I ran to the Galleria last week to pick up some summer clothes for the kids (mostly because that morning I'd realized Hudson was wearing a pair of cargo shorts that were size 2T and, though they still fit in the waist, length-wise they were starting to resemble NBA basketball shorts circa 1980) and, after having only a modicum of success (here's where I again insert my rant about the dearth of quality, affordable children's clothes that aren't emblazoned with sparkly logos etc.) I popped into J. Crew to see if I could grab a couple of t-shirts for myself. I overheard a mom talking to her daughter, who looked to be about Harper's age (which is 6, in case you've forgotten) and the mom pointed to a dress on a mannequin and asked her daughter if she liked it. The daughter said she liked it okay, and the mom said, "It's very Betty Draper, don't you think?" I was then overcome with the same judgmental feelings I have when people bring their small children to movies that are clearly for adults. Because Betty Draper is a character on "Mad Men," which is a show that no 6 year old should be watching. Or, even if she doesn't watch it, why would she want her daughter to even be comfortable recognizing cultural references from an R-rated television show? "Sesame Street" does this on occasion too--"Socks in the City" and there was something having to do with "True Blood." Ridiculous. Let kids be kids. Please.
Which reminded me of a novel I read about a year ago. It was written by a Rice University professor and was getting lots of attention. It should surprise you not at all that it was set in a post-apocalyptic not-so-distant future in which the humans that were left were forced to live in these huge, iron-clad structures to protect them from a dangerous non-human (well, maybe I should say vaguely human) enemy. When children were born they were taken to a separate section where they were lovingly nurtured and reared to know nothing at all about the horrifying wasteland that lay beyond the dome. It was like "The Truman Show" for kids. Then, on their 8th birthday, their parents told them the truth. BAM. And their childhood was over and they began studying and training to protect themselves against the enemy. Like a really macabre First Communion.
I guess we have a little of that going on here. The "Truman Show" for kids, I mean. For example, I got the movie "The Sound of Music" at the library this week (after Mrs. S loaned me Maria Trapp's The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, which I read over spring break and really enjoyed) and we've watched up until the wedding and then I stop it because it gets a little Nazi-intensive at that point and I just didn't want to talk about Hitler yet. One reason is that I get really emotional when I try to explain historical things that are upsetting, sort of like when I finally tried to read the crucifixion chapter in the Jesus Storybook Bible out loud one day during our reading time a couple of months ago and I started crying really hard and Harper ran to her room and Hudson went to get me a tissue. I did recover and tell them that the story has a happy ending, and that's part of what made me cry, but I'm not sure they bought it.
I've been recording this Discovery channel series called "The Frozen Planet" because I thought we might use bits of it to talk about science, then I watched a little of the first episode by myself and it is VERY circle-of-lifey (stole that from Ari J.) but beautifully filmed. There is an extremely plucky penguin who manages to get away from a lion seal after several close calls, but the most troubling thing is watching a pack (herd? school? I can't remember) of orca whales maim then toy with a seal until it gives up in exhaustion on a small ice floe, then they slowly pull it into the water and devour it. Orcas are Hudson's second favorite animal (after turtles) and he has a small fuzzy one in his collection of sleep animals. He has a vague idea that they are aka "killer whales" but he's never asked for clarification. He just knows they are very smiley and they make cute noises. I do not think it would be beneficial for him at this point to watch the cruel death dance with the seal. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe on his 8th birthday I'll let him watch it. And the Nazis. And maybe "Old Yeller." And we'll end the day with Where the Red Fern Grows.
Speaking of his birthday, his firm resolution to stop sucking his thumb lasted exactly one day. I told him I sucked my thumb until I was 7 and I think he saw that as some sort of permission to continue. It's okay by me. You should see how cute he is going to sleep.
Well, we got well and now the sickness has begun again. Helena has a cough that sounds like a seal trying to escape from a gang of orcas. I actually found myself getting annoyed at the sound of it today and telling her to "please TRY to stop coughing PLEASE," which I realize makes me a really great mother. I also had a mild psychotic break yesterday afternoon because of all the staying at home and the clutter. Then, as a reward, the biggest roach (he was 2 inches at least) I've ever encountered flew AT my head (that's right FLEW, AT, and HEAD) in the bathroom this morning while I was reading an article about Ted Turner in Garden and Gun. Did I mention that he flew? At my head? I really wanted to slay him, but I lost my nerve and instead opened the sliding door and he flew outside where he is presumably mating and teaching his progeny to torture me in their own special way.
7 comments:
I remember crying in the car while reading Where The Red Fern Grows on the way to my grandmother's house.
Flying roaches are evil. Once...ok, I can even write about anything to do with them because it gives me chills. ugh.
Sesame Street also has a Mad Men spoof (I think). I question a lot of their guest stars, too. How about having someone on the show who doesn't have a comedy routine full of expletives?
I'll defend my beloved Sesame Street for a moment and point out that the grown-up references are for the adults watching the show, not the kids. What Sesame Street used to do so well (and now doesn't do nearly as well) was create a show that was enjoyable for both parents and kids, so that parents would want to watch the show with their children. Caroline absolutely loves the Spidermonster sketch (a parody of Spiderman, the Musical), but she has no idea that it's a parody. She just likes watching Grover. I like watching Grover, too, but I LOVE how clever the parody is.
But, I agree with you about wanting to protect kids' innocence. I have edited out death references in several of her children's books and actually hid her copy of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day because it's so negative. And then I feel bad for being a book banner. Sigh.
Jennifer--I actually took out a sentence in which I acknowledged that I realized that SS was trying to appeal to the parents with those sly, pop culture references because I'm cynical that most parents actually ARE sitting down to watch with their kids--I know that I use it when I need to mop etc. and I'm assuming a high percentage of parents are probably like me. And I guess I wish if they were trying to appeal to parents like us that might appreciate it, that they'd go a little more high brow than "Sex in the City."
We still haven't read "Alexander" for that exact reason. I just didn't like the negativity. I thought about whether or not "fellowship in suffering" might apply, but realized that my kids don't need to realize that other kids whine and complain as much as they do. I'd rather read a book about shells, or birds' nests, or even construction equipment. I'm open to being wrong in this thinking, however..
By the way, you'll think it's interesting probably that the summer reading list I gave to your class after my first year of teaching was almost edited because I had included "The Lords of Discipline" which had profanity and some other stuff unpalatable to SL parents. In hindsight, I probably wouldn't have included it (and maybe a couple of others) if I had it to do over again, but I had just read it and thought that Pat Conroy had a way with words. It's funny how our perspective changes when it is our own kids. I also remember a parent objecting to a Kafka quote I had on a poster about literature breaking up a "frozen sea" inside of us.
A while back ago I read a book, don't remember the name, which studies kids and TV. SS consistently worked the hardest to research what was good for kids and educational. If you're gonna put them in front of a show...that's the show. I won't bother going into all the various studies, but it was interesting. I realize that's off topic, but related.
Also off topic, I just watched the documentary "Being Elmo" about puppeteer Kevin Clash. It was super sweet and I highly recommend it.
This post is so right up my alley. I am really working hard to keep my kids from exposure to cultural stuff above a very low age level. In other words, I don't even let them watch "Arthur." (Too many rude, unnecessary smart-aleck'isms.) And I really do NOT understand moms that do otherwise. I've had to limit contact with another mom whose daughter has had wide open TV (as in, anything goes) in her daughter's room since she was 3. Her daughter, newly 7, talks like a teen, and wants to dress like one, too. We still watch Max and Ruby.
I'm beginning to relax a bit about animal shows, simply b/c at some point they need to know animals kill other animals. And they DO know this, but the blood and guts aren't so much shown. Wayne wants to record Planet Earth, and I think that'll be okay. But finding that magical age at which exposure isn't so traumatic is tricky. (Is there ever a magical age?) Not to mention that once the older is exposed, the younger is, too.
And by the way, I've skipped over "Alexander" for all the same reasons. Negativity (and entitlement and unfairness) are all behavioral trends I'm fighting hard around here.
I've heard wonderful things about the "Planet Earth" series. Hudson seems to be the most sensitive regarding animals being hurt. Just as he is into categorizing "which guy is the good guy?" he is also very intent on knowing if animals are "helpers or pests." We got a few live ladybugs at the Earth Day celebration and he kept having me tell him that ladybugs are definitively helpers. Less straightforward was the plastic grasshopper he'd gotten at another booth. He was really bothered that grasshoppers might be the bad guy. I think it's at least another year before he's ready to watch one animal eat another. Unless it is a mosquito or a roach--I've hammered it home that it is always GOOD to kill those.
My kids also love "Max and Ruby"--it is a go-to when I need a little cleaning time. It's one of only four cartoons I keep on the DVR--"Little Bear," "Word World," and "Olivia" are the other three. "Little Bear" is my favorite.
Jo--I'm going to add the Elmo thing to my queue.
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