kids channels on tv 11 August 2014 at 11:28PM in MoneySaving Mums 17 replies 3.2K views

meritaten

so do you think that CITV or CBBC are 'responsible' channels which send out programmes you can let your kids watch unmonitored?

my DIL thought so - until complaints about her sons behaviour from both myself and her parents made her ban one programme.
that program was 'Horrid Henry'. its a cartoon, but, after watching the 'Horrid Henry' fest (at least five episodes in a row) she has had to stop him watching it. His behaviour was 'Horrid'! he emulated Henry. and he thought that if Henry did it - that was ok! he was like a wild animal! he was re-enacting what he had seen Henry do and didn't really understand it was NOT acceptable! he couldn't understand why us grandparents took exception to him acting like Henry. he also liked 'Dennis the Menace' and that is about to be banned too!

I don't think ONE episode of Horrid Henry would be too bad - but there are at least three to five in a row - no wonder kids go nutty! why does CITV do this?

LannieDuck

On the whole, I think CBeebies (my daughter's not old enough for CBBC yet) is brilliant.

I have seen an episode of Horrid Henry while she was at a friend's house. I didn't like it at all (mostly I disagreed with the idea that the good, tidy, studious brother is something to rail against). When she wanted to watch another at home later, I said no and we watched something else.

dizziblonde

Main issue I have with Horrid Henry is that I tend to hate cartoons and films made from books as they never quite match up with the pictures in my mind - and I like the Horrid Henry books as they read aloud well and Henry always gets his comeuppance in the end of them. I don't think it's one that's translated at all well to the screen really.

I don't like a lot of the stuff on the older kid channels as it's all bumbling idiotic adults and wisecracking kids - but that seems to be the way children's TV's gone at the moment unfortunately, and I try to keep advert-impacted TV to a minimum in this house because I can do without the pester power for as long as I can get away with it - but Cbeebies I'll agree is generally superb apart from a couple of things on there I find utterly banal and valueless (that new Kate and Mimimim thing is diabolical)... wish they had more programming though as if I see the same episode of Mr Tumble one more time I sometimes think my head will explode.

It's like everything - you have to be aware of the content they're actually watching rather than just assuming it's going to all sticking to your personal limits of acceptability and what's likely to have a negative impact on your own kids - some kids get affected more by some stuff than others.

Alikay

I'm only familiar with CBeebies really due to having pre school children around, but I think it's quite good. Mike the Knight is pretty insufferable and never says sorry when he gets it wrong, and Tig (from Woolly and Tig) is a bit mardy and needs her adenoids sorting out, but generally it's fine.

I think some of the programmes are very good, like Melody which introduces kids to popular classical music, and Mr Tumble who has such a nice natural way with the kids with learning disabilities. There's even a bit of eye candy for the mums with Mr Bloom and Sid from Let's Play:) (or maybe I just need to get out more...)

Gillyx

Alikay wrote: »

I'm only familiar with CBeebies really due to having pre school children around, but I think it's quite good. Mike the Knight is pretty insufferable and never says sorry when he gets it wrong, and Tig (from Woolly and Tig) is a bit mardy and needs her adenoids sorting out, but generally it's fine.

I think some of the programmes are very good, like Melody which introduces kids to popular classical music, and Mr Tumble who has such a nice natural way with the kids with learning disabilities. There's even a bit of eye candy for the mums with Mr Bloom and Sid from Let's Play:) (or maybe I just need to get out more...)

Same here, we only watch Cbeebies and most of it is fab. I agree 100% about Mike and Tig.

Person_one

There's a bit of a tradition of children's stories where the hero is a bit naughty, a bit rebellious, a bit cheeky, isn't there? I remember reading the Marmalade Atkins books, amongst others.

It'd be a real shame if children's stories all had to have bland, perfectly behaved, docile characters just because of a few parents trying to blame them for their own children's misdeeds!

flutterby_lil

I agree with horrid Henry, my son used to say he was being Horrid henry for the day, and he was!

However, my daughter (2) loves Balamory, Mr Tumble (and she touches her nose and calls for him when she gets up lol) and very recently because my son loves pirates, she asks to watch the red pirate on Swashbuckle!!

meritaten

I have no issue with Cbeebies! GS is 6 and still loves to watch some of the programmes such as Mike the Knight, Mr Tumble and a few others.
Yes some of them are 'inane' to adults minds - but they are for kids after all. I just wondered if any parent out there was like DIL - assumed that ALL the kids programmes were responsible programming.
I am pleased she has now banned Horrid Henry and Dennis the Menace until he is older - as she works she doesn't actually have much of a clue what he watches. as soon as she watched these she recognised some of his worst 'behaviours' and realised where they come from.

the problem with the cartoon Horrid Henry is that he doesn't get his 'comeuppance' at the end! or at least not in a way that a child can relate to.

tallyho88

Disney junior is the best for my son, cbeebies can become irritating at times....

CathyP72

Same for my little ones. Cbeebies is the only thing they watch.

liney

My son watched it and read the books when he was around 6 or 7. We used to laugh and shout: 'Don't be horrid, Henry!' at the screen, whilst tutting about how naughty he was. He was never a naughty child, and understood the humour.

Perhaps he is too young to be watching TV on his own - he needs to discuss what is happening as it is happening. Maybe he should practice being a Perfect Peter.