Tweens are at that age when they idolize celebrities. After all, there is a certain appeal to them. Whether it is in their music or their tweets, it is almost unavoidable. But as with many celebrities, there can be an unpleasant side to them. Fortunately, your tween is at the age where they can understand that what they see on stage is not the same as in real life.
However, the hardest time for parents is watching their tween idolize someone only to find out about a scandal the next day. While this is par for the course in the celebrity world, it is not a situation that you want your tween emulating. After all, these celebrities are role models and watching one come crashing down in flames is something that parents have to ultimately deal with. It can be as devastating as watching them break up with their best friend.
Dealing with this fascination with a celebrity does require a little finesse. If they think you are attacking someone that they are absolutely infatuated with, your tween will quickly tune you out. So, start your approach on this topic with a little bit of appreciation for the particular artist. Yes, feel free to research the famous person prior to having a conversation about their attributes.
Another approach you can take is to discuss the lyrics to the songs you object to from this celebrity. Take the time to print out the lyrics and the words in full. Don’t try to pull the words out by listening to the song itself. It is guaranteed that you will miss something every time. But if you have the lyrics in front of you, you can discuss what those words mean in the context where they are used. Sometimes, tweens really don’t know what they are singing. Nothing deflates a song more than looking at the lyrics without the music attached.
While you can’t help who your tween chooses to be their idol, there are some things you can to do to help them understand that these celebrities aren’t really idols — that they really are humans who wind up making mistakes and in many cases pay a much heavier price for them. This is the difference between your tween getting swept away on a celebrity wave and making informed decisions about what and who they listen to.