Teens Role Models
Teenagers have always been attracted to wild and rebellious artists, and parents have always had a problem with it. However, enjoying a certain type of music and mimicking the lifestyle of the artists or songs themselves are two entirely different things.
Imagine the following scenario: Your daughter has been raving for weeks about a singer named Ke$ha, who is soon coming to your city on tour. Your daughter seems to have a great admiration for this singer, and you decide to allow her to go to the concert on the condition that you come along with her. When you get there, you are surprised and appalled to see the singer strutting around in stripper gear and singing about getting wasted and having sex. How can this be your daughter’s favorite role model? Who is to blame? The answer is quite simple: you are.
Personal Responsibility in Parenting
These days, too many parents are lacking personal responsibility and blaming others for their children’s problems. If you took your daughter to see Ke$ha’s concert without first listening to one of her albums, then you probably haven’t been paying very much attention in general. A 26-year-old recording artist who is known for promoting a hard-partying lifestyle isn’t supposed to be a role model for your young daughter, and it’s your job as a parent to look into the sort of media your child is exposed to. If you see your daughter being highly influenced by Ke$ha, you should stop and ask yourself how the young woman you are raising became so attracted to a life of drinking and debauchery in the first place.
Facing The Reality of Celebrities
If your daughter really looks up to Ke$ha, try genuinely listening to her to figure out why. Whatever reasons she comes up with, you can use them to help guide her. Ke$ha’s actual life is far different from the hard-partying persona she gives off. She sings about drinking and sex because it sells. In reality, she has to work very hard recording albums, doing promotions and touring for long periods of time. Most of her life is not spent partying, or she wouldn’t be where she is now. If your daughter really does view her as a role model, she should do what she does, not what she sings about. In other words, she should work hard to achieve her own dreams. Your daughter also can look at having a role model that cares more about $$ than her influence with young girls.
Being a Good Role Model For Your Daughter
As a parent, it’s up to you to demonstrate a strong work ethic, healthy self-esteem and good lifestyle that doesn’t involve excessive amounts of partying or alcohol usage. Your daughter would likely never admit to this, but you are the most important role model she has. The more you really pay attention to the things that interest her, the better you can steer her in the right direction.
