Just A Small Kernal... In A Big Box
There are actually parents out there that don’t allow their children to watch the television. I always wondered about their reasoning. When I was growing up we could watch TV, but what we watch was heavily monitored.
But then a thought came to me…Maybe the parents feel that the kids shouldn’t have some fantasy about what life is like, so then they won’t be disappointed when they may or may not find out it isn’t true. The same reasoning why some parents don’t tell fairytales of the knight riding up on a white horse to save the princess to their daughters… Or let them play with Barbies.
But then a thought came to me. Without disappointment how would we ever grow strong in life? And isn’t disappointment a small obstacle on our life path…A way to make sure we learn and continue on the path we were meant to take?
While it is true that some more than others experience more than their fair share of disappointments, it is also true that they are that much more stronger because of it.
And if we’re smart we will realize that we make our own fantasies about life, and it’s up to us to make them realities.
But then a thought came to me…Maybe the parents feel that the kids shouldn’t have some fantasy about what life is like, so then they won’t be disappointed when they may or may not find out it isn’t true. The same reasoning why some parents don’t tell fairytales of the knight riding up on a white horse to save the princess to their daughters… Or let them play with Barbies.
But then a thought came to me. Without disappointment how would we ever grow strong in life? And isn’t disappointment a small obstacle on our life path…A way to make sure we learn and continue on the path we were meant to take?
While it is true that some more than others experience more than their fair share of disappointments, it is also true that they are that much more stronger because of it.
And if we’re smart we will realize that we make our own fantasies about life, and it’s up to us to make them realities.
posted by Kate Michele at 6:45 PM
13 Comments:
I can't believe there are people out there who don't tell their daughters the stories of the white horse and prince. But then again, maybe they're teaching them to grow up and not depend on some man. Hmm...
I don't remember any dreams or fantasies I had about my life except wanting to have a pretty wedding dress. So much for that huh?
see as a child i never had fantasies of being rescued of wearing a pretty wedding dress...i still don't! i watched typically "male" shows like he-man and spiderman, thinking shows like "my little pony" etc were stupid.
however, my parents also encouraged me to read and that is something that has benefitted me much more than any tv shows i watched as a child.
so yes, TV in moderation is a good thing because it keeps the childs imagination active...however an active mind and body is also essential and cannot be substituted by just plopping the child in front of the television set and hoping for it to be the baby sitter!
then again, i don't have children so i don't really know what the hell i'm talking about!
great topic though!
television today is way different than it was when i was a kid. i remember having to adjust the rabbit ears to get better reception on the few channels that we got!
there are several really interesting studies out there about television and it's affect on children - one of the more memorable ones i've read examined the gender stereotypes in children's programming. it was really disturbing.
there's also a great deal of speculation that the rapid influx of images appearing on the screen can contribute to a.d.d. and weaken a child's ability to be able to focus on any one thing for very long.
we don't watch much tv around here, needless to say. i find that if i turn it on, i get stuck there. it's almost like an addiction for me. i lose hours and days if i'm not careful and there are just other things that i'd rather do, ya know?
the message in the medium that you mention would turn into a whole rant, so i'll spare you. ultimately, kids have very active imaginations that don't neccesarily need any guidence from the tube.
but everything in moderation. including moderation. :)
For someone so young, you are so very wise.
Supergirl is right, TV is much different now than then. Pick up a DVD of an old TV show from the sixties and you'll see.
Sports on TV is mostly a screen full of junk that whizzes by so fast it's almost impossible to read. Graphics all over the screen, stuff scrolling at the top and bottom. Distracting. Where's my pills?
As far as the disappointment, I think it builds character. It's the big argument against the way Little League baseball is now. Every kid gets a trophy, so they don't have to earn anything or win something to be rewarded.
I think it sets up an unrealistic standard for kids.
When they are adults, they may think that the world will just give them stuff for showing up. If they don't learn that effort earns them things, they may never want to work for anything.
As the wise philosopher Homer once said, "Boy, if you want anything in this world you have to work for it. Now, be quiet, they're about to announce the lottery numbers!"
Interesting. I think theswe days it's more that kids potentially watch too much TV, and don't experience the real world - maybe that's why parents restrict TV time?
I try to moniter what my daugter watches but my main reason is that the shows these days make parents look like complete morons and the kids look like super-humans. I hate that. We watch the shows together and talk about them.
When she was four she told me that I needed to buy Pantene shampoo because my hair would be shiny and silky smooth instead of frizzy and curly. That's when we started really ripping apart commercials and tv shows. Now she knows that you can't believe everything you see. She even watches the news with a very critical eye.
My parents just stuck me in front of the tv and made me watch Sesame Street or whatever PBS was showing, while my mom watched her soap opera in one room and my dad would watch sports in the other. That was family time for me. My other siblings were doing other things.
I didn't have a tv for a good bit of time when I was younger and I didn't miss it one bit. I do think kids today watch too much television. I don't even have cable to this day and I know I'm not missing anything. I plan on restricting tv usage when I have children, I think I would be more likely to encourage reading and playing outside.
Very wise commentary. Congrats on the new house...pics look really cool.
www.bionicbuddha.com
I think balance is the key. A little TV is fine. Watching for hours on end every day will melt their brains! I really like Kimmy's approach of watching together and really analyzing what they're seeing. That's what I plan to do if we have kids. As for fairy tales, I think imagination and fantasy are great but I would be cautious about the message. I ain't sitting around for a knight to rescue me, but I want to believe in happily ever after too.
I've learned more from failure and disappointment than I ever did from success and happiness.
A little adversity can be the best teacher. Parents who don't allow their children to experience it, even in a minimal manner, do them no favors.
I have not had a TV in 2 1/2 years. No viedo games either. I did get a computer about a year ago but it has been broken for a few months and I didn't let the kids get online anyway. I am not sure if I will ever get a TV again, well at least as long as I have the kids living with me.
I really don't think that they are missing anything by not watching TV. They are allowed to watch TV when they are at someone else's house. I don't have a problem with them watching TV, just not at home. We just don't have time. And we can watch a movie on the computer when we want to do that. Plus board games and cards are a lot more fun. So people think I am crazy for not having a TV, but I like it better this way.
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