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Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Camp Rock or Camp Rock-A-Bye-Baby?
Can we keep our kids from growing up too quickly?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Keith Still is filling in this week for Theresa, who is away on vacation.
For parents of boys or any child younger than 5, last week may have been like any other week in June. For me — and I suspect for many mothers of girls — last week was a bit unnerving.
First, news spread that a group of 17 girls in Gloucester, Mass. might have made a pact to get pregnant. One even supposedly slept with a 24-year-old homeless man in an effort to conceive. The schools superintendent said girls with positive pregnancy tests appeared happy and “high-fived” friends, while those with negative results seemed upset. The mayor of that town says no evidence supports the pact rumor, but that the girls may have bonded over their similar situations after the fact.
Pact or no, the end result is the same - 17 kids, mostly high school sophomores, are about to become mothers. Now, I know teen pregnancies happen and that not all teen parents and their children are doomed. But I have to think the chances of success aren’t very good for these new moms. Once the excitement of that positive EPT wears off, will they be as excited about prenatal care or motherhood itself?
At the other extreme, last week was also the end of the countdown to the long-awaited Disney Channel premiere of Camp Rock, starring the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. At our house, that meant camping out in the family room with pizza and listening to our daughters excitedly squeal about how awesome it would be to sing and dance in Final Jam with the Jo Bros. Fortunately, they are still at the age where singing and dancing are the only things they would want to do with the Jo Bros. Kissing is, ummm, GROSS here at Camp Still.
The movie appeared to be a big hit with its target audience of six to 14 year-olds. Overall it brought in roughly nine million viewers in its Friday night debut. Say what you will about the movie, Camp Rock at least tried to show its young viewers that popularity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that it’s more important to be yourself.
That’s not a bad message when you consider all of the other mixed signals today’s kids receive. Still, I can’t forget the expectant teen moms in Gloucester and the countless children - boys and girls - who are growing up faster than they need to. The Gloucester girls may have camped out a few years ago to watch the premiere of a much-anticipated Disney movie themselves. Perhaps they were squealing at High School Musical (1 or 2) or Jump In! not too long ago.
So how can we keep our kids from ditching Camp Rock for Camp Rock-A-Bye-Baby? What do you think of the pregnancy pact story or the trend of kids growing up too quickly? How do you help your kids sort the mixed messages they receive from friends, TV, music, etc.? Have you discussed the high-profile celebrity teen pregnancies (a la Jamie Lynn Spears)? If your kids are still at the Camp Rock stage, how do you prepare them for the trials of their next few years without killing their innocence?
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