When did you know the difference between fact and fiction?
@jollyjeangiant (219)
United States
March 27, 2007 2:34pm CST
In another one of my discussions we've been discussing the effects of HP on the younger generation. Something that's come up quite a bit is the idea of children actually thinking that they could do magic because they read these books. So I have to ask, when could you tell the difference between fact and fiction? How old were your kids, if you have any, when they could?
I grew up watching Star Trek: I never expected to live on a spaceship. I grew up reading the BabySitter's Club books; I never expected to go on their adventures or thought they were real people. I grew up watching westerns and I never thought John Wayne or Clint Eastwood was portraying a real person (unless, of course, they were and my parents explained it to me).
1 person likes this
2 responses
@smartie1685 (450)
• United States
28 Mar 07
That's a good question. Its really hard to pinpoint though because when I was younger I read all the time and though I didn't think that any of the books were real I hoped they were. I remember when I was probably around 10 that I loved Sabrina the teenage witch and I would try to levitate my bed like she did when she found out that she was a witch. I don't think that I actually believed it would work but it was fun to try. I really don't think that its harmful at all for children to feel the same way I did about magic when I was little. There's a big difference between hoping that magic is real and practicing Wicca.
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
27 Mar 07
Me either, I just think that these parents are just not giving their children or any children enough credit for intellegence! And frankly, if you treat your children like they are stupid, they do stupid things. I know a family that home schooled their 2 kids. As soon as the daughter got out of the house, she started running with a bad crowd - because she had never been allowed to have friends when she was at home. Inside 2 years, she had been in jail & had a baby! I don't blame it on the home schooling - I blame it on her stupid parents that treated her like she was stupid.
