386
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
Firstly, I have to admit that while reading your question I was wondering if you're being serious. For me (as a hopeful future father with the same questions in mind), your solutions sound shocking ...
- 3,354
106
votes
Should I encourage/persuade my 3 year old to watch kids TV shows that she finds scary or upsetting?
I find great importance in fostering a child's sense of personal control. Her nos are no and her yesses are yes - unless there is potential for physical or psychological harm.
I'd suggest taking ...
- 3,743
70
votes
Accepted
Impact on kids NOT having TV?
For a different perspective:
When I was in grade school, I had a friend that didn't have any type of TV service at home (they did have dial-up internet, but certainly no Netflix). I was completely ...
- 1,059
67
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
Wow!
Well, it sounds as though you want to be the perfect family, and the perfect parents.
And it's easy to understand why. Who wouldn't want the best of everything for their children?
I have a couple ...
- 4,570
56
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
We homeschool our kids, so perhaps I can provide a unique perspective. A lot of the other answers seem to be primarily worried about friends. People sparked friendships for millenia before ...
- 36k
47
votes
How can I baby-proof my 75" TV?
I'd be more concerned with a 75" TV falling on my infant and hurting him! A 75" television can weigh up to 100 pounds - that's a lot of weight to be falling on a 24 pound infant.
There are ...
- 60.3k
43
votes
Impact on kids NOT having TV?
I have 3 daughters who are 7, 5, and 3 years old. I didn't allow them to watch TV till a year ago when I was talked into babysitting a large plasma tv while the owner left the country for a few years. ...
- 547
42
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
You lack one key: To be wonderful, to be amazing, to be successful, she must not be locked in this overwhelming strategy.
Sadly, you are contributing to "this sexist world".
It seems the motivation ...
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37
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
While I think your intentions are good, I think that some of what you are doing will actually have negative effects. Dolls are a perfectly healthy toy - both my son and my daughters played with them. ...
- 26.5k
37
votes
Should I encourage/persuade my 3 year old to watch kids TV shows that she finds scary or upsetting?
There were movies that scared me as a child long after they should have because I watched them a little sooner than I was ready and carried a negative association around them. So even when I was old ...
- 379
29
votes
Why do kids pick up on violence in cartoons/movies?
Kids, just like adults, want to "be cool", to have fun and to have something they can share with their friends. TV, video games, pro wrestling, whatever. And the parts they want to talk about/...
- 13.3k
22
votes
Should I encourage/persuade my 3 year old to watch kids TV shows that she finds scary or upsetting?
If a child is forced to deal with situations that are beyond his or her ability to understand, process, respond to, or control—specifically, situations that are accompanied by strong negative feelings,...
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21
votes
Impact on kids NOT having TV?
No scientific, but anecdotal answer:
We don't have a cable either and are in a very similar situation – IT pros with fast Internet.
Our kids are 6 and 9. Both go to school / preschool and interact ...
- 18k
21
votes
Accepted
Should I encourage/persuade my 3 year old to watch kids TV shows that she finds scary or upsetting?
First of all, let me assure you that I understand your worry. I have been in your situation three years ago and it can be very alarming when your child finds "Ben and Holly" too scary ("The bird stole ...
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20
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
My daughter is about to turn 11, and I have similar hopes for her. Each of the paragraphs below is a category that her father and I have found to be influences on her in some way, and ways we try to ...
- 22.6k
19
votes
Impact on kids NOT having TV?
Whether children get picked on has much less to do with the thing they are picked on for and much more to do with their social skills and general social standing.
If your children asks to see ...
- 431
16
votes
Why do kids pick up on violence in cartoons/movies?
Violence and play fighting is an innate aspect of human behaviour.
You can observe animals play fighting as well.
Domestically, you can observe cats and dogs play fight, more commonly as juveniles....
- 530
16
votes
Amount of screen time appropriate for a baby?
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that no amount of screen time is appropriate for a child of that age.
From their report on Children and media:
For children younger than 18 months, avoid ...
- 60.3k
14
votes
Accepted
Why does 2 hours in front of the TV make my kids grumpy?
--- Disclaimer: Some might feel this answer to be hard to digest. ---
Have you ever thought about what is happening in your kid's brains while they are watching TV?
I mean, from a neuroscientistic ...
- 18k
13
votes
Accepted
Is there any scientific evidence for TV being intrinsically harmful to children, or is it the loss of what TV replaces that is harmful?
Great question. There are several different reasons one might want to limit TV time for kids, and understanding those reasons can help support informed decisions about when --- and how --- to let kids ...
- 2,447
13
votes
Is it usual for a child to cry while watching cartoons?
It is certainly not unusual. Have you never watched a movie or show and shed a tear? Did Bambi's mother dying (sorry for the spoiler!) not bring a tear to your eye? Developing empathy is an ...
- 60.3k
12
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
I think you're overthinking this a bit. It's great for brainstorming, but don't let little things like whether or not she gets to play with dolls distract you from your primary laudable goal of ...
- 1,168
11
votes
Impact on kids NOT having TV?
The biggest problem would be, as you state, the children not understanding the language and cultural references of their peers.
I've even noticed this myself. I don't watch (or have) a TV, I don't ...
- 8,335
9
votes
Accepted
How to explain the "brutal" ways of wildlife and nature to a kid and when?
I'm going to draw an analogy from Monsters, Inc. The monsters in the movie scare kids in order to make power for their city. One such monster, Sulley, is the best scarer around. He never has any ...
- 13.3k
9
votes
5 year old loved wildlife documentary but was very upset by dead animals
Or, perhaps you might think that at 5 he is old enough to start learning about the "struggle for survival" in the real world? My instinct is that he's too small, but I'd be interested to hear if ...
- 68.1k
8
votes
Why do kids pick up on violence in cartoons/movies?
Why is kids picking up on 'inappropriate behavior' appropriate?
"The social group basically polices itself and enforces the rules of social dominance, the social mores of the troupe, and monkeys who ...
- 315
8
votes
Accepted
My 7 month old son is intensely attracted to screens
In my experience, this is very typical. Screens that are on (TV, laptop) are very attractive to babies. If there's some kind of contingent feedback --- such as hitting keys on the keyboard and having ...
- 2,447
8
votes
Accepted
What is a better approach than "mum with the carrot, dad with the stick"?
Both parents should be involved in the discipline of their children. Sit down with your wife and discuss what you think are appropriate punishments for certain actions. Explain these things to your ...
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8
votes
Is there a way to "immunize" or "desensitivize" children against TV and YouTube?
Unfortunately, I don't think there is a way to desensitize the kids to the TV. It's designed to be constantly changing and interesting, with something new and exciting to offer with each glance its ...
- 1,693
7
votes
How do you raise an intelligent and happy daughter in a sexist world?
By not trying to be perfect
You seem to believe that children come into the world as blank slates, and that in order for them to grow up right you need to model your vision of perfection. This is ...
- 2,680
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