For about a year now, I have been avoiding all Disney movies for my children. Every Disney movie has evil, death, orphans, and/or violence (fire, guns, etc.). These are things that I don’t want my children exposed to yet. I know they will eventually learn about them. But for now, it’s all rainbows and unicorns in our household.
I grew up watching the Peanuts Gang and still love them. No one ever died in any of the Peanuts specials. And I like what my children are watching now: “Go Diego Go” teaches them about animals, without shooting any of them. “Dora The Explorer” depicts evil in the form of a fox who swipes things. The Flyboat on “The Wonder Pets” never sinks or explodes. My little ones are very happy with their tv friends.
My dilema now is that my preschool-aged daughter is hearing about the Disney Princesses from her classmates. I have overheard several conversations where my daughter didn’t know who her friends were talking about. So now I am feeling the “Princess Pressure.” My daughter already has a fascination with mermaids and ocean creatures, so I figure we will start with “The Little Mermaid.” Wish me luck!
Good Luck, Audrey! Children are exposed to so much at such a young age. Seems they are forced to grow up too quick. Princess Pressure, Indeed.
By: James Piccoli on April 13, 2009
at 10:01 am
Good luck with the princess pressure. I wanted to throw my support behind your “say no to disney” stance. Little children are born mostly fearless. They are not afraid of the dark or of sleeping alone, but as my aunt will tell you, “as soon as they [my little cousins] starting watching snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid, they were affraid of the dark, ’scary people’, and going to bed alone. By today [auful] standards, those movies seem tame, but they are full of exactly what you say and are the first exposure for many young children to the idea of evil, harm, and treachery.
Good for you.
Lisa
By: Lisa on April 28, 2009
at 2:02 pm