We are a people dependent on power, electricity. Where I live, in Georgia, we are also a people plagued by thunder storms and when they hit, no power Now, as adults, we can converse. That is problematic with little ones. But, there are alternatives.
Tint tots will find it a treat if you read their favorite stories or even if you just make up stories. Just be age appropriate. Three year olds may not like The Brothers Grimm, while 10 year olds may love stories with some substance, such as simple science fiction or even some of the Tales of King Arthur.
Another option is games. Many card games are entertaining and simple. Also, you can still find the old fashion board games. Again, just keep them age appropriate.
The real purpose here is to engage children, keep their attention focused on the facr that you are interacting with them in a fun way. Who jnows? They may discover that they like hanging out with you.
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Heroes
The days of heroes, human, not sandwiches, have passed. As an adult, that's fine, but for kids, it's a shame.
As you grow, hopefully, you come to accept the frailties and flaws of your fellow men and women. Children are not aware enough to cope with the various shades of gray. I, for a few episodes, watched the TV show Gotham. It wasn't too badly done, but to call it morally ambivalent would be a huge understatement. It is a view of Batman, Bruce Wayne, as a young man, and it places his adolescence in a nightmare world.
In days past, Batman was a heroic character, a righter of wrongs. He existed in a black and white, dualistic world, almost Manichean.. He was right, the criminals were wrong and he had a lot of really cool gadgets. He has been transformed into a near psychopath, determined to recreate the world in the image he holds in his severely twisted mind. Interesting for adults, disturbing for kids, and yet that show is broadcast at 8 PM, prime time, the family hour.
All throughout TV, heroes are at best semi-heroic. Same with movies. As an adult, I can and often do, appreciate that, but it seems that children cannot benefit from such a nuanced portrayal.
This does not mean that kids can only relate to Barney the Dinosaur, but they would be well served by entertainment that had actual heroes. Such humans can, of course, have flaws, but showing heroes who are almost as psychically warped as the villains, cannot be a good thing.
Humans walk a fine line between good and evil. Most of us, by far, lean to the good, but it is sometimes a razor's edge that we travel on. It's hard enough for adults. Let kids be kids. Give them at least some clear cut pictures of good. They will slowly learn the subtleties of human life,, so let them be young for awhile. Too much moral ambiguity is not a healthy thing for a kid.
As you grow, hopefully, you come to accept the frailties and flaws of your fellow men and women. Children are not aware enough to cope with the various shades of gray. I, for a few episodes, watched the TV show Gotham. It wasn't too badly done, but to call it morally ambivalent would be a huge understatement. It is a view of Batman, Bruce Wayne, as a young man, and it places his adolescence in a nightmare world.
In days past, Batman was a heroic character, a righter of wrongs. He existed in a black and white, dualistic world, almost Manichean.. He was right, the criminals were wrong and he had a lot of really cool gadgets. He has been transformed into a near psychopath, determined to recreate the world in the image he holds in his severely twisted mind. Interesting for adults, disturbing for kids, and yet that show is broadcast at 8 PM, prime time, the family hour.
All throughout TV, heroes are at best semi-heroic. Same with movies. As an adult, I can and often do, appreciate that, but it seems that children cannot benefit from such a nuanced portrayal.
This does not mean that kids can only relate to Barney the Dinosaur, but they would be well served by entertainment that had actual heroes. Such humans can, of course, have flaws, but showing heroes who are almost as psychically warped as the villains, cannot be a good thing.
Humans walk a fine line between good and evil. Most of us, by far, lean to the good, but it is sometimes a razor's edge that we travel on. It's hard enough for adults. Let kids be kids. Give them at least some clear cut pictures of good. They will slowly learn the subtleties of human life,, so let them be young for awhile. Too much moral ambiguity is not a healthy thing for a kid.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)