What I dislike most about Disney:

[luvsJack]

Dd(11) watches all of these shows but mainly likes Wizards. The only thing she likes to emulate is the way Alex dresses on the show.

Kids in general do have sassy mouths. You just curb it. They seem to talk that way to each other at school. I just tell her that how she talks to her friends is not how she talks to adults. And that generally shuts it down.

As for the shows causing it, I refuse to blame a TV show, music, or video game for my child's behavior. Her behavior comes from me taking the responsibility of teaching her and her taking the responsibility of her actions.

 

[kevschickee]

It's not "just how kids are". I've seen respectful kids.


I miss Little House, too!


When my kid watches, she acts bad. When my kid doesn't, she acts up much less.
I think there is a direct correlation. It's almost like she forgets the mannerisms that go with the sass after a few days, and doesn't have that reminder of how it's done. Kids her age want to grow up so fast, and they think this is how you act when you do.

Many kids are like that. The children I work with some watch tv some don't. It is a part of growing up we as parents have the tools to help them. Some parents choose to use these tools some don't. Like the other parents in this thread said use these shows as a tool and sit and watch them with her. Yes there are respectful children but it is a childs job to push the limits and see what they can get away with.

 

[Tiger926]

I'm of the belief that just turning off those shows is not enough. For example, when Jamie Lynn Spears became pregnant, all of my friends stopped their kids from watching Zoey 101. I discussed with all of them how this was then making TV a part of real life - Zoey was not pregnant, the actress who plays that character was pregnant in real life. Two very distinct and different ideas... They should be as parents determining if the subject matter on the TV program was appropriate, and it shouldn't be crossed with the real life actors/actresses at all, as that just teaches kids that TV is real life, and this is a dangerous idea to carry with them.

We don't watch much TV, but we do let our DD6 watch a little bit of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, Jonas Bros and Wizards. We constantly talk about how London Tipton on Zack and Cody is extremely rude and disrespectful to most everyone, for example. We allow her to watch certain episodes that are more child centred - funny things happening, concert music, etc. The dating episodes are becoming more prevalent as the kids are growing up, and this is why we are directly involved in watching each episode before she sees it, and we don't allow her to watch many episodes because at 6, she isn't at that stage to understand what is happening. She is exceptionally bright, and so we don't hide things from her, but we have taught her that there everything has to be assessed, whether it be TV, music or movies by mommy and daddy, end of story. Some shows she can watch, and for the ones she cannot, she knows that mommy and daddy have determined that there is something that is not appropriate. We have set this up from the beginning, so there are no issues. She also still loves to watch Playhouse Disney as well (watches that most of the time, actually), so she has learned the difference between age groups and target audiences at a very young age. Age appropriate is a big word in our home.

Kids will sass, as developmentally, this is where they are at, at this age, but if a child is 6 or 7, and doesn't know that they are watching TV and it is not real life, then you need to have a long discussion with her about it. She should be old enough to know that they are acting for attention and to get laughs, and that is it. Some of this behaviour is age appropriate though, and so I'm not sure it would matter how much of those shows she watches, as she will hear this talk at school, older cousins, etc.

Good luck, Tiger

 

[mickeysmyboy]

My DD is 8 and very much into all of those shows. We haven't had a problem with her acting in any kind of unacceptable manner. Of course, she knows by now that we will not tolerate that nonsense. That's what your showing your DD.

I do see the sass in some of her friends though. But their parents let them get away with it.

If you think about it A LOT of kids shows are the same. Suite Life and Hannah Montana with a missing parent. Icarly with both missing parents. Phineas and Ferb with kids who aren't supervised, at all.

But even little kid shows are like that, ever seen Max and Ruby?! I can't stand that show!! Why don't they have parents?! Why is Ruby the most awful, fresh, mean sister in the world?!

Some mentioned old Mickey cartoons being better. Think about Donald Duck for a second. He's mean, very mean. What about Huey, Duey and Luey? Where are their parents? They do terrible things and act up.

What about things like Tom and Jerry? the violence is terrible if you really think about. Looney Toon? The same thing! Anyone else watched the Smurfs growing up? It's the same thing. Terrible, mean man setting a village of little blue men on FIRE?!


I really think these themes are reoccuring in cartoons and kids shows. You just notice it more when you kids start to test their boundaries on it!

I say good for you for not taking it and giving her consequences for her actions! That's what will make her understand that it's not ok to act that like that, it's not cute and not funny. That's what makes you a good mommy

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now, sorry for the rant

 

[AntePrincess]

I absolutely agree, nothing grates on me like a kid with attitude. Nothing. It especially gets me when a very young kid perfectly imitates my tone and phrases when she's mad at me. Things like the two year old griping "Stop it, I said!" at her father or I.

But is it really television, and is it really anything new?

As far back as "Leave It To Beaver," there was plenty of sarcasm, innuendo, and major attitude, mostly on the part of the adults. Of course, that was "dry wit" back then, that was the style. Today, that much doesn't seem to have changed, at most the children on screen are more precocious, not just sexually, but verbally. I don't see how I'm going to tell her that it's just television, when it isn't. The people on television have the same attitude as many people on the street, they're just wittier usually. We don't watch much programming at all, in fact we don't own a television, we just watch some DVDs on the computer once in a while, but the attitude is out there all around us, and we do see it now and then in our daughter.

 

[Colleen27]

Dd(11) watches all of these shows but mainly likes Wizards. The only thing she likes to emulate is the way Alex dresses on the show.

Kids in general do have sassy mouths. You just curb it. They seem to talk that way to each other at school. I just tell her that how she talks to her friends is not how she talks to adults. And that generally shuts it down.

As for the shows causing it, I refuse to blame a TV show, music, or video game for my child's behavior. Her behavior comes from me taking the responsibility of teaching her and her taking the responsibility of her actions.

That's been the case with our older two as well, and I think that's why the attitude tends to pop up for the first time in 1st grade - they're experiencing a peer-driven environment full time for the first time and still haven't developed the selective boundaries that make for a successful shift back and forth between different contexts. Learning that the way you talk with friends isn't the way you talk to parents or other authority figures is an important social skill that 6yos are just starting to have need for, and it takes time and reinforcement of boundaries at home to help them develop it.

 

[luvsJack]

I'm of the belief that just turning off those shows is not enough. For example, when Jamie Lynn Spears became pregnant, all of my friends stopped their kids from watching Zoey 101. I discussed with all of them how this was then making TV a part of real life - Zoey was not pregnant, the actress who plays that character was pregnant in real life. Two very distinct and different ideas... They should be as parents determining if the subject matter on the TV program was appropriate, and it shouldn't be crossed with the real life actors/actresses at all, as that just teaches kids that TV is real life, and this is a dangerous idea to carry with them.

We don't watch much TV, but we do let our DD6 watch a little bit of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, Jonas Bros and Wizards. We constantly talk about how London Tipton on Zack and Cody is extremely rude and disrespectful to most everyone, for example. We allow her to watch certain episodes that are more child centred - funny things happening, concert music, etc. The dating episodes are becoming more prevalent as the kids are growing up, and this is why we are directly involved in watching each episode before she sees it, and we don't allow her to watch many episodes because at 6, she isn't at that stage to understand what is happening. She is exceptionally bright, and so we don't hide things from her, but we have taught her that there everything has to be assessed, whether it be TV, music or movies by mommy and daddy, end of story. Some shows she can watch, and for the ones she cannot, she knows that mommy and daddy have determined that there is something that is not appropriate. We have set this up from the beginning, so there are no issues. She also still loves to watch Playhouse Disney as well (watches that most of the time, actually), so she has learned the difference between age groups and target audiences at a very young age. Age appropriate is a big word in our home.

Kids will sass, as developmentally, this is where they are at, at this age, but if a child is 6 or 7, and doesn't know that they are watching TV and it is not real life, then you need to have a long discussion with her about it. She should be old enough to know that they are acting for attention and to get laughs, and that is it. Some of this behaviour is age appropriate though, and so I'm not sure it would matter how much of those shows she watches, as she will hear this talk at school, older cousins, etc.

Good luck, Tiger

Sounds as though you are taking a real proactive approach in determining what your child should or should not watch. Good job.

Keep one thing in mind though. The "forbidden fruit" is always more appetizing. I found that when we tried to censor a particular tv show, dd's friends would be talking about it at school and sometimes the message she got from them was totally off the mark of what was really happening. I just find it better to watch the shows with her and if I find something or someone's behavior objectionable, we talk about it. This may not be the best way at 6 but works much better at 11. And, for us, it equals us taking responsibility rather than giving it to the tv show or actor.

 

[Colleen27]

My DD is 8 and very much into all of those shows. We haven't had a problem with her acting in any kind of unacceptable manner. Of course, she knows by now that we will not tolerate that nonsense. That's what your showing your DD.

I do see the sass in some of her friends though. But their parents let them get away with it.

If you think about it A LOT of kids shows are the same. Suite Life and Hannah Montana with a missing parent. Icarly with both missing parents. Phineas and Ferb with kids who aren't supervised, at all.

But even little kid shows are like that, ever seen Max and Ruby?! I can't stand that show!! Why don't they have parents?! Why is Ruby the most awful, fresh, mean sister in the world?!

Some mentioned old Mickey cartoons being better. Think about Donald Duck for a second. He's mean, very mean. What about Huey, Duey and Luey? Where are their parents? They do terrible things and act up.

What about things like Tom and Jerry? the violence is terrible if you really think about. Looney Toon? The same thing! Anyone else watched the Smurfs growing up? It's the same thing. Terrible, mean man setting a village of little blue men on FIRE?!


I really think these themes are reoccuring in cartoons and kids shows. You just notice it more when you kids start to test their boundaries on it!

I say good for you for not taking it and giving her consequences for her actions! That's what will make her understand that it's not ok to act that like that, it's not cute and not funny. That's what makes you a good mommy

Ok, I'll get off my soap box now, sorry for the rant

I was thinking back on the stuff I used to watch at my DD's age... I don't remember parents at all in Saved by the Bell. Nickelodeon had a show about kids away at a ranch or camp or something that I recall being very similar to the cruise ship incarnation of Suite Life. And really, is anything on Disney worse than You Can't Do That on Television?

Likewise, absent parents are a constant in kids' cartoons, from Charlie Brown to Rugrats to Dora... That's a big part of the appeal of those shows, the fantasy of having wild adventures on your own, like a "big kids"/adult.

 

[Tiger926]

Sounds as though you are taking a real proactive approach in determining what your child should or should not watch. Good job.

Keep one thing in mind though. The "forbidden fruit" is always more appetizing. I found that when we tried to censor a particular tv show, dd's friends would be talking about it at school and sometimes the message she got from them was totally off the mark of what was really happening. I just find it better to watch the shows with her and if I find something or someone's behavior objectionable, we talk about it. This may not be the best way at 6 but works much better at 11. And, for us, it equals us taking responsibility rather than giving it to the tv show or actor.

Thanks - I don't subscribe to the forbidden fruit theory at all. Everyone has choices to make, and so she is learning that she needs to make good choices, based on the rules set out by us. This is a great life skill to have, IMHO. Our daughter has learned from an early age, that each family has their own set of rules, and what works in one family, may not work in another, and that's the way it is. We don't watch much TV, and so the very little bit that we watch is approached in that manner. This is responsible parenting as far as I'm concerned - the TV is not a babysitter in this house, nor will it ever be.

Good job in discussing stuff with your daughter. I teach at-risk kids, and most of them live on their own, so no parents in the picture. It makes me happy when I hear of parents spending quality time with their kids, because I see so much of the opposite of that with my students.

Tiger

 

[mjkacmom]

I know there are those who watch and do just fine, but are we the only ones who have trouble with these shows? I know that six is definitely too young, but I have to think that 11-12 could be too young, too.

All of my kids watch them, and none of them are fresh. Dd13 is really over them by now - I don't think 11 - 12 year olds are too young for them. Maybe it's because my 6 year olds are my youngest? They also LOVE spongebob!

 

[ebtbmom]

I was thinking back on the stuff I used to watch at my DD's age... I don't remember parents at all in Saved by the Bell. Nickelodeon had a show about kids away at a ranch or camp or something that I recall being very similar to the cruise ship incarnation of Suite Life. And really, is anything on Disney worse than You Can't Do That on Television?

Likewise, absent parents are a constant in kids' cartoons, from Charlie Brown to Rugrats to Dora... That's a big part of the appeal of those shows, the fantasy of having wild adventures on your own, like a "big kids"/adult.

OH, You Can't Do That on Television!!! Classic, my mom would never let me watch this show so I would sneak around and watch it. I was also banned from Simpsons, Beavis and Butthead and Ren and Stimpy. The forbidden fruit theory totally applied to me because I was dying to watch these once she said no. I liked feeling sneaky

The missing parent thing is kinda funny,sometimes jokingly I've told my son "Sorry you have two loving attentive parents that won't let you go on any adventures like Harry Potter and all the other orphan kids" You just couldn't have a good kids story with the mom calling the kid on the cell phone every 30 minutes or so to make sure they are OK and behaving!

 

[kevschickee]

OHHHHH I LOVED SNICK at night. Fridays were my favorite night except for 90210 and Melrose Place night. Are You Afraid Of The Dark was my fav SNICK show and Clarrissa Explains it all

 

[ogreenlee]

We gave her chances with these shows. We'd take them away for a few days, and then give them back only for her to act that way again. She finally lost them for good to the password.

She is allowed to play some of the computer games associated with the shows, but that's it.

Speaking of... ever heard of KidZui? It's an internet browser for kids. We think it's pretty cool.

Why can't they stay sweet and little forever? Oh, and I HATE MAX AND RUBY. Max is sneaky and Ruby is annoying. Ugh.

 

[frtchr]

I miss the Walton's and Little House on the Prairie! LOL

My husband got me the box-set of Little House (the entire series!) for Christmas last year. Best. Gift. Ever.

 

[gregokdisney]

I think most of those shows are pretty responsible - the kids are shown trying to get away with things, they realize their parents or guardians made the rules for a reason, they get punished or learn their lessons.

Kids that are 6 years old are too young for Hannah Montana and iCarly and Wizards and Suite Life - they are made for tweens. If you think your tweens aren't hearing sass like that at school or anywhere else, you're mistaken. I get sick of people laying the blame for bad behavior solely on the shoulders of TV characters. My daughter is 10, she watches Hannah Montana and iCarly. She's a great kid. She sometimes sasses, but the chances are pretty darn high that she heard it from some obnoxious kid at school before Hannah Montana ever said it.

If a child can't watch those shows and control their behavior, they shouldn't watch them. If a child emulates bad behavior instantaneously after seeing it on TV, chances are pretty high they are going to be easily influenced by the wrong kids at school, in sports, even in Sunday School.

 

[momma2minnie]

Of all the characters on these shows, London Tipton dirves me nuts!

I can't stand her "dumb-is-cute-and-education-doesn't-matter-because-I'm-rich-Yay! Me" attitude.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[ogreenlee]

i don't like london tipton or the sister on waverly place. hannah montana is about the most decent out of any of the shows, imo.

no one has to preach at me about those disney shows not being for little kids, but how many tweens still play with toys? most of the toys are marketed towards little girls, and yes, they're just toys, but that makes them want to watch the show.

my 12 year old niece is "over that" and gets embarrassed now when someone thinks that hannah montana is made for her age group. not that she's an example, but it's the only one i got.

we're ok. i just wanted to complain. i have a great kid who is funny and smart. she just happens to be the only child, around adults a lot, and yes... is impressionable.

 

[Disneywed]

Of all the characters on these shows, London Tipton dirves me nuts!

I can't stand her "dumb-is-cute-and-education-doesn't-matter-because-I'm-rich-Yay! Me" attitude.

Just my 2 cents.

a few weeks back my 6 year old clapped her hands and said "yay me, I'm rich!"

Buh bye Zach & Cody.

 

[Tiger926]

The problem is that 6 year olds are acting like 12 year olds, and 12 year olds are acting like 20 year olds. Hannah Montana may be marketed to tweens, but the subject matter is highschoolers. They are in highschool, date and drive cars, so there should be no problems with highschoolers watching the show.

I'm a highschool teacher, and this disconnect is a big problem for me. Like I said, our DD6 watches selected episodes - episodes when Hannah was 12, and they had little funny things happen at home or at school, are her favourite. More age appropriate stuff...the dating stuff she is starting to show an interest in by asking questions, so we are starting to talk about it, again as an age appropriate activity. She's 6, so she won't be dating for long while. I totally agree with previous posters who said that if kids are watching and emulating the characters, then they are too young to watch. TV should not have that much power in anyone's home.

There is a disconnect...but the problem is on both ends, as far as I'm concerned. No 12 year olds should be embarassed to watch a show in which all of the main characters are older than themselves. This is a big problem for me...I even read posts on here in which parents use words like "babyish" (that words makes me cringe!) to describe these shows. Again, that's really interesting since the characters are older than that!

I'll shut up now - LOL! Tiger

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Just because there was crap on tv when you were young doesn't mean it was the best for you either. (You, in general.) Surviving something doesn't make it a positive. I survived a lot of things, but where would I be now had I thrived instead of survived?

Why feed them crap?