Children re-enact what they are watching.
Observe your children, if you show them Dora, they will certainly play Dora after screening it.
If you show them Cow-boys and indians, they will play those... etc...
That is why it is so important to choose carefully which programs you are showing to them. In a collectivity, if you show children scary or violent programs, it will excite them. And I do consider some classics to be violent and scary, most Disney are!
Seeing Bambi loose his mother or Dumbo being so badly treated, makes many children uncomfortable (a very healthy reaction of course). They will have to expel those feeling by acting up. It is a natural way to "digest" those images.
If the collectivity, let's say, a school, for example, because it is raining outside, show a positive program, one with only good message and no scary images. You can be sure that the children will feel good after screening it, and certainly re-enact those good images.
Mary Poppins is a good example. It suggests great ideas and good feelings.
I believe that no collectivity and particularly school should ever show programs with a violent or scary side. Plus, considering that most of the children in America are watching too much TV and movies already at home, and certainly not much documentaries, school seems to be the best place to show them great documentaries which help them discover new facts and probably make them think about the subject, eventually speak about it with their teacher after.
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I feel the same as you about what types of shows and films we should show children. I do, however, feel that if a children's movie chooses to add a more serious scene, they make sure to keep it at a level appropriate for their younger viewers. In fact, I think it is one of the best ways a child can learn about more serious issues. Disney has some hit and misses for sure, but I think they have been doing a better job recently.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to that, I completely agree that schools should show more educational programs in their classrooms. Kids have all night and weekend to watch the silly cartoons and junk at home, but since they are in a learning environment, why not watch things that teach them something? I am trying to find out why there isn't more options for kids out there in television as there used to be, but I think another good question is: Do we even need more of this kind of programming for our children if it isn't preparing, teaching, or mentoring them in a positive way?