Censorship and other uncontroversial topics

I stumbled across this a while ago, and I thought I'd share in case you find it valuable.  Please check out the initial post (salty language warning), the situation it surrounds, and the comments (including this one).  I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if you are raising children or have raised them or were one yourself.  :)

"When it comes to 'controversial' subjects in relation to teens, I truly believe censorship is not just harmful to students, it's downright selfish. Why is it selfish? Because it's more for the sake of the adults than for the sake of the children. Censorship allows parents to feel good about their kids not being exposed to controversial subject matter. Censorship allows the school to feel safe from having to be associated with controversial subject matter. Censorship doesn't keep the children safe from the subject matter, especially not subject matter relating to them and their peers. So what if they don't see it in a film or on a stage? They see it in their homes, in their hallways, in the news, in their friends.. . . Parents and teachers talk and talk about all these "dark, untasteful" subjects till the students' ears fall off, but the moment kids want to talk back, want to answer, ask questions, a lot of adults become afraid.

"Maybe they're scared that they won't have an answer to what the youth will ask them, maybe they're afraid of what they'll discuss among themselves. This is normal, and this is ok. What isn't ok is to pass on your fears to youth without also passing down the knowledge that comes with it. What isn't fair is to ask youth to keep their eyes closed to the reality of their world simply because you'd rather not face it yourself.

"I can imagine its scary to see children that you were taught to protect starting to try to figure out their own way of dealing with things, but that's what they need, that's growing up.. . ."

The age when everything is a story

My nephew is at the age when everything is a story.  He thinks in narrative, and when he plays, he creates a story for whatever is going on.  It may not always make sense to Grandpa or Mommy, but it's definitely a story to him.  I remember that aspect of my childhood, too, and I encountered it when babysitting and working in the church nursery.

I'm pretty sure this is common for most children, and I find myself wondering why.  My li'l nephew's parents and teachers read to him, so maybe being given stories all the time calls for the same in return.  If so, do kids who aren't given stories so freely skip this stage?  I'm very curious.

Is play necessarily narrative-based?  Do we all naturally, intriniscally think in stories?

What is your experience? What stories do you remember playing?  Where do you think you learned to play that story?  And when did you stop?

Why I am pleased with my screen name

The Moon in Autumn can be reduced to the acronym TMIA, which contains the acronyms TMI and MIA, both of which seem kind of appropriate for (my) blogs. I don't know if the fact that I'm a writer and reader makes it easier for silly wordplay to make me giddy, and I don't care because I enjoy making myself laugh. :)

What's the best pun you've heard lately?

Thanks to my parents for a great and dangerous childhood

In honor of Time Magazine's November 30th cover story about overprotective parenting, I would like to thank my parents for allowing me to do the following (whether they knew about it or not):

• Climb trees.
• Ride my bike.
• Jump off playground equipment.
• Do what I liked with my free time.
• Go camping.
• Help neighbors sell girl scout cookies in distant neighborhoods.
• Climb trees.
• Use a bow and arrows.
• Play dodge ball.
  
• Hang out once homework was done.
  
• Go to the park and play on the merry-go-round, witch's wheel, monkey bars, and tornado slide.
• Shoot a Bebe gun.
• Do community theater.
• Play football in gym class instead of being forced to do a unit on "jumping rope."
• Climb trees.

Anything you'd like to thank your parents for letting you do as a child that might be considered dangerous by modern over-protective parents?