Are your kids banned from watching certain shows?

[jaci-h]

DH and I have no kids, but we'll start trying soon

We've decided to start collecting Disney dvds and other movies we love and that is what our kiddos will watch when they're old enough, in small amounts. I'll maybe DVR some stuff I find appropriate, but I'd rather have them watch classics, disney movies & pre-screened stuff.

I am a preschool teacher and have heard stuff from three year olds mouths that should NOT have come out. I don't completely blame tv, but it happens... especially if they are parked in front of the tv, uncensored, unscreened, etc.

Before being a preschool teacher, I was a nanny during college and experienced bad behavior & words due to video games and tv as well.

 

[jaci-h]

My DD is 11. She recently confessed that she had been staying up late in her room and watching Degrassi. Sounds like most of you have little ones, so I don't know if you've heard of this show, but it is so full of teen angst that it's unbelievable. School shootings, date rape, cheating, teen pregnancy, gay beatings, crack head parents in prision, etc.
Yes, I know that stuff happens in real life, but this show pushes it to the limit.
If I were a kid watching this show, I'd be scared to go to school.
No more Degrassi.

I'm 20something and I watch degrassi! My best friend and I like it because its so... dramatic and ridiculous. But with that said, we're not as impressionable as a preteen girl. The show really is bad and makes bad behavior look like its ok. I'm glad to hear you're putting a stop to it.

ETA: even in college, the date rape scenes, abortion talk, school shootings, and stabbing scenes were pretty disturbing

 

[poohguys]

DS9 watches Sponge Bob and I Carly. The only shows he is allowed to watch on cartoon network are Scooby Doo and Tom and Jerry. He likes to watch Dirty Jobs, Myth Busters and How It's Made.

He has asked to watch Family Guy-I said no way, I think he is still too young for that one. There was some dentist guy show he wanted to watch once too, but once again not appropriate.

The thing that really gets me is that at 8 pm at night every show on tv is in some way about sex. One night DH and I counted and in 10 mins sex was said 15 times! What happened to having the adult content shows on after 9 pm? We need some nice family shows on again.

 

[MichelleVW]

My kids dont really watch a lot of tv. Playhouse Disney is ok but only in limited amounts. But for sure there is no Spongebob, In the Nightgarden or Barney allowed.

Just find them horrible.

Barney?? Yes, Barney is annoying for an adult to watch, but for the Target audience it's a great show.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

For DD13 and DS10, we watch a show first or with the kids before we decide. We did brainwash them Hannah Montana, the Jonas Bros., and Sponge Bob all stank, though. In general, they watch stuff we think is OK.

In general, they stay away from network sitcom TV. But then, that's true of myself and DW, as well.

 

[Cibahwewah]

Yes, I'm THAT mom...
I restrict what my kids watch, and they're 4 and 6. My 6 yr old endured some teasing last year because he liked Mickey Mouse but wasn't as familiar with the other shows his classmates were into. So my DH decided they would watch Star Wars Clone Wars together. But a few episodes into it, there was an instance where a trooper was on the ground with a bounty hunter standing over him with a gun, he asked for mercy, but the bounty hunter shot him anyway. We deleted the rest of the shows we'd recorded.
The Disney shows are the worst---preteens with no parents in sight, with lives revolving around who's hooked up with who. And the kids watching them aren't preteens, they're elementary school kids.
I do let them watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Penguins of Madagascar, Scooby Doo, Martha Speaks, Fetch with Ruff Ruffman, Smurfs (although the Smurfs are a little wierd...). On DVD they watch Tailspin, Rescue Rangers, DuckTales, Penguins of Madagascar...
It's recommended that kids get 2 hrs or less of screen time. I am constantly reminding mine to get off the computer, DS, TV, etc. but it's been sooo hot and miserably humid for the past month I can't make them go outside, so we have been doing more reading and coloring and other brain activities. Too much passive TV watching=kids with mush for brains.

 

[eyor44]

Yes, we only let our children watch age appropriate shows.

But there are some shows that while "targeted" at their age group we don't allow them to watch.

 

[RooRach0906]

DH and I are another couple who was talking about how tv today is not like it used to be. In our house we have already banned Spongebob altogether.
Our DD is only 3 months and I am already starting a list of show she will not watch. Definately no Dora, Diego, Ni Ho Kalin, and Yo Gabba Gabba mostly because these shows drive me nuts not because they are not appropiate. She will not watch the saturday cartoons or cartoon network shows they have out now.
She will watch my collection of Disney Sing-a-longs Songs, Disney DVD cartoon shorts, and Baby Eistein Videos.

Really what ever happened to TGIF tv shows??? and the Wonderful World of Disney movie on Sunday nights??? I loved how they were geared towards watching TV as a family. I miss the shows that OP listed along with perfect strangers and dinosaurs. Oh and the Snorks cartoon!

 

[KAA1972]

I'd like to know that, too. I like the way their entire family pitches in to take care of the baby.

My best friend K-8 is the mom on Good Luck Charlie and she is just adorable both on the show and off! We love the family interaction on the show. It is nice to see a show with an importance placed on a mom and a dad and not just teen stars. Suite Life isn't a bad show but it seems to send the message that kids can make it just fine without their parents. And, I don't think that is a good message to send....

 

[Suellen]

We don't allow our children to watch shows that have commercials for one thing.

They are allowed to watch any of the Disney Cartoons (no live action shows)
They are allowed to watch NickJr
They are allowed to watch anything we buy for them on AppleTV
They have a bunch of Disney movies and also Duck Tales on DVD.

I can't STAND Spoongebob.

 

[luckylady131]

My daughter's 4 years old. I only let her watch some things. But the sassy mouth still persists!! If anyone has suggestions - they are welcomed!!

I usually DVR her shows, and she's allowed to watch:
Dora/Diego - MUCH prefer Diego to Dora, and she doesn't watch either much, but Diego doesn't repeat things 3 times over and over and over!!
Franklin
Little Bear
Clifford
Olivia - I think this is SO cute!
Wow Wow Wubbzy - her favorite show
Little Einsteins - used to be her fav show, still likes it a lot though
Phineas and Ferb - new show she just got into, so far I think it's okay.
Curious George
Pinky Dinky doo
The Backyardigans
She also loves Lilo and Stitch, but I don't let her watch it that often.

Other shows she watches that we don't record: Miss Spider Sunnydale farm, Ni Hao, Kia-lan, Team Oomi Zoomi (she loves this one), Oswald, etc.

She watches PBS some too - word world, super why, etc.

It's so hard to find quality anything anymore. Quality family tv, quality food to put into our children's bodies, quality education, etc. Everyone is so rushed anymore.

 

[Suellen]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^That is pretty much our list too.

Wondering where this Phinneaus and Ferb obsession has come from. Honestly ~ she would watch that from morning until night if I let her.

She is 5 and my youngest is 3 ~ the 3 year old hates it ~ which makes me happy because she will just play something else instead of watch TV.

 

[luckylady131]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^That is pretty much our list too.

Wondering where this Phinneaus and Ferb obsession has come from. Honestly ~ she would watch that from morning until night if I let her.

She is 5 and my youngest is 3 ~ the 3 year old hates it ~ which makes me happy because she will just play something else instead of watch TV.

I wish!! My 4 year old would watch tv from opening her eyes in the am to closing them for bedtime!! But her dad and I watch movies a lot - it's our family pass-time.

Before we had kids we went to the movies a lot. Since having kids, he takes her to the movies often (for new kids movies that come out - she LOVES the 3D ones) and we have a movie room in our house. But I try not to let her watch too much tv.

It's been SO SO HOT here the past few weeks, i have to say she's gotten more than her fair share of tv watching under her belt! YEah for pre-k starting next week!!

 

[Halbleib1]

I totally understand. I don't want my kids watching all the "tween" shows on TV. Over my dead body. They just seem to ooze disrespect to adults and bad attitude. Ugh. I'm not sure *how* I'm going to block them, but hopefully cable boxes will have that technology in a few years.

Cable boxes already do have parental controls. You set them based on the ratings. You can also block complete channels. Newer tvs also have parental control settings as well.

 

[Jey12]

Maybe I'm old fashioned or just out of the loop, I'm not sure what you'd call my TV parenting style? If the TV is on for DD4 I am sitting with her watching it. If a topic comes up that does not reflect our family values we discuss it right then and there. It doesn't work 100% of the time, she still might say or do something she shouldn't, but when that happens we discuss why it's not allowed right then and there. Sometimes she doesn't do it again, other times she pushes her limits. Part of being 4 is my thought, but I do stay consistent as much as possible. Now I'm not going to let her watch CSI or Criminal Minds, that's what my DVR is for, but she has seen a few episodes of icarly, and other shows others aren't fond of on Disney. At the end of some shows where the main character has gotten into trouble and a lesson is learned, our discussion afterward focuses on the lesson learned. Honestly if she's watching TV it's because I'm exhausted and probably not in any mindset for a lesson of the day. So we put on a classic Disney or other family friendly 80's type of movie.

We use the music channels as background noise instead of the TV. That's just our personal choice as a family. The one and only show I think I would ever ban due to content is Family Guy. If the time slot its on isn't bad enough the storyline is so off the wall awful I won't even sit through a minute of watching it. This is coming from a South Park fan during my college years. I do not get Family Guy nor do I understand how or why it's been allowed to stay on at the time it is on Sundays. I agree bring back the Disney movie of the week!

As for Barney, why is it so offense to so many? Yes the songs can really mess with an adult's mentality. My experience with watching it is being taught tolerance for others, not judging, being accountable and just trying to be good to one another. To be honest my brain begins to ooze anytime Wow Wow Wubzy or Dora's voice is heard. I'd take a week straight of Barney over those shows any day. Again I supposed it all comes down to a personal choice and what works best for one's family.

 

[mhawk4]

One of my DD's friends bans a ton of shows and movies. It is such an issue with her that I have stopped having playdates with her DD so I dont have to be worried if it is okay or not. It is not worth the stress.

I feel she is looking down at us as parents and I have so many better things to do than try to please her.

Although we don't let our girls watch certain shows in our house, I don't get crazy when they go to someone elses house and watch them. Yes, sometimes they see Sponge Bob, ICarly, Suite Life at someone elses house. They know that we have made certain decisions for our family and other families make other decisions. I tell them we cannot judge other families for the decisions they make because they make the best decisions for them.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

When my guys were younger, there were shows I didn't turn on/"let them watch" because I didn't think they had any benefit at all. Now that they're 10 and 12, they mostly watch Discovery Channel, History Channel, and things like that. They're not into any of the tween shows, but they're also guys, which may have something to do with it.

I'm not a huge television fan, though, so it's never on unless hubby is home (in which case it's on as much as he possibly can have it!). But 99% of what he watches is fishing and sports, so they all watch it together.

So to answer your question, I guess banning doesn't come up too much, but yes, there are shows they've paused on while flipping channels and I tell them to keep on flipping. Anything that has multiple words "beeped" out is cause for a channel change.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My daughter's 4 years old. I only let her watch some things. But the sassy mouth still persists!! If anyone has suggestions - they are welcomed!!

.

When my DD was little she didn't watch TV, we didn't even have cable (she's 14 now, how did we ever survive those days? lol). She was still mouthy and she still is some now. It's her temperment, it has nothing to do with what she sees on TV.

It's funny to me to read on here what parents think their kids will "never" watch or do. Never say never . When you're laid up with the flu and your toddler wants you to play with them you won't care if it's Barney or Wubbzy or whatever is keeping your little one quiet and out of trouble while you rest. That's how it starts...then they start asking for it and you think well, just this time...

 

[mjkacmom]

When my DD was little she didn't watch TV, we didn't even have cable (she's 14 now, how did we ever survive those days? lol). She was still mouthy and she still is some now. It's her temperment, it has nothing to do with what she sees on TV.

It's funny to me to read on here what parents think their kids will "never" watch or do. Never say never . When you're laid up with the flu and your toddler wants you to play with them you won't care if it's Barney or Wubbzy or whatever is keeping your little one quiet and out of trouble while you rest. That's how it starts...then they start asking for it and you think well, just this time...

LOL - the only one I really restricted was my first child (of course), and she was my only child with a sassy mouth (and I don't think she got that from watching Little Bear). My younger ones watch what the older kids watch (I can only deal with one TV on at a time), and have never spoken in a fresh manner.

It also works both ways - dd14 will still watch the Disney channel, because the younger kids like it. I'm guessing that if she were an only child, she'd never watch kids shows anymore (her favorite shows are Glee and The Office).

 

[maddiesmom0116]

I cant believe I found this thread! I actually posted something on my blog just the other day about my 8 year old daughter and her mouth!
Here is my blog entry!
Where does she get this from

The Disney Channel shows are the ones we are having the biggest problem with. I personally like the shows, but it has a crazy affect on my daughter.
I really do miss good prime time shows I knew I could sit down with my family and watch. There are not really any that don't have some kind of attitude, language, inappropriate activity, or inappropriate dressing in it. Not to mention a gaggle of other things.

I mean I literally can't think of a single show like (Full House, Cosby Show, etc)

Thanks for posting this, my DD6 has been acting this way recently and I can't fiqure out where it is coming from. She has been watching alot of these shows recently, so that may be it. I am going to cut these shows out and see if it helps.