Except that a family is not a democracy. We teach our kids how to choose what to eat, what to wear, and maybe even what friends to have. Most of us have no problem regulating what our kids watch on TV or online, and what movies they watch. If your child goes to public school, you also may find that some books have been banned from the curriculum. So, don't feel like you are the bad guy for censoring what your child reads.
Young precocious readers especially need some kind of shielding as they are able to explore things that most of their age peers are unable to do. We are talking about things that are not only inappropriate from a socially correct standpoint (like rude language and sexual themes, which some parents really don't care about), but also things that may be very scary to younger children (like death, separation from parents, violence, sickness, bullying/namecalling) which they still do not have the resources to cope with or process. You may choose to censor books with "mature" content, or you may choose to read them with your child and teach them gently, if its appropriate. Even if you get to a book after your child has read it, exploring certain themes with your child after the fact can mitigate the negative effects.
When your child is ready, they will be able to make wise choices on their own about what is good reading and what is not. They will learn that it is ok to put a book down when its not appropriate. And when they are able to make those decisions for themselves, you will not need to be a censor anymore.
Young precocious readers especially need some kind of shielding as they are able to explore things that most of their age peers are unable to do. We are talking about things that are not only inappropriate from a socially correct standpoint (like rude language and sexual themes, which some parents really don't care about), but also things that may be very scary to younger children (like death, separation from parents, violence, sickness, bullying/namecalling) which they still do not have the resources to cope with or process. You may choose to censor books with "mature" content, or you may choose to read them with your child and teach them gently, if its appropriate. Even if you get to a book after your child has read it, exploring certain themes with your child after the fact can mitigate the negative effects.
When your child is ready, they will be able to make wise choices on their own about what is good reading and what is not. They will learn that it is ok to put a book down when its not appropriate. And when they are able to make those decisions for themselves, you will not need to be a censor anymore.
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