So we have a new thing we started recently in our home. “Library Fridays” We head to the library the kids pick up DVDs – yep they enter the library and make a beeline for the DVD section. In a whole library. The reader in me used to get appalled to instead of getting exasperated I would have them pick the DVDs then when they have their fill we head over to the books section and we read a book or two then they pick some books for the week.
I love the movie selections we have been having the past few Fridays – Last week we watched Mulan, the week before we had watched Finding Dory, Peter Pan and so on and so forth. I digress. What I have found helpful is that the DVDs have been providing great entertainment during the weekend downtime and we are relying less and less on Netflix shows. You can tell where I am going with this.
Why do I prefer Kids movies over Kids shows? My first response always circles back to attention. I feel movies provide number one a complete storyline that is not stunted which provides opportunities for kids to “connect the dots.” The sequencing and sustained thought process as the story unfolds for an hour and a half tops is different from the shiny, luminous, noisy bright manner in which kids shows are made nowadays to “hold kids attention.” The other thing is the lack of stop cues with kids shows. Before you know it it is already counting down – next episode starting in 3,2,1…and boom on to the next. The zombified state continues. What I love about movies is there is a beginning, middle and end. Once it reaches the end its the end. This gives more control and MINDFULNESS for both parent and child over what is going on.
So yeah, I am leaning more and more towards kids movies. There are some great kids shows and I will blog about kids content another time. I had a great podcast conversation with @jerricasannes you can find the link here. She is a kids TV expert, early childhood educator and just all around protector of childhood. But if you can – like with all things technology – LETS GO TO BACK TO BASICS. Lets use it for what is is – entertainment all these other gimmicks of holding kids attention to a zombified state or selling products etc etc. lets just stop and grab some popcorn instead and watch a movie. Did you know Netflix is soon rolling out Tik-Tok like short clips “aimed at younger viewers.” You can read more about it here. The only thing I can say is Big -tech please slow down on purchasing our kids attention. They are struggling enough already.