Husband And Wife Clash Over If They Should Allow Their 13-Year-Old Son To Read Game Of Thrones, Ask Redditors To Weigh In
Game of Thrones, not the final season, was a cultural juggernaut. Nearly everyone committed to watching the show season after season because of the compelling narrative.
The dialogue was divine, the characters were intriguing, and at that time, the show was everything. The show never shied away from showing gruesome and, in some cases, cruel twists.
It pushed the boundaries of what explicit content meant for TV shows. Needless to say, Game of Thrones was not for children.
How about the source material? The show was an adaptation of the book series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.
The books contain explicit material. Like the show, they weren't made for children, but teens can understand the themes of the book and the purpose of the adult-oriented passages.
Should teens then be allowed to read the A Song of Ice and Fire books? That is the ongoing debate in OP's household.
His 13-year-old son is a voracious reader. OP's 18-year-old kid loves fantasy and science fiction.
The older recently lent his younger brother a copy of Game of Thrones. OP's wife blew a fuse when she saw their youngest reading the book and confiscated it.
Neither of them has read the books, but they have seen some episodes of the show. OP and his wife know they contain adult themes.
The oldest said the books are not as overly graphic as the show. They are not pornographic and the sexual content is not done without purpose.
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They had a family meeting about it and OP told his wife that they should trust their kids. His wife did not want to look like the bad guy, so she gave the book back to their youngest.
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OP said his son knows enough about anatomy from school and the books will not have anything too graphic to shock him. His wife still thinks the book is inappropriate.
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At that age, teenagers are curious as hell. This way, OP and his wife can monitor the media their kid consumes and discuss anything he might want to talk about.
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Stopping him from reading altogether will just make him find another way to read the book
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Older brother definitely downplayed how graphic the books are
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Sex in the world of Ice and Fire is intertwined with violence. OP and his wife must have a discussion with their children about it. It shouldn't be brushed off and they shouldn't shame their kids.
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They should absolutely be ready to talk about anything their 13-year-old might find intriguing or confusing in the books. Game of Thrones is not light reading, especially not for a teenager.
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Even Redditors who read the books as adults had to take breaks in between the more graphic chapters because they can be revolting
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OP and his wife should vet the books themselves or at least scan summaries
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It is important for OP and his wife to communicate to their sons that they can talk to them about anything that the books present
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Banning the books outright will accomplish one thing: allow their kids to find more creative ways to hide the books they read
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Based on the post, OP did nothing but voice his opinion which his wife was free to do as well
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The better compromise is for all of them to read the book chapter by chapter and discuss anything their kids could be confused about
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Reading is a great hobby. In my humble opinion, as a former YA novel enthusiast, the books I read at that age have made me a more empathetic and curious person.
The best advice given in the post is for OP and his wife to read the books along with their 13-year-old. They can explain the adult themes of the books better this way and communicate to their son that he can talk to them about anything.
