way the world works.
