What I learned from my daughters obsession with the Biebs

Her face isn't big enough for her smile

When I say my kids (my oldest daughter in particular) are on a Justin Bieber kick, I'm not even doing it justice.  Obsession would be a more accurate description.  This is my fault.  We typically only listen to the local christian radio station in our car just so that I know they are getting some good christian influence from some where since their depraved, mouth of a sailor mom doesn't seem to cut it most days.  But one day I just couldn't take another hallelujah (Hence, needing a good christian influence) so I plugged in my pandora radio to the top 40 hits.

lo' and behold, on came Justin and it was all down hill from there.  I don't know if he was talking about being the beauty to my beast boyfriend as long as I loved him or something but whatever it was my kids were hooked!  Now every time we get in the car they ask for Justin Bieber.  (I have to record my son asking for him it sounds like 'dustn beer' so cute!)

It used to be, that as long as I put on Pandora and not that horrid christian music (going to hell in a hand basket) that would keep them satisfied.  That is, until I made the mistake of showing them the cover album of one of Justin's songs and now I have to show his picture every time a new song comes on just to pacify the natives.  My kids are so intent on listening to Justin Bieber that I had to finally break down and download the album off itunes.

Omerged!

But I have learned something from all this and not just the lyrics to his most obscure song on the album.  I learned what it means to stand up for what you believe in.  (Ironic, since the album is called Believe.  Touché Bieber, touché)

Me: singing along to Justin Bieber
My oldest: Mommy, do you like Justin Bieber?
Me: Yeah, I could be a Bieliber.
Oldest: Why?
Me: I guess it's because I'm always surprised that I like his songs.
Oldest: Why?
Me: Well,  I end up singing along to them and then I start to realize he's pretty talented.  Ugh!  Don't tell my friends I just said that.
Oldest: Why?
pause
Me:  I don't know why.  I guess I don't want them to make fun of me.
Oldest:  Why would they make fun of you?
Me:  Because they don't like Justin Bieber
Oldest: Why?
Me:  I don't know.  I wonder if it's because a lot of them have never hear what he can do because they had already written him off as a teeny bopper singer just because someone that didn't like his music told them so.
Oldest:  What's tinny opper?
Me: It's an old saying I don't think the kids use anymore to describe what young kids like.

Then I started to think that my oldest never had any problems telling people she liked Justin Bieber.  In fact, even when the response was negative she never backed down from telling people that she liked him or his music.  She's only 4 and she's already better at dealing with peer pressure then I am!  Why do we let what other people think affect the way we not only see the world but even what we allow ourselves to take in from it.

Even when I told people that we had gotten her a poster of her new favorite person we got a lot of backlash.  "Ugh! Why would you expose your daughter to such crap?!"  Because she likes it?  I understand that there is a limit to what or how your kids can express themselves.  But the Biebs is about as innocent as it comes now a days.  At least the album is.  So what if she likes Justin Bieber, I'm not going to be one more person to add to the negativity that surrounds that kid.

He's just a kid.  Justin is somebody's son too.  I have one of those.  I wouldn't want grown adults writing hateful things about my kid just because they didn't like his taste in music.  It seems a little ridiculous to me and yet we do this all the time.  We forget that there are people attached to the words that we say.  We have to stand up for what we like and believe in, even if its not popular or the status quo.  Even if your views differs from mine doesn't make it less valuable or essential to understanding the world around us.  We need everyone's likes and dislikes to build the beauty of the world around us!

Me: Do you like Justin Bieber?
Oldest: Yeah!  (enter big smile)
Me:  Then you shouldn't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't like just because someone else doesn't agree with you, right?

But she didn't answer.  She was too busy singing "... people want to be loved..."

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