An American Idiot and an english one too!

[mickeylou]

I seemed to have caused an almighty row tonight. Opinions please on whether i should have just kept my mouth shut!

I was bathing my 5 yr old who started singing the chorus to Greendays American Idiot. Just the first line of "don't want to be an American idiot" I was quite taken aback because it's not a song I would play for him.. Firstly i dont want him calling people idiots and secondly the language in the remainder of the song is very strong eg "Mind f* America."

I asked him where he had heard this song and to cut a long story short his cousins age 7 and 5 have been listening to it with their dad. My 5 year old proceeded to tell me they had been playing at being rockstars, all about the lead singer, his name etc and also that there were swear words in the song but his cousins wouldn't tell him what they were. Thank heavens for small mercies!

I called my sister to give her a heads up about the song and the fact it has obviously made such an impression that her 2 have taught it to my ds. She was likewise not impressed.

She googled the lyrics and in turn has called her ex. He is saying they only listened to a bleeped out version and she has no right to tell him what the children listen to when they are with him.

By all accounts it got quite nasty and I wish I hadn't said anything. On the other hand however I dont want my 5 year old singing greenday!

wouldln't want mine listening to lyrics like that either!! can understand Exs anger though because if they did listen to bleeped version then he was trying to be responsible in his own way. shame it all got out of haned and i can see why you wish you'd been quiet but trouble is you have to be on the side of your ds and can't be responsible for their arguments about it.

It'd have been worse if your sister had found out later and it came out you knew but hadn't told her, I think!

There is a radio edit of this song without the swearwords in, which may be the one that was played to DC in the first place. IN any case, swear words do not actually warp DC's brains or raise welts on the skin or anything.
I think you need to take the stick out of your arse TBH, better that DC listen to Green Day than follow the X Factor bullshit non-music. Green Day are a competent band and that's a good song about thinking for yourself.

I've spoken to my sister today and she has said she would rather I'd told her than a teacher at school!

Thanks for your view springchicken. No I don't think swear words cause welts on the skin but I do choose not to expose my 5 year old to them. If that makes me someone with a stick up my arse then so be it. I don't pretend to be musical and when my dcs are older they can follow their own taste and listen to whatever they like. I just personally think 5 is too young for greenday.

Firstly a big 'awwww' at the image of your little one and his cousins playing rockstars, too cute!

I honestly wouldn't worry so much MickyLou. In this day and age children are going to be exposed to words a lot stronger than 'Idiot' at the age of 5 and upwards.
A song is just a song, my parents raised me on Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles and so on. Lot's of those songs had swear words in them but it didn't mean I went out on the street and started effing and jeffing at all and sundry. You can't shelter kids from these things, especially not in this day and age. I was told not to swear by my parents when I was little so therefore I didn't swear. Well not in front of them anyway but what kid doesn't go through the stage of thinking swearing in front of your friends is cool?. I didn't grow up as a menace to society and I'm sure your son won't either.

Have to agree with SCGB, I would much prefer my kid was listeining to Green Day than the ex factor anyday of the week. Plus it was the beeped put version so no harm done in the long term.

Is your 5 yr old not allowed to listen to the radio?

Agree with MilkandWine. Coincidentally, my 5 yr old has been singing 'Milk and Alcohol' this weekend

Thanks Milkandwine. I honestly don't want to censor everything he hears and he'll probably hear worse on a trip to watch football with his dad! I know hes not going to turn into a monster because he hears a few swear words although I would prefer to hold off the f word for as long as possible! I was more concerned that by telling my sister I had caused a row between her and her ex which she really didn't need. I've spoken to her today though and she was fine.

Oh god what have I started. Yes we listen to the radio, we watch tv, he is a normal kid. I just thought that particular song was too strong for his age and when I told my sister I thought her kids had heard the full version because my ds was telling me there are swear words in this song but they wouldn't tell me them. ((runs away to take stick from up arse!))

Well as long as sister and the ex are fine then no harm done so I wouldn't fret anymore if I were you.
My advice is sketchy at best anyway as I don't have children yet and if and when I do I will probably want to keep them in a box with double padded earmuffs on, lol.

Careful with that stick removal, they splinter easily I'm told. just kidding x

Ha Ha, I'll do my best not to get splinters then best get on iTunes and download myself some greenday.

Sister and her ex will unfortunately never be fine which is mostly why I'm kicking myself for contributing to it. Oh well, live and learn.