I find all this to be over-the-top reactions to the power that is media. Sure, there's no questioning its influence, and there is reason to be concerned if you allow your toddlers to watch Family Guy and such. But really, some notions on even the most harmless toons are just laughable!
Let me share a few classics from experience.
Seriously! Let us blame the whole foundation of speech on a TV show! Granted that Mr. Bean does have a weird way of talking and that kids love to mimic him, I don't see this as a huge setback to a child's development. Lighten up! The man is funny! And newsflash... Mr. Bean isn't your child's speech coach. You are.
And I suppose The Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote's antics are a huge source of behavioral problems, too. A lot of cartoons use 'violence' for kicks. Kids love this formula for the outlandish action that always ends with hilarious results. Of course, your child has to know that these are antics he can't do at home or elsewhere. That's where you come in, Mrs. Parent.
This is the one that sincerely burns my beans. Do we really want to go there? Gender preference do not spring from cartoons. And do you really want to expose your child to your gender biases so early in life? It's ok for boys to watch Powerpuffs because, honestly, it's far more action-packed than any 'boy shows' on the tube. But I guess the pastel-colored dresses are really throwing you off, huh?
There's more! So much more that your child will have to be left with Barney and Blue's Clues for the rest of his young life.
Personally, I don't take other people's warning signals against these so-called taboo toons to heart. Why? Because I don't stick my kid in front of the TV without my complete guidance. That, plus the fact that cartoons don't threaten me. Cartoons are there purely for my child's entertainment. For his education, good upbringing, balanced development ... that's MY area.
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