If you haven't tried this yet, say the name of Britney Spears’ new single, ‘If You Seek Amy’, slowly. I really am getting old because it took three attempts before I got what all the fuss is about.

It sounds like you’re saying “F*** me” (spelling out the F-word).

Whoops! Guess I won’t be adding that track to the ’Kids’ Music‘ playlist on my iPod!

Parents’ groups in the US are going a little nuts about the song at the moment (http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/parents-group-asks-radio-stations-to-ban-britney-spears-song-356657 ). Understandably so, I guess. I wouldn’t want my girls singing along to those particular lyrics.

But I have to confess I am a bad mum when it comes to censoring the music my kids listen to. Alex and I just let them listen to whatever we’re listening to which, these days, isn’t anything terribly controversial. Though there are a few exceptions…

Amaya took a shine to Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’ when she was about two. She liked the “No, no, no” chorus. (As in, “They tried to make me go to rehab but I said no, no, no”). Well, they were words she knew very well at that age! My mum, however, was a little disturbed – until I reminded her that as a child I knew all the lyrics to Charlene’s ‘I’ve Never Been To Me’ which features clangers like “I've been undressed by kings and I've seen some things that a woman ain't supposed to see” and my personal favourite “I've spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that costs too much to be free”. Though I have to admit I don’t think I picked up on that particular line as a kid!

Amaya’s musical preferences have always been slightly risqué. Don’t get me wrong, she can’t get enough of Dora, Hi-5 and The Wiggles. But she appreciates some diversity in her music collection. As a toddler she loved bopping along to Nelly Furtado’s ‘Promiscuous’ and Justin Timberlake’s ‘SexyBack’. What can I say? The girl likes a good beat. These days she’s into Lady GaGa – ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Just Dance’ – and The Ting Tings’ ‘That’s Not My Name’.

Mali is a bit of a dance diva too, but with more of a hip hop bent. She likes getting her little groove on to Flo Rida, particularly ‘Low’ (as in, “She turned around and gave that big booty a smack”). And they both love Alicia Keys’ ‘No-one’ (another catchy sing-along chorus) mostly because it’s on constant rotation in my car stereo.

Mali has no idea what the songs are saying and just likes to dance. Amaya is starting to get it but most of the lyrics still go way over her head. Instead of singing “Can't read my, can't read my poker face” she sings “Coming mum, coming mum, poker face”. At least she hasn’t picked up on the “Cause I'm bluffin’ with my muffin” line.

Should I be worried about this? Will censoring what they listen to now mean less of a fuss if I want to do it later?

I don’t think so. I have no plans to censor their music. Mostly because I think it’s pointless. Kids will find a way to listen to whatever they like regardless of what their parents think about it. I know I did. My mum didn’t freak out during my teenage gangsta-rap phase and, so far, I’ve managed to avoid street gangs and drive-bys.

And if I do find something they are listening to personally offensive or grossly inappropriate, what I’d really rather know is why they feel compelled to listen to it in the first place.

That is, of course, unless my girls go all gothic on me and embrace the 2020 equivalent of Marilyn Manson. Then I draw the line.

Do you care if your kids listen to music with risqué lyrics? Are you selective about what music they listen to?