In all fairness to kids, it’s unreasonable to expect them to entertain themselves in light of the ever evolving standards of what constitutes modest behavior. What was deemed appropriate for most girls twenty years ago (i.e. ice skating, going to certain movies, going to the theatre or certain concerts etc) is, for myriad reasons which are irrelevant to this conversation, no longer allowed. But children and teens remain children and teens with normal and healthy curiosities about the world in which they live. They should seek to broaden their horizons at this time in their lives when they learn to think critically about the world. But given the plethora of adult imposed rules, they cannot be left to their own devices. As such, I think parents and educators have the obligation and responsibility to provide appropriate entertainment. The frum world has gotten very good at enunciating what entertainments are forbidden. Perhaps it’s now time for it to state definitively what is allowed and encourage our young to partake of it.
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