I'm curious about TV standards (if you watch TV, obviously)

[4besitos]

Really liked Charles Wallace's comments. We have children 12 to 4. We have not had cable/satellite for years due to the inappropriateness of the show that are supposed to be aimed at children on Disney, CN, etc. So many of the shows (even down to supposed little children shows like Lilo and Stitch) have all the messges that are common in public school. Over interest in the opposite sex, sex, bullying, sneaky get around the rules behavior, complete lack of respect for authority, cool kids, nerds, and. on. and. on. :tongue_smilie: Even shows like Dora, Diego, Max & Ruby I don't care for because there is hardly to no parent around. TV is a great influence on childrens' thoughts and attitudes. If it isn't something I wouldn't want my children to do (and this is more for my 9 & 12 year old....my little guys love Diego) then I don't let them watch it. There does not seem to be a shortage of opportunities for clothes, behaviors, etc. to present themselves when we are out and about for us to have "discussions" about appropriate (for us) behaviors.

[Radish4ever]

My kids are little, but we pretty much only allow Boomerang, Discovery Kids (and not all of the shows), and Nick Jr.

 

The other channels are way over their heads or way to mature as far as content.... Beyond that, they are allowed to watch LeapFrog DVDs and my DH lets them watch Avatar (the airbender series) and Dragonball Z Kai... not my favorite shows, but it's their bonding time.. bleh. LOL My DD also watches all the Barbie movies. I actually really dislike those and find them kind of demeaning for women, but I allow it for now as an occasional thing.

[MorganClassicalPrep]

Hm. And I get accused of being strict!!

 

We primarily watch Disney Channel. DD loves Phineas and Ferb, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Suite Life of Zack and Cody. I watch with her, because I enjoy the shows! We also watch Jonas LA and Good Luck Charlie if they happen to be on at a time when we are watching TV.

 

From Nick she likes iCarly, Spongebob... that's pretty much it.

 

She is dying to watch Cartoon Network. Ugh. I dislike all the shows on that channel, but it just so happens to be situation right in between Nick (54) and Disney (56), so when I'm flipping back to see whats on those two channels for her she catches a glimpse. -sigh- I have to explain every time that just because it is a CARTOON doesn't mean it is for children.

Ditto for Family Guy and the Simpsons. If I am watching the news or something and they come on before I can change the channel I get the "Please, please, please?" No...

 

When we go home to my parents to visit, she watches Sid the Science Kid, WordGirl, WordWorld, Dinosaur Train, Clifford, Curious George... because I set them to record for her. We always miss them at home, since we don't usually watch TV until late in the evening.

 

She also LOVES Cake Boss and Deal or No Deal. Cake Boss has some language in it, but she hasn't tried to imitate it yet, and she really enjoys this show.

Oh, and sports. She has been sitting down to watch full games/races since she was a year old.

 

Wow... it seems like we watch a lot of TV. We don't watch ALL of these shows everytime they are on... hah. These are just the shows we look for when we do watch. Generally if it isn't a show I've listed we just turn the TV back off.

[Amber in AUS]

I don't have any hard and fast rules about TV. They watch when i say they can and what i say they can at that moment in time :) Mostly they watch kids shows, sport, news with DH, doco's and kids movies. I don't preview anything but do take the time to surf the channels and choose something appropriate when they are going to watch. They don't watch heaps of TV either.

[lionfamily1999]

This show really bothered me too! It was after my ds9 made a comment about "gross armpit hair" that I forbade it.

 

I hate that Disney and Nick have no "childrens" programs anymore. Everything is aimed at teens. What is my 9 yo supposed to watch, he is beyond PBS? I only let them watch PBS or Movies lately, I cancelled cable.

 

I don't like how "dads" are always made to look stupid. I do not like all the references to sex and breaking up with boyfriend/girlfriend. What happened to shows actually for children?

 

Mine are not allowed to watch Simpsons, King of the Hill, or other "adult cartoons."

What drives me nuts is that they portray 9 year olds as if they were teens (see Suite Life). I am a bit out spoken in my dislike of that particular show...

I agree with the mother in your group. Not only does the show objectify women, it also essentially acts as a "soft-pedal" introduction to the early sexualization of children. Yeah, I know that sounds like an extreme statement, but please bear in mind that the target audience is as young as ten years old. Rather than believe me, consider this sample from the episode "Not So Sweet 16":

 

Zack: Estiban, I need to talk to you man to man.

Estiban: Oh no! Please don’t tell me it’s about the birdies and the bees-eez!

Zack: Don’t worry, I already had that talk with my dad.

*Later in the same scene*

Zack: Well what was I doing when Maddie said that?

Cody: You were staring at her, thinking about that talk we had with Dad.

 

Think about that for a second. Sexual fantasy jokes for ten-year-olds are not only a problem, but what's even more of a problem, in my opinion, is that they're being presented in this context.

 

Sex, in this context, is not just an adult behavior reserved for adults, but is a behavior engaged in by the peers of ten-year-olds to older tweens and teens. Do boys have sexual fantasies about girls in real life? Oh, absolutely (and girls about boys, and so on) -- but I see not one single pertinent reason why very young audiences need to be effectively told that they (the ten-to-tweeners) are the subject of sexual fantasy. In a word...ew.

 

Moreover, I think it's deeply problematic to encourage young girls to have "crushes" on tween boys or objectify them, as of course the series asks its female viewers to do. Again, if this show were intended for an adult audience (or an older teen audience), it would be at least marginally more appropriate, but in this context and for this age, it is not.

 

Next, the show glorifies bad behavior. Zack, the "leader" of the twins, frequently deceives teachers, fakes dyslexia, and makes "D"s -- and gets his "weaker" twin to engage in foolish, idiotic behavior, a setup that essentially and repeatedly tells the viewers that "It's more fun to be bad," or "The good are weak." Neither of these is a lesson I want to teach.

 

The female lead, London Tipton, is a blatant Paris Hilton ripoff with no parental guidance. Spoiled and materialistic, she is a stereotype not only of wealthy people, but of the "dumb blonde," having been kicked out of several schools. This again is hardly a positive or appropriate message to send to young children, especially young girls. How many times will women have to fight against the stereotype that they're frivolous, materialistic, shopaholics who can't succeed academically? Puh-leez. What millennium is this, again?

 

Sorry, but these are not appropriate role models for my child to be watching hour after hour after hour. I wonder how many parents fail to see the connection between the kinds of behavior "normalized" for children on television and their children's own behavior?

 

Do characters in all forms of fiction (and reality) behave badly sometimes? Oh, sure -- and if these characters were usually or frequently "punished" for their actions (e.g., compelled by the authors to suffer the consequences of their foolish, impulsive, spoiled, materialistic, anti-academic decisions) and would learn from them, their behavior might be acceptable in an old-school Goofus and Gallant kind of way, but the fact is, they do not -- or not for more than one second before the "comedy default reset" kicks in and all is back to the status quo.

 

Forget about it. If I'm having my child watch television, it will be for intelligent, thought-provoking drama or comedy or documentaries -- or any show which compels her to think, analyze, and understand character development, themes, symbolism, motifs, and commentary on the "real world" or its phenomena. There is no reason to waste time on drivel such as Suite Life, Hannah Montana, or much else on Disney or Nickelodeon.

 

Thank you for providing this opportunity to rant. <Wipes foam from mouth and steps off soapbox.>

Tossing you a towel and a trophy.

 

This is everything I object to in that show. You've actually written things nearly verbatim, that I have said.

 

Recently, my 3yo was verbally attacked by a 6yo. The 6yo is actually a hair smaller than my ds and his mother was standing right next to me while he called my son a string of cruel, but not R rated, names. Then, ds punched him in the nose :p Normally, I'm anti-hitting, but in this case, the kiddo deserved it.

 

His mother says, "I just don't know where he learns to talk like that!" This, after she asked/told me to have my son apologize (no, my son is a toddler, your son deserved it). My response was, "How much Nickelodian does he watch?" Oh, well, only Zac and Cody....

 

This led into a nice conversation on the incredible nature of that particular show and she informed me that they would never tolerate their sons objectifying women (meanwhile they were trying to get Dd's towel off so they could see her 'gesture gesture gesture'). We left.

 

Crazy, I have yet to meet a kid that tries to behave like the Gallant end of the Z&C equation... they all mimic Goofus.

 

I don't let my kids watch the "Suite Life" show either, for the same sorts of reasons.

 

We don't let our kids watch shows where kids children in the show have a bad attitude or where there are sexual situations. I don't like shows that seem to encourage children to be rude or sarcastic or that encourage dating.

 

:iagree:

Well, being that I grew up watching Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, etc., I thought I WAS being strict by limiting to the Disney channel and Nick:tongue_smilie:

I did too, at first.

[LibraryLover]

We enjoy movies, so we have seen many movies. :lurk5: I also love documentaries, so ditto. As for commercial TV, not so much. We've never had cable and the children grew watching videos and DVDs, not so much the other stuff. When they were very small, they watched very little. Well, ok, we went through a Barney video phase in the early 90's when we rented from a video store once a week. I remember my oldest standing in front of the stereo swaying to cassette musics tapes as dh and I ate dinner. We used to laugh that he looked like a 1940's kid watching radio. lol

 

I know my oldest dd is interested in a CN show called Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends that she watches on the computer. I've seen it. It's pretty creepy, but it appeals to the graphic artist in her, her Neil Gamain streak, and her odd sense of humor. She's 17, not 7, so yk, it's not on my radar of worry.

[Ginevra]

Hm. And I get accused of being strict!!

 

That was the funny thing I was thinking when this mom was talking about the many restrictions she has (she covered more than just TV shows).

 

The funny thing is the *I* have been the "paranoid strict, oddball, homeschool, sheltering" mom among most friends and family members all these years! My 7-y-o nephew regularly watches movies that I either will not let my 13 and 10 yo watch, or I've only just recently permitted, with my narration. ;) He was watching PG-13 movies when he was 5; I only let my olders see a pg-13 if I've pre-viewed it and have decided to accept whatever makes it pg-13. (Avatar is a recent example.)

 

I was the only mom I knew who restricted a number of PBS shows and Disney movies when dd was a preschooler/kindergartner. Didn't like the way Ariel was draped over Prince Eric on the beach, wasn't a fan of the clamshell bra and didn't like the message that the defiant Ariel really won out in the end, and not because she fought her battle well, but because the males rescued her. :glare: Hated Teletubbies when everyone else loved them - that TV in their bellies was revolting. See, I'm a total wack-job! :lol:

[Lizzie in Ma]

No Disney, No Nick, No cartoon network, the list goes on.

Three reasons:

-Adults are portrayed as inept, stupid or unnecessary

-I don't want peer driven kids

-Lots of fresh behavior towards each other

 

It may seem cute and harmless but I would argue that it is absolutely not. There is a mind set and a world view that doesn't match up with what I want my children to believe. No thanks.

 

We watch lots of tv and movies but it is with subject matter or themes we either find more appropriate or that we can discuss. Some are just for fun. :)

Food Network

Discovery

some TLC

and lots and lots of Netflix

[Garga]

Do you remember those reeeeeaally old Bugs Bunny cartoons? The ones where he really acted insane? Not just silly-crazy, but disturbingly insane?

 

Or those reeeeaally old cartoons with the spider with the big, shiny nose capturing the fly? I'm talking about some of the very first cartoons ever made. They might even be in black and white they're so old.

 

They were SO disturbing.

 

Cartoon network reminds me of those cartoons. Disturbing.

 

she loves the BBC Robin Hood, is begging me to watch Dr. Who (but I think The Ood and Cybermen would give her some pretty bad nightmares!), .... (if I knew PDG wouldn't have nightmares, I'd have no problem letting her watch Dr. Who, for example).

 

Yeah, be careful with Doctor Who. We love it here and make sure to plan our Saturday nights around watching it--for the adults. Our kids are 7 and 5, and most episodes are just a tad too scary (and some are seriously too scary.) Our 7 year old is ready for some episodes (if we prescreen and fast forward as necessary), but the 5 year old isn't ready yet at all.

Edited July 14, 2010 by Garga

[phathui5]

Well, being that I grew up watching Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, etc., I thought I WAS being strict by limiting to the Disney channel and Nick:tongue_smilie:

 

What's funny is that dh would probably let the kids watch that before he'd let them watch some of the Disney shows.

[lionfamily1999]

What's funny is that dh would probably let the kids watch that before he'd let them watch some of the Disney shows.

Me too.

[MotherGoose]

I'm bordering on the "don't watch TV" side, but I hate Spongebob and all the Disney Princess stuff. My 4 yo likes America's Funniest Home videos to watch with her dad. I try very hard to stay away from shows only trying to sell toys and plastic junk from China, and I try to stay away from shows with sexualized messages.

[KS_]

No Disney, No Nick, No cartoon network, the list goes on.

Three reasons:

-Adults are portrayed as inept, stupid or unnecessary

-I don't want peer driven kids

-Lots of fresh behavior towards each other

 

It may seem cute and harmless but I would argue that it is absolutely not. There is a mind set and a world view that doesn't match up with what I want my children to believe. No thanks.

 

We watch lots of tv and movies but it is with subject matter or themes we either find more appropriate or that we can discuss. Some are just for fun. :)

Food Network

Discovery

some TLC

and lots and lots of Netflix

 

This pretty much describes what we watch - however, my dc don't watch a lot of TV at this point. The channels we do watch as a family are Food Network, HGTV, Discovery, TLC (some shows), Travel Channel, History and Animal Planet.

[WhollyHis]

Ahhh. this thread has been a breath of fresh air to me-and quite encouraging as well!

 

I x-ed Z&C and Hannah Montana about 6 months to a year ago and have friends who think I'm nuts for doing so. Oh well, it has saved my girls from a lot of garbage going in, which means less garbage out of their mouths and attitudes. :)

 

We were down to watching Phineas & Ferb, some PBS and a few Nick Jr. Shows. Then I started to pick up on the junk in Phineas and Ferb too. :( Sad because we like to watch that with our girls. My husband is still not 100% with me on not letting the girls watch P&F but he's coming around and records it to watch later, which I really appreciate.

[NorthwestMom]

My kids really love the summer game show "WipeOut" that's on NBC, and every episode of MythBusters they can squeeze in. Those are our faves right now.

 

My 8yo DD is also getting into Wheel Of Fortune, which is so touching to me because my late mother really loved it and DD reminds me so much of her anyway.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Well, I wasn't allowed to watch TV, except for Electric Company and Captain Kangaroo every once in a while when I was growing up. I felt left out of many cultural references because of it. So, I decided that my kids could watch TV, but I would have to know what it is they are watching. Dh would let them watch things that I think are inappropriate, so I put the parental block on the TV and told dh that if he needs to enter the code to unlock the show, the kids cannot watch it. I do let the kids watch Zack and Cody, even though I don't care for some of the language on the show. I don't understand why the kids have to talk to each other meanly on kids' shows and I don't understand why every single Pixar movie has the word idiot in it.

[Joanne]

I am intentionally liberal when it comes to TV viewing, movies, reading, etc.

 

I say "intentionally" because I want to make a distinction between that and being unaware, disinterested, disengaged or neglectful.

 

I believe my children are better served with educated exposure, discussion and dialogue than with severe restrictions of popular culture.

[Lightly Salted]

 

For me, introducing the idea that it's normal to hate your siblings, and to be jealous when a new baby arrives, and to make snotty remarks to your friends, and that a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship is expected in middle school--these are all things that I don't want to normalize.

 

Agreeing 100%.

 

DH and I were raised with liberal amounts of (and no controls on) tv. I never NEVER thought we'd become one of THOSE families :tongue_smilie: but I banned the kids from tv yesterday - until after Christmas, when we'll reassess.

 

Up until this year, they were content with DVDs, Noggin, and the occasional PBS Kids show. This year, they started branching out into Disney, Boomerang and Discovery Kids, and attitudes have gone WAY downhill. I know tv isn't the only influence, but i'm sick of hearing disrespect on tv and then hearing it repeated at home. If we go back to allowing tv, it will be with more limits (and probably set Disney on parental control).

[orangearrow]

My kids have never seen that show, and I don't intend for them to bother watching it. I've watched several shows on Nick and Disney and don't like so many things about them, I'd use up all my space here typing them out!!

 

I don't like those types of things being portrayed on a "kids show" - because I find the behaviour of the kids on these shows rude, disrespectful, idiotic, annoying, whiney, lame, lazy, snooty, yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

My kids will be watching things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (we have 'em on DVD, lol) way before I'll "allow" Sponge Bob, Cody and Twin, or the Disney channel's Nightmare Miley-and-company kinds of shows into our house willingly.

 

My kids know these shows exist, but they don't feel like they're missing out. We do allow tv - most of it are purchased DVD sets (we don't have cable). The kids, for instance, LOVE The Last Airbender from Nick.

 

(and there were tons of TV shows I wasn't allowed to watch when I was a kid and I turned out okay. ;) Now - my parents lifted the restrictions and I want to cry just thinking about the time I wasted watching 90210 or other such time wasters! Wish my folks had kept the restrictions up! lol)

Edited July 14, 2010 by orangearrow

[ncmom2dawters]

I don't want my girls' role models for friendships and relationships to be the drama TV shows represent. Shows marketed for preteens often have content far beyond the years of what children need to be focused on and worrying about. So, we don't watch the show mentioned nor any like it.

 

================

from Secret Keeper Girl ... Dannah Gresh

http://secretkeepergirl.com

TURNING OFF SOME TV WHEN SHE'S 7 REDUCES RISK OF SEX WHEN SHE'S 17!

 

There is an inarguable connection between the media diet of tweens and early sexual activity in teens. Fifty-five percent of teens who were exposed to a lot of sexual material as tweens had sexual intercourse between the ages of 14-16 compared with 6% of teens who rarely saw sexual imagery as tweens. While studies often look at television shows with content deemed appropriate for teens and adults, you have to consider how a steady diet of boyfriend/girlfriend television programs, mildly sexual music lyrics, and an occasional PG or PG-13 movie impacts a girl. Doesn't it make sense that anything we feed our daughters that says "be boy-crazy" would just put her in the cultural current of early sexualization?...

[BabyBre]

Nickelodeon and it's offspring channels, Disney and it's offspring, ABC Family (which is Disney, but is worth mentioning all on its own), definately FX, SpikeTV, Cartoon Network, and Comedy Central are blocked in our house. The kids will often request to watch a particular program that I'll enter a code to allow. I even have to block the program River Monsters (on Discovery?) because it's too sensational for dd and she tends to have nightmares.

 

Of course the age of the children in question needs to be considered (mine are 8 and 9), but I was horrified at what I saw on ABC Family! I allow SpongeBob, Mythbusters, not Dirty Jobs because it often gets a little too racy for 8 and 9 year-olds without warning. I rarely allow the Disney shows, mainly because the topics are just too mature for dd (ds doesn't care about them), and the last thing I need is to perpetuate the bratty teenaged attitude that will undoubtedly be challenging enough to avoid with them enrolled in ps as they are.

[HeidiKC]

For me, introducing the idea that it's normal to hate your siblings, and to be jealous when a new baby arrives, and to make snotty remarks to your friends, and that a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship is expected in middle school--these are all things that I don't want to normalize.

:iagree::iagree::iagree: !!!

 

This is exactly the problem I have with so many shows for kids. I let my kids watch PBS, but beyond that not much other than sports. I don't like the attitudes, especially the sassy talk and what seems like a push to make little kids into teens with the emphasis on impressing the opposite sex. All those middle-schooler shows or high school aged kids (High School Musical) are not watched much be high schoolers and middle schoolers, but by the 10 and under set. And even kindergarteners, who of course want to imitate the characters.

 

I don't feel like the "grow up fast" and "have a boyfriend/girlfriend" and "wear suggestive clothing" is really the way kids 4-10 are or feel. I certainly don't remember ANYTHING like that when I was a kid in the 1970s. It never occurred to me to want to appear "sexy" or to dress and act in a way to work towards a boyfriend when I was a little KID. I wanted to ride my Big Wheel, and so did all the other kids. It makes me sad that that's changed.

 

My son was at a Catholic school in 4th grade this past year, and a bunch of kids started "dating"! Which meant holding hands and walking to the ice cream store. Pretty innocent, but hard for me to believe that 9-10-year-olds really have an interest in that. They haven't entered puberty yet! I think they are imitating all these shows they see on TV. And then the problem is...what happens by the time they are in 8th grade??!

 

No, I don't think my kids would be ruined if I let them watch these shows - they aren't THAT offensive. But I do think that the kids of things/people you surround yourself with (friends, books, music, TV shows) definitely have a pretty big influence on you if those things are part of your daily life. That's where the problem is for me - I don't want my kids to feel that it's normal and expected to be like the kids on the shows and I think it would be hard for them not to feel that way if it was a part of their daily life. I don't want that influence, just as I wouldn't care to have them hanging around friends who were bullies, used bad language or gossiped. It would easy to get sucked into that if that's your life.

 

I love that saying (is it Charlotte Mason???) that goes something like "surround yourself with the good, the true, the beautiful".

[HeidiKC]

I agree with the mother in your group. Not only does the show objectify women, it also essentially acts as a "soft-pedal" introduction to the early sexualization of children. Yeah, I know that sounds like an extreme statement, but please bear in mind that the target audience is as young as ten years old. Rather than believe me, consider this sample from the episode "Not So Sweet 16":

 

Zack: Estiban, I need to talk to you man to man.

Estiban: Oh no! Please don’t tell me it’s about the birdies and the bees-eez!

Zack: Don’t worry, I already had that talk with my dad.

*Later in the same scene*

Zack: Well what was I doing when Maddie said that?

Cody: You were staring at her, thinking about that talk we had with Dad.

 

Think about that for a second. Sexual fantasy jokes for ten-year-olds are not only a problem, but what's even more of a problem, in my opinion, is that they're being presented in this context.

 

Sex, in this context, is not just an adult behavior reserved for adults, but is a behavior engaged in by the peers of ten-year-olds to older tweens and teens. Do boys have sexual fantasies about girls in real life? Oh, absolutely (and girls about boys, and so on) -- but I see not one single pertinent reason why very young audiences need to be effectively told that they (the ten-to-tweeners) are the subject of sexual fantasy. In a word...ew.

 

Moreover, I think it's deeply problematic to encourage young girls to have "crushes" on tween boys or objectify them, as of course the series asks its female viewers to do. Again, if this show were intended for an adult audience (or an older teen audience), it would be at least marginally more appropriate, but in this context and for this age, it is not.

 

Next, the show glorifies bad behavior. Zack, the "leader" of the twins, frequently deceives teachers, fakes dyslexia, and makes "D"s -- and gets his "weaker" twin to engage in foolish, idiotic behavior, a setup that essentially and repeatedly tells the viewers that "It's more fun to be bad," or "The good are weak." Neither of these is a lesson I want to teach.

 

The female lead, London Tipton, is a blatant Paris Hilton ripoff with no parental guidance. Spoiled and materialistic, she is a stereotype not only of wealthy people, but of the "dumb blonde," having been kicked out of several schools. This again is hardly a positive or appropriate message to send to young children, especially young girls. How many times will women have to fight against the stereotype that they're frivolous, materialistic, shopaholics who can't succeed academically? Puh-leez. What millennium is this, again?

 

Sorry, but these are not appropriate role models for my child to be watching hour after hour after hour. I wonder how many parents fail to see the connection between the kinds of behavior "normalized" for children on television and their children's own behavior?

 

Do characters in all forms of fiction (and reality) behave badly sometimes? Oh, sure -- and if these characters were usually or frequently "punished" for their actions (e.g., compelled by the authors to suffer the consequences of their foolish, impulsive, spoiled, materialistic, anti-academic decisions) and would learn from them, their behavior might be acceptable in an old-school Goofus and Gallant kind of way, but the fact is, they do not -- or not for more than one second before the "comedy default reset" kicks in and all is back to the status quo.

 

Forget about it. If I'm having my child watch television, it will be for intelligent, thought-provoking drama or comedy or documentaries -- or any show which compels her to think, analyze, and understand character development, themes, symbolism, motifs, and commentary on the "real world" or its phenomena. There is no reason to waste time on drivel such as Suite Life, Hannah Montana, or much else on Disney or Nickelodeon.

 

Thank you for providing this opportunity to rant. <Wipes foam from mouth and steps off soapbox.>

 

:iagree: Awesome post!

[RanchGirl]

my kids don't watch any Nickelodeon or Disney. They watch a few PBS shows occasionally. Other than that it's sports (including Sports Center), Extreme Home Makeover, WipeOut, and that's all I can think of. Hubby and I watch several other shows but we TIVO and watch after they go to bed.

 

Oh, and youngest ds just reminded me he likes America's Funniest Videos. (I can't stand that show!!)

 

They don't seem to be hurting for popular culture knowledge... maybe because they are boys and they know *a lot* about sports and they read a lot.

[Kimber]

We watch movies rather than TV. Our tastes are eclectic. Today my kids didn't have any schoolwork to do (we school during the summer) and they chose to watch a national geographic show about Moses and the Exodus.

 

Tonight they're watching Jaws. ( My dh's idea, not mine. And if it's a problem, it's his problem, not mine. 'Cause if they can't sleep, they're gonna be all over him, not me.)

 

No TV during school days, unless they're in Spanish.

 

Kimberly

 

I prefer Sponge Bob over Nick. The vocabulary of the Nick shows is about 1st grade. It's all slapstick. But, to be honest, I don't encourage Sponge Bob either and they don't miss it.

[Desert Rat]

My dh and I have been talking about this very topic this week. He's been laid off for 9 months and so the tv has been on a lot more than in years past. I'm okay with that because I know (hope!) it's just a phase of our lives. Still, we're so arbitrary on what we don't like and won't allow the boys to watch. iCarly is fine. Surprisingly, my dad objects to this show, as a side note, and he's usually lenient. Anyway, crude cartoons are usually off for me. But we let them watch Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory as well as Bully Beatdown on Mtv.

Please don't throw stuff at me! I've had to compromise a bit! :)

We watch Avatar, DirtyJobs and lots of animal and cooking shows. Kid shows are selected on a case by case basis.

Geez, I don't think that helped at all! :)

[LibraryLover]

I am intentionally liberal when it comes to TV viewing, movies, reading, etc.

 

I say "intentionally" because I want to make a distinction between that and being unaware, disinterested, disengaged or neglectful.

 

I believe my children are better served with educated exposure, discussion and dialogue than with severe restrictions of popular culture.

 

 

Sure I can agree with you, with us never having had cable ;) , but I absoltuely agree that one of my jobs as a parent is to help my children think through the inane. Makes me want to search for a Zack and Cody epsidoe to discuss. Not that I am curtious or anything. I'm not. :auto:

[Charles Wallace]

Now - my parents lifted the restrictions and I want to cry just thinking about the time I wasted watching 90210 or other such time wasters! Wish my folks had kept the restrictions up! lol)

 

Ahem.

 

Amen.

 

I would officially like to say that I want back ALL THE HOURSANDHOURS ANDHOURSANDHOURSANDHOURS OF TIME I wasted so ridiculously on the following. I also realize this list will date me.:D

 

Bewitched

The Flintstones

The Jetsons

Underdog

Wonder Woman

Mighty Isis

I Love Lucy

Gilligan's Island

I Dream of Jeannie

The Brady Bunch

Soap

Dallas

The Dukes of Hazzard

The Love Boat

Fantasy Island

 

...and so many more. If I had only spent *ten percent of this time* READING A BOOK or maybe studying science, or heck, even watching the *#*$&^#$&^ paint dry on the wall, I would be better off. Seriously, what was my mom thinking -- and why did she let me watch so much television? More to the point, what was I thinking?? Answer: Not too darned much!

 

Speaking as someone older and therefore far closer to inevitable death than many of my fellow parents, all I can say is * I WANT THOSE HOURS BACK.*

 

Thank you very much.:D

[whitestavern]

My kids have never seen that show, and I don't intend for them to bother watching it. I've watched several shows on Nick and Disney and don't like so many things about them, I'd use up all my space here typing them out!!

 

I don't like those types of things being portrayed on a "kids show" - because I find the behaviour of the kids on these shows rude, disrespectful, idiotic, annoying, whiney, lame, lazy, snooty, yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

My kids will be watching things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (we have 'em on DVD, lol) way before I'll "allow" Sponge Bob, Cody and Twin, or the Disney channel's Nightmare Miley-and-company kinds of shows into our house willingly.

 

My kids know these shows exist, but they don't feel like they're missing out. We do allow tv - most of it are purchased DVD sets (we don't have cable). The kids, for instance, LOVE The Last Airbender from Nick.

 

(and there were tons of TV shows I wasn't allowed to watch when I was a kid and I turned out okay. ;) Now - my parents lifted the restrictions and I want to cry just thinking about the time I wasted watching 90210 or other such time wasters! Wish my folks had kept the restrictions up! lol)

 

I agree with much of your post, especially the part about wishing my parents had restricted my TV viewing more. There are so many other things I could and should have been doing with my mind :(

 

We are selective, but I don't think my kids miss it either. They certainly don't bug me to watch any of those shows, although they've seen some at their grandparent's home.

 

This week we're watching the Waltons and 1900 House (thanks Netflix!). About the only real TV we watch is Cash Cab, Jeopardy, some sports and occasional PBS. But that's reserved for when we're traveling or if someone's sick or if there's a snowstorm that has us housebound.

 

Many of dd's ps friends already act like the girls in the Nick/Disney shows. Lots of talk about boys and fashion and being annoyed by their sibs. I'm not sure if it's because of the shows they watch or the influence from their peers at school.

[LaissezFaire]

It's interesting here. I have never banned it (I personally hate insipid tv shows) but they have never shown an interest or asked to watch any of the Disney shows. We mostly watch movies and don't watch much tv in general. My kids would rather read.

[funschooler5]

We restrict it by having no cable or satellite service. There are some shows my kids watch on Netflix. Luckily, they don't like any of the Disney Channel shows (which are terrible, imo...the kids on those shows act like little teenagers). The only Nickelodeon show they like is iCarly (which hasn't gotten into the whole dating thing too much that I've seen, and is more funny than soap-opera like).

 

They do like Spongebob, Jimmy Neutron, Fairly Oddparents (which I can't stand), but generally are unable to watch these unless they are at their grandparent's house. In general, they are pretty picky about what they watch, and they also like older shows (I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Leave it to Beaver). I like watching these with them, because not only are they hilarious, but my kids learn a little something about each time period the shows were filmed in. Plus, I want them to get used to watching some things in black and white (there are some older movies I want them to watch :001_smile:).

[amtmcm]

I recently started watching Unnatural History. It's a decen show but the kids don't watch it, I do.

 

 

 

This is a great show! We watch it as a family. It's similar to National Treasure with teens and it makes being smart seem very cool. I hope it gains a good following since I'd like it be successful. Check out a preview:

 

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/unnaturalhistory/index.html

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I don't want my 6 year old in the whole boyfriend/girlfriend, who likes who, name calling mindset that those shows seem to have.

:iagree: My kid's have never watched those Disney shows. I just really don't like the sarcasm on those shows or the content. We mostly get dvd's from the library or Redbox.

[Smithie]

We ditched the cable after a rundown from a friend with an older kid about the taransition from Nick Jr. To Nick. We decided never to get within spitting distance of that transition. ;)

 

My kids watch DVDs and Netflix stuff. I'm really very laid-back about TV these days, now that I know Zack and Cody no longer have a way to get into this house. I don't like modern tween anything - I'd rather have my 8-12 year old kids exposed to some adult vocabulary and concepts in consuming decent adult-focused media than have them watch and read the absolute schlock that is created for the tween market. But for now, they're little and they make very good choices from their DVD and Netflix libraries. Up. Aladdin. Dora. Walking with Dinosaurs. Et cetera. Just like with food - if the junk isn't in those, darned if they don't consume the good stuff! :001_smile: