Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Television and kids

Wide open here with DS6 being another high-attention seeking type. The amount of potential information embedded in shows is crazy, and he is an active watcher and picks things he hasn't seen before. Current favorites include any cooking related shows, Fetch with Ruff Ruffman, Cyberchase, and Electric Company. Only Spongebob and Phineas and Ferb have held up over time.

We find lots of opportunities to point out positive and negative behaviors with characters and discuss. And if he repeats or asks for something from a commercial, the typical response is: "Are you letting the advertisements steal your thoughts?"

My DD8 still watches lots of Cyberchase online. (She usually watches videos on the computer while DD4 watches the "baby shows" on PBS Kids.)

Just yesterday, I learned from DS about "slide symmetry" which makes sense, but don't remember hearing about it until DS learned it on Cyberchase.

Frequently during play, I have to be Motherboard with some sort of memory dysfunction (e.g. speaking in rhymes) while DS defeats Hacker (me too) to save Motherboard.
Me: "But you are always the hero!"
DS: "Yes, yes I am."

I love that!!! (Can I borrow it? ) I always say "maybe... ask me closer to Christmas and I'll think about it." Yours is better.

Actually, now that I think about it, DD9 would probably just laugh and say "yes!"

This is pretty typical, actually. Most of the 8yo girls I know watch iCarly. Actual teens don't. (Just like actual 17yos don't read Seventeen.)

I guess I will stand out saying that my DD6.5 watches Sponge Bob and other uneducational TV programs pretty often (every day...). Plays iPad as well until I pull it out of her hands (and not always math/science related). I used to try and show her "educational" programs as mentioned by others but with no success. She does like programs on PBS where real kids compete and answer questions (sorry, can't remember names) but Sponge Bob would be her first choice at any given time. Drives me crazy but at the same time I don't have real reasons to restrict her from watching except it is really annoying to watch yellow sponge with this ridiculous laugh. I think, this is the part where I let her have "normal" childhood to get rid of the guilt of maybe pushing her forward too much and have something to say to people when they look at me with this "you are THAT (tiger) mom"... Had to use this card at IEP meeting with "Don't get me wrong she is not studing all the time. She is even watching Sponge Bob...." LOL