I don't know about you, but I don't want some little hussy singing about her trampy, unsatisfied life into my daughters' iPod earphones for hours on end. (Whoo! How's that for a starter?) Okay, I promise not to get all soapbox-y on you. But, I have started thinking about these kinds of things now that our daughters are getting older.
Our Rebecca is turning 11 this week, and that girl rarely stops singing. She would have headphones on her ears 24 hours a day, if we let her.
So, obviously, I am thinking about the lyrics that are traveling through those cords into her ears, and ultimately--into her heart.
I am not saying that our girls won't ever hear lyrics sung by trampy girls and guys. (Oops! Am I name-calling again? Shame on me!) Heck, our girls already know all the words to a couple of those songs...and you probably know which ones I'm talking about! (Uh-uhn, I'm not mentioning any names.)
Our goal for our daughters' media intake has always been to provide so much positive, good stuff, that the yuck stuff takes a backseat. And I don't just mean "good" as in goody-two-shoe, (although I'm all for that!!) but I mean good quality stuff--that our girls actually like.
Because I am usually oblivious to song lyrics, I asked friends on Facebook and Twitter their suggestions for positive-message, meaningful songs for our tween daughter. I really love their suggestions! They sent really fun songs, with life-affirming lyrics.
Here are the suggestions they sent. And--shh!--don't tell, but I am purchasing every one of these as a birthday gift for Rebecca!
(By clicking on each song title, you'll go to Amazon, where you can listen to--or purchase!--a sample of each song. No, Amazon is not giving me anything for this glorious plug...dangit. I just found Amazon easier to interface here than iTunes.)
1. Bethany Dillon - Beautiful
2. Bethany Dillon - All I need
3. Britt Nicole - Walk on Water
4. Britt Nicole - Headphones
5. Francesca Battistelli - Beautiful, Beautiful
6. Francesca Battistelli - Free to Be Me
7. Jonny Diaz - More Beautiful You
8. Josh Wilson - Before the Morning
9. Sidewalk Prophets - The Words I Would Say
10. Barlow Girl - Beautiful Ending
In closing, I have 2 questions I'd LOVE you to answer!!!
-What songs would YOU add to this list?
-How do you encourage your kids to listen to the "good" stuff?