Thing 1 came home the other day and announced in a very worried tone to me that her class had watched "Sponge Bob" at school that afternoon. I immediately understood WHY they had watched television — it is hell hot outside and too dangerous for the kids to have recess — but I was concerned about the choice of viewing material. Our kids don't watch Sponge Bob...it just isn't in our list of "approved" television. So all of you campers out there who are fans of the show, I'm not railing against that particular program, it just isn't one I personally choose for my kids to watch.
I spoke to Thing 1's teacher about it that evening at an open house, and she seemed mystified at my concern. I pointed out that at the same time period there are some great shows on PBS like Reading Rainbow and Between the Lions...surely more appropriate for kids to watch in an academic setting. A friend of mine observed later that the school library also has videos and DVDs of the excellent Scholastic books-on-video series....which are GREAT. Again, more appropriate for school, no?
Here's the irony of the whole situation....I guarantee that I am by leaps and bounds the most "liberal" parent in Thing 1's classroom, yet I'm the one questioning the fact that they are watching commercially-sponsored, non-academic television in lieu of something that they could actually learn something positive from. In fact, and this is REALLY ironic given the bad rap the label "liberal" has these days, is that I find myself very "conservative" on the ways that my children are exposed to different influences.
And, the next day, the kids didn't watch Sponge Bob...but they did watch another Nick show...one geared toward 'tweens. Again...this isn't complicated....just put in something more appropriate for six-year-olds.
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2 comments:
Personally, I find Spongebob dumb and unfunny. But I do think it is a bit crude they watched it during school? I will agree that I perhaps one of the most liberal folks out there, but I don't think I would want an entire group of kids (a lot raised by very conservative white people) watching SB at school. Just me saying.
From one who has no children but has been in charge of activities for the little wonders, I suggest that you give a list of approved shows for your children and/or a little prose on what is okay for your sprouts. At least for me, I always appreciated (okay maybe not at first) when the parents let me know what was okay and/or not okay for their kids. Again all about me: At the beginning of term, I would often be simply desensitized to the appropriateness issue since I had limited kid interaction during the summer.
For the record from my experience, the liberal ones who are parents are the most conservative with respect to what is appropriate for their children. It seems to be akin to fostering a healthly appetite by limiting junk food. Let's face it a lot of what is out there is brain junk food.
Now to onto the questions that pop into my mind...
So it's hot outside recess becomes watch a video? Do they do the same thing when it's raining outside? Don't they have inside activities that they can do that stimulate their creativeness and/or possibly get them moving around?
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