Watching out for child-friendly TV shows

Growing up in the US, our friend remembers waking up early Saturdays to catch the Smurfs, sitting in pajamas while on the screen tiny blue people evaded capture from creepy wizard Gargamel and his talking cat. Gargamel’s main goal in life is to destroy the Smurfs. However, he does have a good side towards one Smurf, his daughter/creation Sassette, who refers to him as Pappy Gargamel.

After that, Looney Tunes came on with gunfire, hitting, biting, violence in general — all the things kids were trained not to do. The animated cartoon series led by Bugs Bunny exceeded Disney in popularity then. Our friend recalls not being restricted in their TV watching. ABS-CBN and Studio 23 carried the program and its replays for a long time. He says parents were more casual then.

Today, TV has become by default a babysitter. There was this child totally enraptured by the Teletubbies, which she mimicked in gait, dance and speech. The British BBC TV series was carried over GMA 7 until 2002 and had won Best Pre-School Live Action Series at the 2002 Children’s BAFTA Awards.  

Looney Tunes led by Bugs Bunny beat Disney in popularity

On a recent trip to Baguio, we met Karen Navarrete and Juan Carlos Anton with sons Carlos, eight, and Marco, four months old. We asked Karen about the role of TV in their children’s lives. She replied that they choose shows that stimulate children’s intellectual and emotional growth through TV and educational DVDs as well. On cable, their choices are Baby TV, Barney & Friends, Baby Einstein, the Sports Channel and Disney Channel.

Baby TV, specifically for infants and toddlers, became part of Fox Channels carried in the Philippines by Sky Cable, Destiny and Parasat. Baby Einstein deals with classical music, art and poetry. Barney & Friends aimed at children ages one to eight and also broadcast in the Philippines, features Barney, a purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus Rex, known as the most popular dinosaur that conveys educational messages through song and dance. Although the show has been criticized for lack of educational value, Yale researchers Dorothy and Jerome Singer have called it a “model of what pre-school television should be.”

Cherry Ann and Rex Lomanog’s three-year-old Isabelle was addicted to TV. Cherry Ann found out that she could use that as a disciplinary tool for her to take an afternoon nap as, “no nappy meant no watching TV.” As for programming, Cherry Ann makes Isabelle watch interactive and educational programs like Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and the musical TV series Team Umizoomi which emphasizes on pre-school math, measurements and counting. The show is carried by both Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon.

Baby Einstein deals with classical music, art and poetry

What it comes down to, according to Cherry Ann, is Cable TV has embraced family needs as a source of knowledge not available in school.

Fabi Cariño lives and works in Makati City. She tells us, “The Filipino TV industry should come up with shows that are more relevant.” She is thankful her son Jai, 15, shares her disinterest in the teleserye. “He likes watching people sing and dance. He likes basketball and Nickelodeon.”

Insofar as violence and sexual content on cable, Fabi says, “I think his school teaches him to be aware of those things. I talk about pre-marital sex. If anything shows up on TV that is sensual or sexual, I don’t stop him — I observe him. Sometimes it’s awkward for him, and he walks away, but I don’t change the channel.”

Fabi continues, “If you prohibit someone from doing something, all the more they will try and do it.” A lesson she learned in her neuro-linguistic training. “I want him to discover the world out there on his own whether on TV, or an experience outside — I want him to learn from it. I don’t micromanage — especially my son.”

So far, we have only spoken to parents who utilize children’s shows on Cable TV. What happens to those who don’t have cable? We will tackle that in another column.

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Barney & Friends is model for pre-school TV