The Princess and the Frog

We took my three year old daughter to see Disney's The Princess and The Frog today. It was her first movie and she was very excited. I'll admit my bias before you read this post further. I grew up on Disney and have had a love for the fairytale based films since childhood. Even as an adult I become transformed into a child when watching these movies with my daughter. But even though I'm enjoying the experience, I can't turn off my brain while watching the movies and pick up so many small nuances that bother me. Do I really want my daughter watching movies that emphasize that the woman only becomes 'whole' when she falls in love with her prince? Life is only complete when the man kisses you? What about all the racial and cultural stereotypes that are portrayed in even the minor characters? How do all these elements affect my daughter's subconscious? 'It's just a movie' you might think, but it's so much more than that. Even though I purposely avoid buying my daughter commercialized toys and books like the plethora of Disney and Dora products available, these are all she seems to get when receiving gifts from others at holiday time. Just tonight her bedtime story was from her Disney Princesses "Stories of Friendship and Love" book. I cringed as I listened to my husband read a story about how Sleeping Beauty planned a lovely party for her and the Prince. "And they danced together all night long...." Blah! How much is too much and is it fair to limit it when it's so prevalent in society? An excellent read for those of you interested is "The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence" by Henry Giroux.

(and what about educators who incorporate pop culture into their classrooms as decorations...)

How Much T.V. is Too Much?

I recently read an interesting report about daycare children being allowed to watch t.v. during the day. Upon reading this, I was immediately outraged. As a mother of a child in daycare, I would be very upset to know that my child spent her day watching t.v. when I was expecting that she be engaged in authentic, math and language-based activities.

My daughter would watch t.v. all day if we let her. As a three-year-old she is fascinated with the magical entertainment that appears on the television screen in the form of Dora, The Backyardigans, and Max and Ruby. She is allowed to watch some t.v. each day, usually when I need to keep her safely occupied like when I'm making dinner or feeding her younger brother.

My question is - how much television is appropriate for preschoolers? Television is a part of our reality and I believe that not allowing children to experience it, and learn how to timetable it into their lives in appropriate ways is irresponsible. Technology is our future and we need to show our children how to use it for the right reasons and within the right contexts. I also sympathize with her. I know after a long day at work sometimes all I want to do is come home and relax with a movie. I'm sure it's no different for her when she's busy at school all day.

Unless she's watching t.v. like the children in the report!