My Take of Kids TV Shows

So as I sit here today and watch Rugrats with the kids as we try to beat the phoenix heat, I am wanting to write the creators of this show and give them a piece of my mind. Don't get me wrong, it is a cute show, the babies crawling around, getting into all types of mischief but when you get down to the nitty gritty details you can't help but cringe at the message behind it all. (Wow, that was a run on sentence) What is the message? Well, first lets talk about the parents. Who would let toddlers and younger run around the house with free reign. Upstairs and down, no parents in site. Then when the parents go to look for them they freak out at the mess they have made or the plain fact that the don't even know where the kids went. I know we all have our moments where we leave the kids unattended BUT can you honestly say you couldn't find your kids? I almost feel that parents were negligent in the show. Granted it is a TV show, what is it teaching children? That if your parents don't know you are doing it, it is ok?

Then second thing about that show, there is this little girl named Angelica who is nothing but a spoiled brat. She screams at everyone to get her way, refuses to do what her parents ask until they give her what she wants, etc. I know this is where parents step in and tell their children that the way she acts is wrong and not how to get what you want. But I can't help but say Lucas has picked up on several of her bad habits. She treats younger children horribly and sometimes beats them up/pushes them around.

I truly think the show was inappropriate and I don't like Lucas or Austin watching it. But Chris thinks I am over reacting and sees no harm in it. I on the other hand see the impact it has on Lucas first hand daily.

Now Austins favorite show is Blues Clues, the show may get irritating with "Here's the mail" or "We Just got a Letter" but the education values are phenomenal. Austin has to have a note book just like Joe or Steve and it is his "handy dandy notebook." I can not take credit for Austin learning his shapes, that was BC as we like to call it. And do you think it was I who taught him the color chartreuse? No not I. They teach friendship and kindness, sharing, and so much more. They teach you it is ok to be angry or upset but not to be mean to your friends because of it. That when you are upset that it helps to talk about things. You ask Austin whats wrong when he is upset and he will tell you, "I'm sad because...." or "I'm soooo Mad at....." for a 3 year old he has a good handle on his emotions...well ok, not the best seeing he will throttle his brother for taking a toy...and Lucas doesn't help much when he take a block and throws it Austin's head...but boys will be boys right?

But the one show I am all for them watching is Veggie Tales. I love the ways they tell bible stories. Larry the cucumber cracks me up. It wasn't until my second time through Jonah that I realized they had no hands or feet. Because of that show and our constant talking about God in the household the boys know so much about their heavenly father and creator. Lucas stopped me the other day and asked, "Mommy where did the world come from?" We told him God made it in seven days. He was like, "Wow, that is a long time....." he stopped and thought about it then looked back up at me and proceeded to ask, "Mommy, i know babies come from mommies tummies, but where do people come from." The complexity of the question from a 5 year old. We have told him the story of Adam and Eve many of times but with his Autism he doesn't seem to retain the information the same as other children. So I took him over to his book shelf and grabbed their book of bible stories and sat down and read to him. The funniest thing about when I read to him about Adam and Eve was when I finished. He looked up and me and said "Mommy, apples are bad." I never thought about it that way...lol..we say an Apple a day keeps the doctor away, so they aren't bad for us, but to an innocent mind, apples are bad because they caused Adam and Eve to commit sin...oh well it was Satan but I could see why he thinks it was the apple...snakes don't talk, so it is silly that there is a talking snake in his book. LOL....

I love the way children's minds work, so innocent to it all, wanting nothing more then to take it all in.

So all in all, what did we learn from my random post.

1:) Rugrats....Bad
2:) Blues Clues. Great educational show
3:) Veggie Tales, great spiritual messages along with appropriate humor

Yes, I am selective about what my children watch. And seeing it is now summer, we seem to watch a lot more movies seeing it is too blasted hot to do anything outside until it is about 6o'clock.

Ok back to watching the latest movie...oh joy..Polar Express...at least I can pretend that it is cold for a moment....

Love Hugs and Blessing