Music and kids.

Yesterday, my iTunes searches included Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry. Do I particularly like any of these artists? Well, Taylor's all right sometimes. Thak has a huge crush on Katy Perry, so I've gotten used to hearing her music a lot. It's not really my style, but it's ok. I can't stand Justin Bieber. Erin likes this stuff, though, and I bought it off iTunes, plugged it into her play list, and synched it into her hot pink iPod Nano (Thak bought it for me years ago. I don't use it anymore since I have my iPhone, so we gave it to Erin.) You have never seen a happier kid than when she accessed her playlist, hit shuffle, and heard Justin Bieber! She told me I was the best mom in the entire world, and thanked me about 10 times for getting her the music she really wanted.

I thought the whole thing was pretty awesome. Honestly, those few little downloads, which cost me a grand old $1.29 each, may be the best money I've spend in months. Erin has not been an easy one to deal with lately, and she hasn't had an easy time in a lot of ways. This was probably the happiest I've seen her in a long time, all over an iTunes download.

I told a friend of mine about this, and he flipped out. He said he would NEVER let his daughter listen to Justin Bieber, and that I needed to stop that while I still could. I thought that was really funny. Hey, I'm not a fan of The Biebs either. That doesn't matter, though. As long as the music isn't completely filthy (and it isn't), then it really doesn't matter if I like it or not. You know, most of our grandparents thought The Beatles were total garbage, and The Rolling Stones were probably bordering on evil, but most of our parents loved them. This whole thing of parents not liking their kids' music is as old as time. I honestly do not expect to like everything she likes, and like I said before, as long as it isn't completely filthy and age-inappropriate, she can listen to what she wants.

Just think back to what it was like for us in Elementary School, listening to New Kids on the Block, MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, and Michael Jackson. We loved our music. We sang it on the playgrounds with our friends. If you had cable, and saw the music videos for our favorite songs, you were extra cool. It was pretty important to know what your friends were talking about when they mentioned the new single from one of the popular artists at that time.

Fast forward to high school. I remember listening to Tim McGraw, Brooks and Dunn, Shania Twain, Matchbox 20, Blink 182, Oasis.... Think about your first car. Don't lie. As you pictured it, a song came to mind. Your life had a soundtrack. It probably still does, but probably not nearly as vividly as it did then. Everyone knows music is life when you're in high school and college, and if you think back long enough, that really does start at about Erin's age, when you realize that there's other music in the world aside from what your parents listen to.

I honestly believe I would be doing her a disservice by NOT allowing her to explore her generation's pop culture in a way that is safe and accessible for her. This music is harmless, and since it gives her a strong link to her peers, and makes her feel good, I would even say it is great.