Kids acting to old for their age?

Ja

Jasmine
Is it just me? Am I being overly conservative? I am 27 with my first baby on the way (girl) and it honestly freaks me out how some really young girls are acting these days. Our close friends daughter is over and is only 8 but acts like shes 16! She is into boys, how she looks and dresses and I dont remember being like that AT ALL when I was 8. All I cared about was who was going to play with me, ride bikes, roller blade, etc. Then I see her turn to her favorite station...Disney Channel and I glimsed into some of the things she watches like Austin and Ally or teen beach summer something another and she is soaking it all in and acts like that....is it just me or do other people notice some of those shows are to old for some of the younger kids? And what the heck do I do when my little girl is 8 and all of her friends are watching it to? What  happened to the Disney and Nick I used to know with Full House, Boy Meets World, etc....they dont seem to be in the same realm! opinions?
2.2k views • 6 upvotes • 17 comments

COMMENT (17)

E

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I think that happens when you let your child watch tv to entertain themselves instead of taking them outside to play like a normal child. My son is 1 and he pays no attention to the tv at all he loves playing outside and running, my friends kid is 1 as well just 2 months older no difference really and he does watch tv and he is way more exposed to things than my son.. for example he knows what boobs are and he even says it and he also knows about his penis. I mean hes a baby he doesn't know, but behind that innocense are parents that DO know what they're teaching their kid. Best believe my son wont be pulling on his little penis like him. Not so long ago he saw it for the first time but is not curious to touch it. Like i said, either way they are innocent they are children learning, but be careful what you teach them. I rather take my son outside to entertain himself then take a nap and leave him there watching tv. There are cartoons for babies i know but i rather him be active then sitting on a couch

Ja

Jasmine • Jul 13, 2015
Good point!

De

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Kids act too old...adults acting too young...

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I don't think this is a new phenomenon. I'm older than you and I remember girls I went to school with acting exactly the same way. I think it has much more to do with the home environment than television. Although not technically intended for the age group I remember shows like 90210 and party of five being extremely popular in elementary school. The bigger reason is that many parents encourage more adult behavior. Some mothers in particular want their daughters to be popular, and see things like very early dating as proof that they are. 

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✈️ • Jul 13, 2015
I'm not that up to date on current kids shows so I'll take your word for it. It strikes as another reason it's so important for parents to have an open and ongoing conversation about what's appropriate. As long as you're involved (I'm sure you will be) I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Ja

Jasmine • Jul 13, 2015
Ah yes you have a point! But at the same time their was a clear distinction that was a show for an older crowd. It now seems like the "kids shows" are acting way older than what is appropriate....

M

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I honestly believe it has a lot to do with the parent and what they allow as appropriate, along with the Childs natural personality as well. My brother and SIL are very permissive parents. My 16 year old niece has been acting way too mature for her age in my opinion since she was about 10. On the other hand her 11 year old sister is more than happy being a little girl and actually fighting puberty because she's not ready to give up dolls and bows in her hair! It's a delicate balance that I truly believe parents need to take more responsibility for. Disney channel isn't all bad by the way, they have some pretty age appropriate shows too like "Girl Meets World" which is about Cory and Topangas daughter!

•K

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TV is crap these days! A while back, I was in the kitchen and my kids had the TV on as they were playing in the living room. I have parental controls set so they can only watch certain channels. Suddenly I hear the song "Talk Dirty to Me" coming from where my kids were. They were showing the music video on Disney XD! I was shocked! Anyway, yeah...kids are growing up way too fast these days. It seems like everything is hypersexualized, and a lot of parents are absolute idiots.

⚪H

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I saw a couple girls playing at the park today. I actually thought they were on drugs. Simply because they were playing like kids. They were dressed like sex workers. I hope they weren't. They were about 12. They even had fake eyelashes! When I was 12 I was allowed mascara and shimmery lip gloss. And the mascara could not be obvious. I could stick a tiny amount on or else I would have to go wash it off.

Al

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Just wait until your 8 year old son comes home with a note from an 8 year old girl saying "I still love you, I'm just Logan's girlfriend to make you miss me. Be my boyfriend again by beating up Logan on the playground tomorrow. Then I will know you love me too. You are so hot."  I went to the school and talked to the teacher who indicated this wasn't the first incident of this type with this child. I still worry about that little girl. I hope and pray she learned that from a movie or an older sibling. 

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⚪Hula👶👶👶 • Jul 13, 2015
Wow she sounds like she will grow up to be quite a manipulative person if its starting that young.

Ja

Jasmine • Jul 13, 2015
😓 SMH That is a trip! Woooow...

Be

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I agree that there are a lot of young girls acting much older. I have 8 yr old twin girls and I monitor what they watch and I try to make the focus of our conversations about being kind to others, not the latest trends or boys. It really is crazy too think about how much kids are exposed to through tv, commercials can be really inappropriate too when you really think about it.

Ni

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I know! I feel like kids have accessTo so much information whereas when we were that age we only knew what weHeard from our friends. I guess weJust have to do our best to raise our kids in this crazy world

Je

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Totally agree I don't let my daughter wear make up or heel till they were 15 I see these jr high girls with more make up on there face then actually I own it's ridiculous at 35 I think and wish I was 15 again things were so simple they don't understand that