2-year-old and music videos?

Question

Do you think it's bad for a 2-year-old to like music videos? My niece watches BET and MTV and listens to HipHop and R&B music. She likes Yung Joc's "I Know You See It," "It's Goin' Down," Young Dro's "Shouler Lean," Cherish's "Do It" and a lot of other things, too. She actually sings the lyrics and some people in our family think it's cute. Her parents don't really mind it, but they make comments about her like "why are you guys teaching my baby rap?" or "Thanks to you, I have a rapping 2-year-old in my back seat," but it's always said jokingly and it's always said to my sister (since she's usually the one that listens to music constantly).

I'm just wondering if you think it's wrong for her to listen to it or if it doesn't matter. She will be going to daycare and she does tend to sing it without realizing it, like when she's coloring or playing with her dolls.

Just to add - she does watch children shows, too. She watches things like Little Einsteins and Blues Clues, Wonder Pets, etc. It's just that if those shows are on and the radio starts playing those songs, she'll go to the radio and forget about the tv. She watches educational things, though.

Answer 1

As black women, we have to be careful of the images that we expose our young daughters and nieces to.

Most of the music videos on BET & MTV are filled with explicit depictions of black women as being sexually loose. Some experts say that some of those videos are a form of pornogrpahy.

Many of those images are the reason why many teens of today are engaging in sex..Have you noticed that the style of dress for teenage black girls is getting more and more sexually graphic? That is because of the non-stop images of black women in music videos being portrayed as sex objects and strippers. These videos and music also often calls women "bitc$@" and "hoe".

I would not expose my future daughters or sons to music videos. My cousin and her husband decided to place a V-chip on the living room TV so their young sons could not see BET and MTV.

Yes, its cute to hear a 2 year old sing songs..But its not cute to hear her singing about letting people "hit it from the back", "bend over and touch ya toes", or "go down" on her...Many of these lyrics of today are really for Adult ears only--not young black boys and girls who are trying to find their identity..

I have a 17 year old cousin who is just now beginning to get her life together..When she was about 13, she began dressing VERY sexual by wearing tight clothes and showing her breasts--she even took money that she got for her birthday to buy thong panties. Getting sexual attention from boys seemed the most important thing to her. My cousin went from this cute little girl in braids to this weave wearing hoochie momma. (Her mother was very sick and could not do anything to stop her, and her father died) My cousin began having sex--and for about 4 years, she lived the life a very loose young woman..My whole famiy tried to intervene, but nothing we said or did could stop her from being this overly sexed creature that she wanted to be...Now that its all over, I now believe it was her exposure to music videos and explicit r&b music that caused her to believe that her only value in life was how much she could sexually excite a young man..After hanging out in the streets late one night--she got raped by 2 men...She's 17 now, and she is finally calming down.

I'm a Teacher, and I see 13 year old girls becoming sexually active--and there are highschool girls who have slept with more men than adult women I know... I think that our overly sexual black culture is attributing to all of this. Also note that Prime Time did a special a few days ago about how black women account for 68% of all new AIDS cases. Teens are also getting HIV. In Maryland, 2 teens tested positive in my friends high school a few months ago...Yes, parents must raise their children--but it takes a village to raise a child.

Dont get me wrong, I'm an adult and I love Beyonce, Destiny's Child, and some rap songs with aggresive lyrics. But, I'm An Adult--and I know the difference between fantasy and reality..And I thank God that I didnt grow up watching music videos and believing that my only value as a woman was how much I could 'turn on' a man. I feel sorry for the young girls of today.

Your niece is 2, and she doesnt know what she's saying--but she WILL know after she starts going through puberty, and she begings to try to define herself as a young woman.

If I were you, I try to change the channels and turn the radio station when the music videos get too explicit. Kids grow up fast these days, and when she turns 9, you should explain to her that her real value has nothing to do with men.

Please read these articles--Essence Magazine did a series about how Music Videos are destroying young black women. And an ex- video dancer wrote a book about how her life was almost destroyed by promiscuous sex as a young teen and her life as a video vixen.

Peace

Answer 2

Well my son is 2 1/2 and also sings along with that one song shoulder lean.. I think it is ok for now but when they actually start to understand what the rappers are saying it may change. Yah know..i believe music does influence some people. I wouldn't recomend that my son or ur niece should grow up watchin or listening to some of the rap they have now a days. don't get me wrong i like rap too but some of it and the videos they have out are just wrong for children to c and hear .. especially for the young girls because they will c and hear what the rapper is saying about the hoes,b*tches he has and that just gives a bad example of what a young lady should be. yah feel what im talkin bout?

Answer 3

On one hand our music provides a since of African-American culture, pride and rhythm. Music in itself can be a beautiful thing.
That said, I am totally against kids watching tv and especially explicit music videos. I live in a foreign country and I am often embarrased as a black woman to see all the booty and bling-bling images projected of our people around the world. If we want to groom intelligent, confident black women with self-esteem and a sense of self-worth, these stereotyped images are damaging. I have two small girls (ages 6 and 4) and I do not allow them to watch music videos.

In addition, TV in general has been proven to not be healthy for children. It is a passive activity that does not offer anything to a developing child. TV can even be damaging to a child's health. I only resort to children's shows or home videos when I am busy and need them to sit quietly for a while (and I shouldn't even do that). Otherwise, I am always turning the tv off. Children should be playing with toys, interacting with human beings (parents, other children, family), going outside (to parks, museums, the zoo, etc.) and other constructive activities, not sitting in front of the idiot box. I wouldn't tell you anything I don't abide by myself.

Answer 4

I'm not familiar with the songs but don't see anything wrong if the songs are what you would call "clean" with no curse words.

My only other worry would be if the videos objectified or degraded women (portraying women as only sex objects) since constant exposure to this may lead her to think that that's how women are supposed to be treated, and allow herself to be easily maipulated or used in the future.

Since you're not her parent, your say in her upbringing is pretty limited, so try to at least stay a positive role model for your niece and maybe introduce her to other kinds of music.

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

No it isn't bad. Just dont expose her to cuss words. And maybe find some young music videos :) Like ones that count and read. Maybe you can teach her new things by singing to her. It will come in very handy in the future for her memory.

I think it's great. Just make sure it gives her a positive additude.

Answer 6

I think that a singing baby is very cute, however, I don't think that a 2 year old learning to rap and dance like they do on MTV is going to be good for her. It is going to teach her that behaving like the men and women on those videos is ok, and I don't think that it is. The lyrics and the provocative dancing seen on those videos are for adults, and I don't think that it is cute seeing a 2 year old shake their ***.

Answer 7

Well this is up to the Mom and Dad but personally I think it is wrong. I have a 9 yr old and I still don't let her watch some of those videos out there.

Answer 8

watching the videos might be bad cause some videos really are not for children but not from just singing the songs.

Answer 9

it shouldn't really matter i mean if her parents really don't like 4 their child to listen to it then y do they continue to allow her to listen to it......... im not a part of yo family or whateva but i think its cool 4 a lil girl to sing those songs as long as she's not singin' the explicit version.... then if she is thats when it becomes a real problem and u hafta sit down and talk to her

Answer 10

i don't see the big deal in it. none of the songs you say she listen to are really negative. there's nothing wrong with rap just as long as she knows what music should be listened to and what not