We don't allow P to watch a lot of TV. He gets to watch a show or two after dinner, before bath time, and we're very particular about what shows he's allowed to watch. "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" and "Handy Manny" are fine, for example.
I'm a huge fan of Disney. Heck, I was raised on it. My favorite movies are still Disney animated classics. I love that P loves Playhouse Disney. Playhouse Disney is wholesome, family-oriented, and fun - or so I thought.
Almost every night, P will beg for "just 10 more mim-ets" and we'll usually compromise with five minutes. Sometimes we fill that void, if he's been particularly good, with a TiVo'd episode of "Lou and Lou Safety Patrol," a Playhouse Disney short cartoon.
Last night may have been the last time we watch "Lou and Lou." The episode was called "Get Ready! Get Set! Emergency!" and I assumed it was like all the other "Lou and Lou" shows, focusing on teaching kids to do the right thing.
This episode was different. There were no "safety violations" but instead explicit instructions for preparing for a disaster. Mom is filling water bottles and storing them in a plastic tote. Lou and Lou ask her if she's thirsty. She replies the water is, "just in case" and part of the family emergency supply kit.
A flashlight, radio, batteries, first aid kit, and non perishable food items (in case "we can't use the stove") are gathered. Lou and Lou gather their own necessities for their backpacks in case they need to leave home in a hurry. Even the dog collects his bone in has bag. Lou and Lou even encourage kids to "talk to your parents about what you need for your emergency kit."
At the end of the episode, P crawled into my lap and said, "Why they need water and food, mommy? They go camping?"
P is not even three years old. He gets scared whenever "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" features the giant. He's innocent - and I want to keep him that way.
I know today's world is different than the one in which I grew up. But preparing for an emergency - terrorism or natural disaster - is not something my child, my baby, needs to worry about.
I would like to give the creators and writes of "Lou and Lou" a safety violation of my own for that episode. It's one thing to teach a lesson, but it's another thing to call out things a child doesn't need to know about or understand. There will be plenty of time for P to worry about things like emergency preparedness - but not until later, much later.
Shame on you, Lou and Lou. Shame on you, Disney.
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2 comments:
Is it rude that my first comment is to respectfully disagree? (You'll kick me off for sure!) Emergencies aren't something we want to think about... but this episode actually came in handy to help explain to our four year-old what we had to do in a power outage. And knowing that Mommy and Daddy knew what to do seemed to help her feel better. So does she need to understand terrorism or major, devestating natural disasters? No. But does she need to know that we're prepared and OK in case of a big storm? Yes.
(I'm not suggesting we have Lou's mom's go bag packed with all her stuff -- but we're covered on flashlights, bottled water, and peanut butter!)
While we have to turn away from Playhouse Disney anytime the giant comes on too, or Pete - man, we are scared of Pete! - we unfortunately have to find ways to talk about these things in age-appropriate ways. So maybe "going camping" is a great way to start about how to be prepared... and when the time is right, you can take the discussion from there.
I understand what you're saying, but I thought the entire tone of the episode was slightly alarmist. It was not like any other episode (and God knows toddler shows THRIVE on consistency and repeatition and this episode totally strayed from that formula).
I'm not burying my head in the sand and denying the "let's be prepared" message, and certainly we've talked about things in an age appropriate way, but I was blindsided by the left turn this show took.
Regardless, Lou and Lou are gone. No longer TiVo'd at the Parentville house. As G calls it, the show has been Calliou'd (another toddler show that's been banned for totally different reasons).
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