Ok, with Mads in her cast, we are watching quite a bit of TV lately... almost always Nick Jr. or Noggin (Which I love since there are no commercials during the shows!)This brings me to a realization, kids' networks stink!!! Nick has a commercial running called "Fabulous Flatulence", quite a few debt consolidation commercials, commercials for a hair beader that give little girls the impression they need to look "hot" for boys, and all kinds of other crap. I mean seriously, I don't want to have to explain what debt collectors are, I don't want the kids to think it's funny to fart in public, and if ANY boy looked at my little girl like that kid in the hair commercial... I'd probably lose control. So why is it my kids can't watch Dora without being pumped full of this junk during commercial breaks?I'm not so much against the product ads for toys, probably because mine are too young to have the "Gimmes", but some of this stuff really stinks. Has anyone else noticed this?

By Momoffour on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 02:00 pm:

Its so frustrating I do not understand why they put those commercials on while a kid show is on. I don't understand it. I have noticed them more and more hear lately. I can see the commercials of toys and stuff but that other there is no use for them. I wonder what we could do.

By Colette on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 03:16 pm:

When my 2 oldest dks were younger they loved Nick Jr.....but then one day while grocery shopping my ds told me what kind of detergent to buy. That took care of Nick jr. To wean them off of the shows (because some of the shows were really good and commercial free) I taped them. After that they only watched pbs or the tapes. Now that they are older, no one watches much tv in our house, but if they do, they mute the commericals.

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 04:37 pm:

Crystal - how about getting to the library when you can and borrowing children's videos. I know my library has a good stock of them. And, there is always PBS.

By Unschoolmom on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 06:15 pm:

We talk about the commercials we see on TV as much as we do the show. Some toys do look really neat and the kids and I will talk about them enthusiastically. If they want them. we'll talk about what it would take to get them (putting money aside, adding it to a christmas list) but often they just want to share their enthusiam over something neat. With other commercials I'll talk about experiences Ive had with products that may contradict or support the claims being made.

I don't want to banish the commercials, I'm hoping to arm my kids by giving them the tools to question, debate and think about what they're watching.

By Palmbchprincess on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 08:20 pm:

I'm not against ALL commercials per se, just the "adult" ones on kids' channels... I really think those should be reserved for "adult" shows. Granted, I do watch the shows with them, but why subject kids to adult concerns, like the debt commercial? And Ginny, I have been frequenting our library more often, but unfortunately they have a very small DVD collection, and we don't have a VCR, only a DVD player.

By Lauram on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 08:36 pm:

I have to say- that fabulous flatulence one got my attention the other day. I was like, "WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING!?"

By Ladypeacek on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 04:08 pm:

I got to say i have the worst here. I hate letting them watch nick jr and other kids stations for that reason..Here they have a kids channel that is just like nick jr..plays dora and blues clues and such. Now this station is also owned by another station that shows dramas...law and order type things. Well this other channel also has a new show called "THE L WORD" ok....couple of guesses what the L stands for. we thought it was love the first time they showed the commercial for it starting. Well we were wrong..they showed a more in depth commercial a few days before it started..and we saw this one on the kids station while watching thomas tank engine. L stands for lesbian. And the preview showed women kissing and in bed together under sheets clearly without clothes on! Now explain to me what i was supposed to say to my 9 yr old daughter when she looked at me when this came on? She gave me a look that scared me to know end and then came the flood of questions. My son who was watching is only 2 so he didnt pay attention at all thank goodness but dd was sitting right there. How terrible is this that they chose to show any sort of couple gay or straight in this kind of behavior on a preschool tv channel?

By Unschoolmom on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 08:15 am:

I thought it was another channel owned by the preschool one?

Anyway, I woud have simply said that the women must have been in love and were snuggling. With the current kerfuffle about gay marriage in Canada (it's legal now) and two gay women in our extended family it's a subject that's come up quite a few times. Heck, I think it's great that the subject came up in your own home where her questions could be directed to you and not in some schoolyard or playground where the answer might come from some kid whose only authority is that he's a few years older.

To me, moments like that are a blessing, hard sometimes, but the best possible way for my kids to get answers they need.

By Colette on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 10:10 am:

We have a friend from Britain and he has told us that British tv allows much more than American TV, so I can imagine what your dd saw. He has let us borrow a few dvd's of popular british shows that are hysterical, but totally inappropriate. I would have been upset as well.

By Missmudd on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 10:58 am:

What makes me crazy is that Noggin doesnt have commercials in the day and they do have good shows like oobi and dora. BUT... when it switches out of their preschool program into what I assume is the teenage audience around 2, it immediatly goes right downhill. The 4 yo usually takes a quick snooze about that time while watching so I dont notice that it has changed all the time cause he's asleep. Then the school age kids come home and this crapolla is on. And the SHOWS, all kinds of teenage smut, and the topics that they show may be occuring "somewhere" but certainly not here in the wilds of Oregon.

By Mommmie on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 05:14 pm:

I remember when my son was age 1-5, I was appalled at the commercials, too. They were way worse than the actual show. I really hated the commercials on Cartoon Network especially. I'm really glad to be past that stage. The commercials never gave him the geemies and I didn't see any negative consequence from him seeing them, I just didn't like them.

Last night he was doubled over laughing at the fake commercial Saturday Night Live showed about the little device that automatically "cleaned your business." We've come a long way.

By Trisa on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 06:38 pm:

I hear you! I also hate the commercials!
Most of them make me sick! Even a few of the
shows we watch at night that are not all that bad
the commericials make up for! Half naked
women. My son will be 11 next month and he asked
me why some women like to dress that way!
he said why would we want to see her breasts!!
Oh if only he would feel this way when he gets to be a teenager!!

By Pixie on Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - 12:36 pm:

Among other things smaller children pay close attention to commercials because its short enought to keep their attention span. I know many children who recite commercials. To me Nick is getting a little out of line. I prefer Noggin or Disney. Nick has always been a little off the wall but now they are tampering with the manners we are trying to teach our children! I have to say I haven't seen the commercial but I would have been equally offended. I understand the company needs their sponsers but a childrens channel should have guidelines and limitations for their advertising. Maybe someone should write the company? Or we all should maybe then we would get through to them!

By Alberobello on Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - 01:07 pm:

In the UK this is another issue that has provoked controversy. They are even trying to ban them altoghether like they do in Sweden (I think it is Sweden anyway). Of course they won't let them.
In my case I was even prepared to pay more on my cable company to have the discovery kids chanel but my son who is 6 is now a bit bored with their programmes so i had to upgrade to another package with Disney in it (of course it costs more). I am quite happy now because he only wants to watch Recess, Lilo and Stich and Tarzan, which I think are quite innocent and clever progammes compared to the cartoons in Cartoon Network (although he would happily watch the Disney chanel it all day if i'd let him!).
I think one good thing to start doing when they are young is to warn them: "I won't buy anything you see on the telly!!!" in a very loud and threatening voice...
Maria

By Boxzgrl on Tuesday, December 21, 2004 - 01:13 pm:

Yikes..... I cant stand commercials. To me, they were made for potty breaks in between programs Atleast thats what I use them for!

DD who watches *maybe* one hour of tv a WEEK can recite the McDonalds theme song (Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba, i'm lovin' it) and those crazy Booh-Bahs, and of course the infamous Meow Mix commercial. Talk about brainwashing!