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While I try not to have the TV on all the time, there are times when my daughters do watch television. In the summer it's not on very often because we're out enjoying the parks, pools and even just our own back yard. But some days, after all the running around, we only have the energy to come home, sit on the couch and watch some TV. The problem, though, is that right now my girls are either too old or too young for what's being offered.
Dora, Elmo, Backyardigans, Yo Gabba Gabba... we've out grown them. Their lessons are great, but I think my daughters have finally figured out that they need to share and they shouldn't bite their friends. Hannah Montana and all her Disney cohorts are something I just don't think we're ready for. Do 5-year-olds need to watch shows that have plot lines centered around dating? Forget Spongebob. I don't like him and we don't watch it. Ever.
PBS has the most educational offerings and even its animated shows tend to go beyond the preschool crowd. Arther and Cyberchase come to mind as two shows that are still suitable for the kindergarten crowd. Long before we had cable we only used an antenna, so PBS was our only option. I think that's why my girls tend to overlook those shows.
Fortunately, being "in between" shows, means my girls are engaging in more creative play. Right now the TV is off and they've created an "animal city" out of blocks and bricks. It has kept them entertained for the last hour.
When I was growing up, my parents didn't care what "everyone else" was watching. They made decisions about what I could watch (movies and TV) and made it clear that there were reasons behind those decisions. For instance, I remember in either fifth or sixth grade, a classmate had a slumber party. Excitement built as she informed us that we would be watching Desperately Seeking Susan. Then my world shattered when my mom told me I couldn't watch the movie. (Hey, I was in elementary school. It seemed like a devastating thing at the time). She called the host's mom and after a long discussion, the mom agreed to switch movies. I think we ended up watching Hairspray (the original version). I remember my mom explaining to me that Desperately Seeking Susan just wasn't appropriate for elementary school kids and, quite frankly, there wasn't really room for me to argue. Every now and then the movie is on cable. I still have not been able to bring myself to watch it. Here I am my 30's and I'm afraid I might get grounded for watching it!
Now it's my turn to police what my children watch. I don't want you to think we're glued to the TV. We're not. We do get out. We spend time at parks. We go to the library. There are days the TV is never on. But there are days it is on... and that's where it becomes my job to figure out what they can and cannot watch. My biggest "no" is Sponge Bob Square Pants. I will be honest here. I have never sat through an episode of this show. It appears to be ridiculous and that's enough for me. Plus, I'm just not keen on a character whose butt crack is always showing. My girls know they're not allowed to watch it and will even tell me if it's coming on next. At a birthday party a few months ago they were concerned they wouldn't be allowed to have cake because it was a Sponge Bob cake. I explained to them that while I think it's a silly show, they can certainly enjoy a Sponge Bob party... and I've even told them if they watch an episode here and there I'm not going to be upset. (For all you Sponge Bob lovers who are getting ready to leave me comments about why he's so great, just consider this... do your kids watch Yo Gabba Gabba? I can't tell you the number of parents I've met who think YGG is creepy but looooove the sponge who lives under the sea).
A week ago, grandma brought over the movie Matilda. As politely as possible, I explained to her that my girls aren't ready for this movie... and it's not just because I can't stand Mara Wilson. (Seriously, child actors who try to be to cutesy by lisping in movies, such as her role in Mrs. Doubtfire, are near the top of my list of pet peeves.) While I haven't seen the entire movie, I've seen bits and pieces of it, and it just seemed too dark for five-year-olds. I know what frightens my girls and I think this movie would disturb them.
Eventually, I won't have as much control over what they watch. They'll go to friend's houses and do as they please. But who knows... when they're adults they may see an episode of Sponge Bob on TV and, like my Desperately Seeking Susan moments, remember that Mommy said "no."
I have never wanted to be one of those parents who sets their child(ren) in front of the TV and disappears. But I have to admit, some days TV is my friend. It can be next to impossible to accomplish any chores without a distraction for the kids.
I try to limit what my daughters watch, I really do. But now and then, we spend a day camped out on the couch. We don't have cable, so we are restricted to PBS, Qubo and our own DVDs. At least I'm showing them educational things, right?
During the summer we were out and about most mornings, usually at the pool or the park. Now, with school back in session, my daughters are gone all morning. In the afternoon I'm either shuttling them to appointments or trying to do housework.
Yesterday was a good example of a "TV day." I was still cleaning up from their birthday party, doing laundry and trying to clean all three of our bathrooms, too. While they were at school I managed to do some of the laundry and steam mop the kitchen floor. Unfortunately, I then managed to shatter a glass on the kitchen floor and spent the rest of the morning cleaning up shards of glass and figuring out how to wedge a few shattered pieces out of the wood. So during the afternoon I was scrambling to clean three bathrooms and the rest of the kitchen. I did it, thanks to the distraction of TV. After lunch my daughters watched Kung Fu Panda and then a few shows on Qubo.
Nobody's perfect. The housework had been neglected long enough. Now that it's done we can get back to better activities, such as coloring and playing with their new magnetic dolls.
