Parenting is hard. The number of times we have discussed with grandparents that they can't turn on a kids channel and call it good... I pre-read and watch a lot. The film in question isn't on my radar, but I appreciate your handling of it here. We do have to be careful without being overly rigid. It is a hard balance, but important, especially with young children. Once children get older it can be helpful to discuss what is out there so they aren't too shocked. I think about this as my homeschooled children get older (they are 7-12 at the moment). I went to public school and knew about more than I should have as a result despite my parents vigilance at home. I have to figure out how to let my children know about what's out there without making it tempting.
First: Let's take a moment to celebrate true dialogue about an issue. No "hot takes," but thoughtful and respectful interlocution. I hope "offline" interactions like this one are happening all over substack. Not for likes, restacks, or sides gaining points, but for better understanding.
Second: I like how the conversation moves toward the foundational questions of how one interacts with literature or art. I will chew on this today.
Third: As you both acknowledge, there is a difference between children marinating in a novel or movie, and an adult interacting with the work. I only have to add this: As adults we have more experiences- with texts and movies, and in life- that reduce any one work's immediate impact on our lives. With the risk of being melodramatic, there are only so many "firsts." The first time one attends an event where a symphony is playing, with little respect to the quality of the composition, it is profound. The firsts imprint as more magical than they may deserve to be remembered. When adults don't share high quality books, movies, and music with their children and use whatever is popular as a babysitter, children will be drawn to the "candy aisle" rather than the vegetables and steaks. They get "the hit" and the demand is never satiated.
Fourth: When a child graduates to reading "chapter books," having high quality chapter books is important. JK Rowling's Harry Potter series rocked the children's literature world not just because the content is compelling, but because contemporary children's literature had drifted into recycled pablum. Young Adult "literature" became an excuse to churn out poorly crafted and titillating novels. (The American Librarian's Association bears a good bit of culpability for this. Its standard of culling "old books" off of shelves and putting up new novels saw EB White, Marguerite Henry, Beverly Cleary, and CS Lewis moved to the resale shelves.) Rowling proved that children will read "hard" books if they are well-written.
First: Thanks! Yes, I was concerned that the epistolary format might lose readers but that does lend itself towards better understanding.
Second: Or sip it? ;)
Third: Yes, I think there's a subtle difference between how kids and adults engage with art. Neither is necessarily superior, but they are different. Kids ingest it faster and they live with it far longer.
Fourth: Agreed. There's a reason Rowling sold so many books!
1) I really appreciated you being honest enough to share a slightly differing opinion/sort of debate on a subject you previously took a stand on. Not everybody is humble enough to do this.
2) I grew up in a very similar environment to both of you and am currently wading through the waters of “What does God ACTUALLY think about secular entertainment?” so both of your perspectives were enlightening and encouraging.
3) I now want to watch K-pop demon hunters even more than I did when I first heard about it. So. That maybe didn’t go as intended on your end 😂 (to be fair: I like to read people’s opinions and then evaluate for myself. It’s not really a judgment for or against what you said about it.)
Parenting is hard. The number of times we have discussed with grandparents that they can't turn on a kids channel and call it good... I pre-read and watch a lot. The film in question isn't on my radar, but I appreciate your handling of it here. We do have to be careful without being overly rigid. It is a hard balance, but important, especially with young children. Once children get older it can be helpful to discuss what is out there so they aren't too shocked. I think about this as my homeschooled children get older (they are 7-12 at the moment). I went to public school and knew about more than I should have as a result despite my parents vigilance at home. I have to figure out how to let my children know about what's out there without making it tempting.
First: Let's take a moment to celebrate true dialogue about an issue. No "hot takes," but thoughtful and respectful interlocution. I hope "offline" interactions like this one are happening all over substack. Not for likes, restacks, or sides gaining points, but for better understanding.
Second: I like how the conversation moves toward the foundational questions of how one interacts with literature or art. I will chew on this today.
Third: As you both acknowledge, there is a difference between children marinating in a novel or movie, and an adult interacting with the work. I only have to add this: As adults we have more experiences- with texts and movies, and in life- that reduce any one work's immediate impact on our lives. With the risk of being melodramatic, there are only so many "firsts." The first time one attends an event where a symphony is playing, with little respect to the quality of the composition, it is profound. The firsts imprint as more magical than they may deserve to be remembered. When adults don't share high quality books, movies, and music with their children and use whatever is popular as a babysitter, children will be drawn to the "candy aisle" rather than the vegetables and steaks. They get "the hit" and the demand is never satiated.
Fourth: When a child graduates to reading "chapter books," having high quality chapter books is important. JK Rowling's Harry Potter series rocked the children's literature world not just because the content is compelling, but because contemporary children's literature had drifted into recycled pablum. Young Adult "literature" became an excuse to churn out poorly crafted and titillating novels. (The American Librarian's Association bears a good bit of culpability for this. Its standard of culling "old books" off of shelves and putting up new novels saw EB White, Marguerite Henry, Beverly Cleary, and CS Lewis moved to the resale shelves.) Rowling proved that children will read "hard" books if they are well-written.
First: Thanks! Yes, I was concerned that the epistolary format might lose readers but that does lend itself towards better understanding.
Second: Or sip it? ;)
Third: Yes, I think there's a subtle difference between how kids and adults engage with art. Neither is necessarily superior, but they are different. Kids ingest it faster and they live with it far longer.
Fourth: Agreed. There's a reason Rowling sold so many books!
Thanks for sharing this.
1) I really appreciated you being honest enough to share a slightly differing opinion/sort of debate on a subject you previously took a stand on. Not everybody is humble enough to do this.
2) I grew up in a very similar environment to both of you and am currently wading through the waters of “What does God ACTUALLY think about secular entertainment?” so both of your perspectives were enlightening and encouraging.
3) I now want to watch K-pop demon hunters even more than I did when I first heard about it. So. That maybe didn’t go as intended on your end 😂 (to be fair: I like to read people’s opinions and then evaluate for myself. It’s not really a judgment for or against what you said about it.)