As a regular contributing columnist on Mami of Multiples, I wrote an often-viewed blog post about the WWE in 2012 and how it had invaded the lives of my boys. Since then, my kids have watched the televised events periodically, played the video games and acquired more of the toys than I care to admit we own. But all of it…the antics, the “fights”, the WWE itself is not real and they are just toys, right? I am not so sure anymore.
I find myself sitting here, frustrated and mad and worried….not sure what to do. My boys love the WWE and my husband loves watching it with them. Friends have invited us over to catch the big events on Pay-Per-View. However, this invasion has taken it’s toll on me as a Mother and I don’t know what else to do except share my feelings. But who should I express myself to? Since both of my boys love John Cena, look up to him and want to model him, I guess expressing my feelings to him is as good as it gets.
So here goes….
Dear John Cena,
My name is Kamy and I am a mother of two boys, ages 8 and 7. They love you and the WWE. I could go on and on, but I am going to cut to the chase as I am sure you have heard all of this before. I am not writing to you looking for an autograph, but something that means so much more. I need your help! My husband and I have talked to our boys about wrestling and how you are specially trained to do what you do, but as a mother to two young impressionable boys, I am scared.
I realize that boys will be boys, and rough-housing and wrestling among brothers is normal. However, they are too young to understand that accidents can happen and they should not do what they see you and the other professionals do. Just the other day I walked in on my oldest son holding my youngest upside down to attempt a pile driver move. They are attempting to do “finishers” and “super moves” with no fear at all, including your special “Attitude Adjustment” move. I want them to enjoy playing together and I don’t want to take wrestling away from them. However, they won’t listen to me. I am worried that one day an accident will happen and someone will get seriously hurt.
How do I handle this? How do I get them to understand that little boys are not supposed to do the moves that their heroes do on television? I feel lost. I have nightmares about broken arms, bruises, broken necks….or worse. I cannot get them to see that it could happen in an instant. Someone hits their head on the corner of the dresser or falls down the stairs. Do I sound paranoid? Probably. I am a mother who is trying to let her boys be boys while protecting them from a grownup sport. Do I take it away entirely? I don’t want to. I am a seeking your help on what should I do??
Sincerely a Concerned Mom,
Kamy Moss
Mothers out there…am I alone? Am I as paranoid as I sound? How do we give our sons room to grow and play and explore? It seems the problem is even bigger than professional wrestling. It is about a society that celebrates violence and promotes it to our children. From television to video games, it is difficult to keep it from their little eyes. It would be easy to blame the celebrities or manufacturers, but it won’t change the fact that we as parents have to teach them the difference between fantasy and reality. I will say, it would help if those same celebrities and manufacturers were held accountable for marketing to children, especially those under 13.
This is a heated debate in many schools, churches and Mommy groups. I fear it will never change. So for me, it is about sharing my frustrations here, to other parents who might read this and feel not so alone anymore. It is not about banning the WWE in my house. It’s not about shielding my boys from real life and harsh realities. Instead, it’s about using these moments to teach, guide and do our best to keep it real with them. I sound like a broken record to them when I say , “you are not wrestlers, you are little boys!” I just hope that my kids are really listening, even when they smile, nod and start flipping each other over the couch.
I totally agree with you. And this goes beyond wrestling. It is also in cartoons. As a mom, we have to pay attention to this kind of violence and speak up. If we don’t protect their future nobody will.
I agree with your feelings Kamy. As a mom to two boys and a girl, I was able to witness how the WWE can affect the kids, especially boys. We didn’t let our boys watch WWE until they were about 10 or 11 and that was after many talks of explaining that it was “fake” and that the stars were trained. All of that didn’t stop our boys on trying out the moves on each other and their sister. Eventually, as they grew older and were involved with more after-school sports, they lost interest in WWE. They watch it once in a while but its not the same anymore. I would suggest starting to reduce the time they watch WWE. (We actually banned WWE from our house for a while). They have to learn that its not real and its just entertainment. Good post.
I would feel the same way. Unfortunately, violence is every where now a days. But we as parents have to protect our kids at all cost. We have to be firm in our believes and speak up.
Que horror las cosas que se ven hoy dia, Hay que estar super pendientes de nuestros hijos y nietos, para que no se enrolen mirando este tipo de cosas!