How appropriate is this website?

[houseelf]

Sorry for the late response,

but YES! AMEN! YES!

....and I'm about to hijack like nobody's business....

I can't believe the crap (clothes and media) marketed to kids. As a 32 year old, I wouldn't wear some of the clothes that are marketed to these girls who are barely bigger than babies. For the record, I'm not an uber-conservative parent either. We just spent two weeks with my parents who have satellite TV. I honestly, honestly CAN'T believe what was on Nickolodean and similar "kids" channels. The characters on these shows were: 1) mean; 2) oversexualized and wearing inappropriate clothes; 3) sassy; 4) outright disobedient to parents and authority figures: and 5) hyper violent. Seriously, it wouldn't suprise me if there are more violent acts on "children's" programming than regular tv.

My only hope lies in the fact that I hope to keep my kids outdoors and reading as much as possible, although the lure of TV is strong. I hear too many parentes complain about this. Who is in charge here?

Kelly

My only hope lies in the fact that I hope to keep my kids outdoors and reading as much as possible, although the lure of TV is strong. I hear too many parentes complain about this. Who is in charge here?

Kelly

I am one of those parents. My daughter asking to watch TV just about drives me up the wall. It has some sort of spell over her.....And I am partly responsible because when I was dealing with the mountains of my in-laws "stuff" I used the TV to keep her occupied so I could make phone calls. It worked but I am paying for it.
Anyway, I figure that if we weren't battling for control over the TV, it would be something else.

TV is limited. I cancelled the expanded cable (what a waste of $$). The only channel she can watch is PBS kids and only in the morning. And I agree completely about some of those shows on Disney or Nickelodeon no less -- my goodness!

[houseelf]

Nellie,

I don't want to give an innaccurate impression of what is going on in my household. My son would physically attach himself to the tv if I allowed him to and sometimes I cave into his demands.

...but I am trying. I am fighting.

Kelly

[Phoebe]

My child is obsessed with TV and would watch it all day long if allowed. My biggest struggle is with those other shows on expanded cable. She was introduced to them by neighbor friends and her father not caring about what she viewed on his watch. She has fallen in love with one show that against my better judgement I have caved on the argument. I used to allow only Noggin or PBS, but I am no longer taking charge in that arena. I should be flogged in my opinion.

If there was some way for her to set up a direct feed into her brain, she would do it. Might even turn over her bike and other prized posessions. It really drives me crazy.

Oh, I have told her that her that too much TV is bad for her brain. And, I have threatened to take the TV outside and sell it at a garage sale if she didn't stop asking for it. :!

[Sheherezade]

Maybe it's a boy thing, but our issue is not TV but video games. We have an XBOX game system. (It's ours -- my husband and I do play things on occassion!) Our son started playing video games in 1st grade. He mostly plays sports titles so violence and content is not an issue. He can play for hours and hours on end. I tried to just let him play out his obsession at first. Clearly that wasn't working. Now, he is limited to 30 minutes a day. He gets up very early each day (around 6 am) and tries to sneak in as much time as he can. The only positive thing that has come of this is that this summer I've told him I'll trade him 1 additional minute of XBOX time for each page he reads. He has blasted through a book a day. I'm not sure if this is good or not!! At least he's reading! We mothballed the TV over the summer. I miss it , but the kids seemed happy about the idea. I think they have picked up on the fact that I let them watch when I want them out of my hair.

[DCJenn]

I'm so glad that Nikolai had no exposure to TV during his first year of life, because he has NO interest now. (Of course, he's only 1 and I fully expect that to change as he gets closer to school.)

I do find that when I leave him with my husband, I find the TV on (blaring because my husband refuses to wear his hearing aid at home) to something usually inappropriate (autopsy scenes on CSI reruns, whatever war movie is on Spike, etc). Then I have to say something- usually along the lines of- if I were you patient and we came to you because Nikolai is having nightmares, you'd ask if he was watching TV- why are you letting him see this crap? I truly think he's so unconscious of the world around him sometimes. (and he wonders why I don't like driving with him, either...) I personally could live the rest of my life without TV. (My parents didn't have one until I was five so I was used to not having one.)

I checked out some of the Nick shows and the Cartoon Network and none of them are any good- for anyone, really. Maybe the Army will send us overseas and we'll be able to only get 4 channels again...

Jenn

[mommax3]

Noggin, PBS Kids, and videos are all that I let my three year old watch. My older boys are allowed to watch limited amounts of Sponge Bob and Jimmy Neutron, but nothing else that is supposedly "for kids". They also watch a lot of Animal Planet and my oldest is getting into Cosby re-runs, as well as I Love Lucy and Andy Griffith, which is fine with me. Mostly they watch videos or dvds that we own, honestly, about one a day.

Sally

[PrincessFiona]

I bought the video "The Bad News Bears" this weekend and was so excited to show it to my kids because I watched it when I was growing up. It was full of obscenities...FULL. I was shocked. Not only that, drinking was a theme I hadn't remembered from my childhood.

It is impossible to know what to let kids watch anymore. I have unplugged our tv in the playroom...the only thing they can watch are videos that I have pre-selected. :>

[Sheherezade]

We bought the video "The Bad News Bears" this weekend and was so excited to show it to my kids because I watched it when I was growing up.

We did this too -- and then yanked the movie out about halfway in. That thing should come with a warning label!! Warning: Not as you remember it!! Mature themes- drinking and sex - and lots of swearing. I just remember that Tatum O'Neal could seriously pitch and saved the day ...

[houseelf]

Yes, this is what I think makes this discussion difficult. Even "children's programs" from days of yore push boundaries. (Recent occurence in our household: Elliot calls his older brother "penis breathe" in ET).

However, I think todays kids get more "racy" and outright "wrong" messages in faster and more prolific mediums.

...stepping off my soap box.

Kelly