Sunday, July 25, 2010
My Little Sponges Want to Watch Big Time Rush and iCarly
These little sponges of mine are only 7 and 9 years of age, yet they've decided these shows, (which in the opinion of me and my husband are geared towards children in jr. high school), are "totally fine, mom", "definitely aren't warping our minds" and "they're the best shows on television".
I agree that they can be cute shows, but all the references to "making out" with a girl or getting the attention of a boy just don't seem elementary school-age appropriate. I also don't exactly love the attitude I see in kids on television. Attitude towards their parents, their friends, all the sarcastic humor, and the sometimes questionable attire (especially on the girls).Come on people.... these kids on television are just KIDS!
Since I see EVERYONE as a sponge, I tend to question everything my kids are exposed to. I don't even like a lot of the "stuff" I'm exposed to on television. Prime time tv for example is out... even when watching something innocent and fun, you just never know what a commercial might slam in your family's faces. My daughter, even with the mommy filter in our home, sometimes dances in a way I know she's had to of seen on television. It's a provocative type of move that I'm now trying to find a way to deprogram her from. My sweetie... that's just not appropriate and it sends the wrong message about who you are. Sigh.
What are your thoughts on this? I'm not wanting to sound like a complete nut, but I just don't know that these shows... even though (and especially because) they're marketing them to our very young children, should be viewed by our very young children. I guess I don't want Nickelodeon and Disney raising my kids for me, or deciding what they should hear and see, or when they should hear and see it. That's my job. With that out of my mouth, I've had some thoughts against a lot of the cartoons that air these days too. I think it goes back to that attitude and sarcastic humor I mentioned before. It really is funny... that is until you hear the same expressions and sassyness spill from the mouth of your own child. Then, it's quite the opposite. Ever been there?
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4 comments:
Wendy,
I totally understand! Stand firm! While we do watch iCarly (I actually enjoy the silly humor in it), two of my three children are *older* than yours (16 and 11). It's funny how careful I was with our oldest when she was younger. But, with her being almost 5 years older than #2 (and him being 4.5 years older than #3), it is much more difficult to pick & choose. We do NOT have a TV in every room, so I can't send my teen off to watch something that is questionable for the younger two. But, there still ARE times when I veto shows "because I said so". My oldest is very understanding of it; the younger two - not so much. Still, I...AM...THE...MOM! :o)
So often, I see wholesome video programs (such as the Homestead Blessings series from Franklin Springs or the many wonderful programs by AIG and other Creation Science companies) and think, "If we ditched DirectTV, we could use the savings toward buying quality programs like this." Of course, we ALL have to be on board for that (well, at least DH & I do) and I'm not ready to give up *my* shows yet. LOL! Still, the idea of a huge, quality DVD library is very appealing.
Blessings,
Cara
I limit my kids with the TV shows, most of them are just getting inappropriate. We as parents need to call the shots. I have even debated whether or not to turn the TV completely off. Stand firm now, when they are teenagers it will be easier to deal with.
Wendy,
I'm new to your blog but agree with the previous posters you should stand firm. And, if any of you are thinking of ditching TV and signing up for Netflix (or whatever else is out there), I'm here to testify that life is better and EASIER on the other side. My kids no longer pester me with the TV request and we watch movies with no inappropriate commercials about twice a month. They play outside more, we listen to many books on audio in the evenings together, and we have far fewer discipline issues with our kids who are adopted from foster care.
I could go on and on with the benefits of ridding yourself of the TV, not the least of which is that you have more time to talk to your spouse. We said goodbye to the boob tube 3 years ago and we'll never look back.
Thanks for you comments ladies! I can see I'm not alone in my concerns and struggles regarding the boobtube!
Standing firm and looking for other ways to occupy the kid's time will be good for me too... not to mention I'll have more to write about! lol
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