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So for a while now, as some of you know, I've been working out some ideas for The Flamethrower. dZeus is finally getting his butt in gear on some things (prod, prod, nudge, pat, prod) and it'll be up soon.
But I'm not sure that it's the right place for some OTHER things I've been working on.
Jammrock, being a new dad, and I have been chit-chatting about some "basic rules for responsible parents". He's got a great little write-up going about monitoring your kid's video game intake, and I have a few things.
So, I'm not making a poll... but what do you all think about a no-nonsense, common-sense-based site (or mini-site) that's an aid to responsible parenting.
I've thought about this for a while. Since I've been (more or less willingly) a stay-at-home dad for the past year and a half, I've learned a lot of things the hard way that aren't in any book.
The mercenary part of me says "write a parenting book! make big money!" but the altruistic part of me says "make a web site! give this information away in order to make better kids!"
So what do you all think? I was gonna start off with a "TV Shows that are bad/good for your kids" sort of thing, and try to make it as comprehensive as possible, to help parents make responsible decisions about the (hopefully limited) time their kids spend in front of the idiot-box.
Some quick one-line blurbs:
Blue's Clues:
Harmless, educational, fun. There is nothing to dislike about this show, except for the fact that at times Steve seems to be on some SERIOUS antidepressants. But that could just be me reading too much into it. Grade: A+
Dora The Explorer:
Despite my multilinguial misgivings, this show is amazing. At first I wasn't sure about the lack of parental involvement. That's a big detractor. But it IS a decent show after all, and there ARE parents, they're just letting the kid play outside (a big no-no in today's world, I understand, but hey). Grade: A-
Bear In The Big Blue House:
My first split-grade. Excellent for the under-2 set, not so good for older kids who will readily pick up on the "kids are in charge and parents have no control" message the show is sadly sending. Teaches excellent lessons, but unfortunately one of those lessons is to disrespect your parents. Grade: A+ for young kids, C for older kids.
Thomas the Tank Engine:
This is a disturbing phenomenon. Kids love it and there is NOTHING bad about the show. Not a damn thing. I could go on at some length about the Lutheran/Anglican morality that is pervasive, but it's all GOOD morality and it's not heavy handed. The original author WAS a minister after all. The merchandising is a bit much but kids LOVE this stuff... and it's as wholesome as they get. Grade: A++.
Jay Jay the Jet Plane:
The bastard child of Thomas the Tank Engine. Poorly computer generated faces on little planes. No parental figures. No common sense. Ultra-stupid lessons. One episode features a plane that is so BLINDINGLY stupid that he "doesn't understand the seasons". And after a half hour he STILL doesn't, until they sing a retarded song about flowers and flying. This show will make your children stupid. Grade: F-.
Clifford:
It was good when we were kids. It's good now. It'll be good long after we're gone. Grade: A.
Sesame Street:
Has fallen prey to MTV-esque sensibilities and Political Correctness. Older episodes STILL rule. Also try to catch "Play with me Sesame" on Noggin or your high-end Cable/Satellite channels. Grade: A+ for older shows, B- for newer shows.
Mr. Rogers:
Much like cornbread - ain't nuttin' wrong wif dat. Grade: A+.
Rolie Polie Olie:
Harmless but stupid. Bad for smaller kids who haven't the attention span to follow it through to its (dubious) moral ending. Made my kid punch people (seriously!). Took us two days to break him of it. Grade: C.
Sponge Bob:
This is a plague-riddled show. I object on about 10 levels. Grade: F-----.
Out Of The Box:
Maybe it's my "bullshit filter" talking, but this show rubs me the WRONG WAY. Maybe it's the fact that if a gay man and a kinda quirky chick made a clubhouse in their backyard and invited all the neighborhood kids over every day to 'play pretend'... they'd be arrested! Whatever it is, this show gets a ... D.
Barney:
Barney is SATAN in a purple coat. Barney teaches kids to kill people. Barney is everything that is wrong with the world. Barney will NEVER be viewed by my children until they are old enough to know how to wield a silver bullet and a wooden stake. Barney must die. Grade: Q. Yeah, that's LOWER than an F. Barney is the ANTI-kid show.
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I can do this for hours, and I've thought more of it through. These are just quick blurbs. What do y'all think of the idea though?
Gpar_
But I'm not sure that it's the right place for some OTHER things I've been working on.
Jammrock, being a new dad, and I have been chit-chatting about some "basic rules for responsible parents". He's got a great little write-up going about monitoring your kid's video game intake, and I have a few things.
So, I'm not making a poll... but what do you all think about a no-nonsense, common-sense-based site (or mini-site) that's an aid to responsible parenting.
I've thought about this for a while. Since I've been (more or less willingly) a stay-at-home dad for the past year and a half, I've learned a lot of things the hard way that aren't in any book.
The mercenary part of me says "write a parenting book! make big money!" but the altruistic part of me says "make a web site! give this information away in order to make better kids!"
So what do you all think? I was gonna start off with a "TV Shows that are bad/good for your kids" sort of thing, and try to make it as comprehensive as possible, to help parents make responsible decisions about the (hopefully limited) time their kids spend in front of the idiot-box.
Some quick one-line blurbs:
Blue's Clues:
Harmless, educational, fun. There is nothing to dislike about this show, except for the fact that at times Steve seems to be on some SERIOUS antidepressants. But that could just be me reading too much into it. Grade: A+
Dora The Explorer:
Despite my multilinguial misgivings, this show is amazing. At first I wasn't sure about the lack of parental involvement. That's a big detractor. But it IS a decent show after all, and there ARE parents, they're just letting the kid play outside (a big no-no in today's world, I understand, but hey). Grade: A-
Bear In The Big Blue House:
My first split-grade. Excellent for the under-2 set, not so good for older kids who will readily pick up on the "kids are in charge and parents have no control" message the show is sadly sending. Teaches excellent lessons, but unfortunately one of those lessons is to disrespect your parents. Grade: A+ for young kids, C for older kids.
Thomas the Tank Engine:
This is a disturbing phenomenon. Kids love it and there is NOTHING bad about the show. Not a damn thing. I could go on at some length about the Lutheran/Anglican morality that is pervasive, but it's all GOOD morality and it's not heavy handed. The original author WAS a minister after all. The merchandising is a bit much but kids LOVE this stuff... and it's as wholesome as they get. Grade: A++.
Jay Jay the Jet Plane:
The bastard child of Thomas the Tank Engine. Poorly computer generated faces on little planes. No parental figures. No common sense. Ultra-stupid lessons. One episode features a plane that is so BLINDINGLY stupid that he "doesn't understand the seasons". And after a half hour he STILL doesn't, until they sing a retarded song about flowers and flying. This show will make your children stupid. Grade: F-.
Clifford:
It was good when we were kids. It's good now. It'll be good long after we're gone. Grade: A.
Sesame Street:
Has fallen prey to MTV-esque sensibilities and Political Correctness. Older episodes STILL rule. Also try to catch "Play with me Sesame" on Noggin or your high-end Cable/Satellite channels. Grade: A+ for older shows, B- for newer shows.
Mr. Rogers:
Much like cornbread - ain't nuttin' wrong wif dat. Grade: A+.
Rolie Polie Olie:
Harmless but stupid. Bad for smaller kids who haven't the attention span to follow it through to its (dubious) moral ending. Made my kid punch people (seriously!). Took us two days to break him of it. Grade: C.
Sponge Bob:
This is a plague-riddled show. I object on about 10 levels. Grade: F-----.
Out Of The Box:
Maybe it's my "bullshit filter" talking, but this show rubs me the WRONG WAY. Maybe it's the fact that if a gay man and a kinda quirky chick made a clubhouse in their backyard and invited all the neighborhood kids over every day to 'play pretend'... they'd be arrested! Whatever it is, this show gets a ... D.
Barney:
Barney is SATAN in a purple coat. Barney teaches kids to kill people. Barney is everything that is wrong with the world. Barney will NEVER be viewed by my children until they are old enough to know how to wield a silver bullet and a wooden stake. Barney must die. Grade: Q. Yeah, that's LOWER than an F. Barney is the ANTI-kid show.
--------------
I can do this for hours, and I've thought more of it through. These are just quick blurbs. What do y'all think of the idea though?
Gpar_
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