Spinoff: What TV shows do you ban?

[peggyfromwastate]

I was intrigued by the no-cartoon network sentiment. I can't remember if we have any cartoon network shows we watch, but I don't think so. My kids are all about spongebob. It is funny, because I used to think spongebob was bad, before I watched it. Yes, there is gross bodily function (age appropriate) humor in the show, but I really like Spongebob's optimism. And it's cool that Squidward plays the clarinet. And Mr Crabs definitely teaches the kids about greed-- not in a positive light.

So...

What do you ban?

I really really hate the Disney Channel pre-teen stuff- the hannah montana, the iCarly, all that stuff. If these kids interract with their parents, it's in a very sarcastic and disrespectful way. Like fingernails on a chalkboard...

Spongebob was the first one I cut out. I can see what you're saying re: the optimism and stuff, but my boys just suck in the snottiness and model it -- much like you mentioned on the Disney Channel stuff. I've had to say to them "That doesn't get laughs in real life. People just see a snotty kid being rude. It doesn't make you sound smart or clever at all." I don't know if my kids are just WAY too open to suggestion or what, but watching that kind of stuff REALLY messes with their behavior/attitude, and I just cut it out entirely. They pick up enough bad habits at school.

[Sheherezade]

We download everything so the kids have to get a show approved by me before they can purchase it. (No cable or TV) My son (14) is moving in to more "adult" things like detective shows, Glee, The Office and Scrubs (which I let him watch now with his sister not in the room)- but I've always steered him away from the American Dad, etc adult type cartoons on Cartoon Network as well. It's like marketing cigarettes with cartoon characters; you know they are shooting at kids but they pretend it is for the adults only. I'd like to recommend the Merlin TV series for 12+ kids. It has enough excitement to make it interesting but it is still pretty family friendly.

My daughter pretty much sticks to Mythbusters.

The only thing that I've had an issue with lately is American Idol in the audition phase and Wipeout. The kids see the shameless ridicule of the contestants as funny but I find it disturbing. I've made them turn off Wipeout from time to time. Now, I let them watch it but I've ruined the fun for them because they know that mom thinks the hosts are nasty mean people that make their living off of humiliating others. Guilt, the ultimate mom weapon.

[JaneDoe]

Keep in mind that my oldest is 6. She would love to watch iCarly, but I don't allow her to watch any of those preteen shows because they are too mature for her and for the reasons you mentioned. I also don't allow my kids to watch Spongebob. I can't stand the way they talk and their aggressiveness. It's been awhile since I watched the show so I don't remember exactly what happens on it. My kids read Spongebob books. I'm fine with that.

My kids love the Nickelodeon cartoons like Avatar, Fanboy and Chum Chum, Dragon Ball Z Kai. I'm fine with those. The Avatar show is actually pretty good.

[MrsK]

BabyK is a little too young for tv now but I've noticed that he is transfixed every time we happen to, for instance, go to a store that has a tv. We have 1 TV in our house. It's at least 20 years old. We don't have cable and we get about 5 channels. It's off most of the time because there is nothing to watch -- the cop/detective shows that are on every single network now have gotten too grizzly for me to stomach and I'm disgusted with most of the "reality" shows which are just people behaving badly. So, most of our TV is either downloaded like Angie's or we watch DVD's.

I stumbled upon the Scholastic Storybook DVD Series and really like it. I hope BabyK will like it too. They have animated the illustrations from classic children's books and they have actors reading the books. There is a "read along" feature too where they caption the story and highlight the word being read. So Carole King sings "Pierre" with animated illustrations from the original book and the words to the story captioned. (This one is BabyK's favorite, so far.) They also have Curious George, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Where the Wild Things Are, etc. Also, just for fun, we love the Muppet Show and the baby likes to watch Muppet clips on You Tube.

[ides]

Spinoff: What TV shows do you ban?

Oscar isn't that into tv & happens to dislike most of the kid shows I dislike like Spongebob. He does like team umizoomi, Thomas the train, & often likes other nickjr stuff on in the background. We pretty much stick to nick, nick jr & PBS.

[MDPhDWife]

I haven't outright banned anything (age appropriate of course) yet. I happen to like Spongebob and think it's funny. We'll oftentimes watch it together as a family. The other show the girls are really into now is Phineas and Ferb. It's alright but I'm often bored with the same story line episode after episode.

The kids have recently begin showing interest in some of my TV shows like Cake Boss and ask to that I wait to watch them with them.

DH is a fan of Wipeout and started watching it with our oldest DD, but I'm with Angie, I think it's silly and immature. They also have started watching Minute to Win It on NBC which I'm ok with.

[houseelf]

I'm glad you brought this up because I was thinking about the previous children's book discussion during my pilates class this morning. I didn't mean to sound disagreeable by commenting that I let them read what they want.

The ten year old boy is more into video games and the computer so this is where my monitoring and time restrictions are more important. Lately he's been watching the Reds and the Buckeyes with his dad. Thus, I guess the discussion will eventually be about sports figures behaving badly. He has seen moderately questionable films like Avatar, Batman, Starwars, Jaws, and Harry Potter.

DD (6) is strictly verbotten to watch any teenybopper programs whatsoever. (Nick or Disney) I hate the sassiness and the projection of girlhood as consumerist boy toys who have little depth, values, or intellect. I did let her see the HSM, Grease, and Hannah Montana movies a few times but I stopped it at that. Mostly, she is content to still watch NickJr (Olivia, Little Bill) because that is what is allowed. I do understand that I am on borrowed time with her being content with preschool media. Since our recent Disney trip, she is interested in pulling out all of the Disney animated movies again. (Yippe!) Anyway, I hate to say it but media has become an issue already because Kendall will be at someone's home and tell them that she isn't permitted ot watch iCarly or the like.

I used to hate SpongeBob, but then I realized that it was at least moderate quality compared to the sass and poor imaging found in shows like the Fairly Odd Parents, Kim Possible, etcetera. Now it is Sponge Bob fest. <sigh>

They both like America's Funniest Home Videos, Wipeout, and Mythbusters. We used to watch Dancing with the Stars as a family but even that became too late for bedtime and too risque. My oldest watches the Amazing Race.

I just found that website commonsense.org which really solidified a lot of thinking on media. I honestly believe that in my house, I can't ban it completely, I can only harnass it and hold them back a bit until they are a bit older.


Now when are we all moving to that compound to raise our kids away from this crap?

[Michele]

I have to limit non-preschool cartoons because Daegan will get too "fighty" with Kai. Mostly he gets PBS, playhouse Disney and Nick Jr. Spongebob annoys me, Fanboy and Chum Chum makes Daegan crazy, and the Wonderpets annoy me too. So those are out. Of course D is only 4 so most everything else "isn't a kids show" according to him.

[peggyfromwastate]

My kids also like Americas funniest videos. I may let the 9 year olds watch the amazing race this year- because I like it but can't watch it bc of bedtime, etc. I don't mind survivor either. I don't like all the bleeping-- amazing race seems to show a lot of adults behaving badly w language and how they treat their partners.

We will watch Tom and Jerry (on demand it's always available) as my go to show.

I thought myth busters was scary? Maybe well try that.

A few years ago I had to ban transformers and power rangers. They just got the kids all riled up and in fight mode.

[Vanquisher]

My kids are banned from watching porn. That's about it. Since they don't show porn on Disney or Nick, I think I'm okay. I can't imagine if, when I was 8, my parents had banned me from watching Saved By The Bell. The HORROR. My kids know what behavior is appropriate and how to talk to me even though they love iCarly, Spongebob, and all those other preteen silly shows.

[scrub-jay]

My kids also like Americas funniest videos. I may let the 9 year olds watch the amazing race this year- because I like it but can't watch it bc of bedtime, etc. I don't mind survivor either. I don't like all the bleeping-- amazing race seems to show a lot of adults behaving badly w language and how they treat their partners.

We will watch Tom and Jerry (on demand it's always available) as my go to show.

I thought myth busters was scary? Maybe well try that.

A few years ago I had to ban transformers and power rangers. They just got the kids all riled up and in fight mode.

Myth busters is not scary, more scientific. They take common myths (like: can a singer really break glass with her voice?) and design clever contraptions/methods to test the myth. http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedule...0.24704.3913.x

[scrub-jay]

My kids are banned from watching porn. That's about it. Since they don't show porn on Disney or Nick, I think I'm okay. I can't imagine if, when I was 8, my parents had banned me from watching Saved By The Bell. The HORROR. My kids know what behavior is appropriate and how to talk to me even though they love iCarly, Spongebob, and all those other preteen silly shows.

Sorry, your first line cracked me up.

[Sheherezade]

Mythbusters is all science. The guys are a little wacky and they do put their crash test dummy Buster through some horrifying tests (to see if someone could really survive a fall or getting catapulted 11 stories by an object landing on the opposite side of a seesaw, etc). Still, I wouldn't say it was scary.

We've watched Amazing Race and Survivor with the kids. Survivor can get a little racy from time to time - but it is usually just suggestion of relationships or blurred out body parts.

[poky]

I stumbled upon the Scholastic Storybook DVD Series and really like it. I hope BabyK will like it too. They have animated the illustrations from classic children's books and they have actors reading the books. There is a "read along" feature too where they caption the story and highlight the word being read. So Carole King sings "Pierre" with animated illustrations from the original book and the words to the story captioned. (This one is BabyK's favorite, so far.) They also have Curious George, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Where the Wild Things Are, etc. Also, just for fun, we love the Muppet Show and the baby likes to watch Muppet clips on You Tube.

The storybook DVDs sound like "reading rainbow" - looks like a bunch of them are out on DVD, too.