The Thundermans and other kiddie shows (The Backlog!)

One of the biggest disagreements Carrie and I have is how to use the TV with Shane. 

Specifically, kid sitcoms.

Carrie wants to avoid all of them. I find it ironic, because she used to have them on all the time when we had cable! Carrie would tune in to Disney for Phineas and Ferb. Other stuff would come on afterwards like Pair of Kings, Suite Life on Deck, Kicking It, etc. 

Admittedly, Carrie wasn't always fully awake at that point. She likes to fall asleep to TV. Her preferred shows to sleep to are things with a happier tone that she's already seen or aren't too riveting.

Kid sitcoms fit that bill to a T!

We don't have cable anymore, so those types of shows don't come on unless someone clicks them.

Shane discovered a show called The Thundermans. I encouraged Shane to watch it. Carrie said, "Ick!" and discouraged it. 

Shane watched a total of 7 episodes over a few days before moving on. He does the hyper, over-stimulated flailing I did as a kid whenever embarrassment humor hits the screen! That's all my genetics! Carrie doesn't like it because Shane terrifies the pets flopping around on the furniture, but I think it's endearing.

When I was combing through my phone looking for blog post ideas, I found a video that was pitch black. There was one night, I had a vague idea to write this post. I turned on the camera and recorded my thoughts.

It was only a minute and a half video, but it took me a lot longer to listen and transcribe! I used way too many "ands" and "you knows," so I tried to clean it up. It went something like this: 

"Shane's watching more teeny-bopper shoes, and if you think they are easy to predict, simple, and way over-acted...YOU ARE RIGHT!

And I think they're great.

I remember when Carrie was pregnant she'd fall asleep on the couch. Sometimes it'd be to Disney and there'd be something on the TV like Pair of Kings or Kicking It or any of those kid sitcoms.

And sometimes I'd watch them. It was fine. It was ok. I normally like shows that have an edge to them. I remember the first time I saw blood in a cartoon, and was like 'Whoa! That's different!'

You know what? Not everything has to have a dark tone to be good. Sometimes something simple, light-hearted, and fun is perfect. Yeah, it's predictable, but that's okay. It's comfortable. 

Some kids have trouble reading emotions at all, and some kids, like Shane, don't get subtlety, but they see it in these characters. It's overacted, so they pick up on it. Hopefully, over time they graduate to more nuanced things. But it's developmentally appropriate. 

If Shane's watching it, I'll wander over for 5 or 10 minutes, giggle/laugh, and then wander away. I don't have to be held by it and can walk away. 

Shane hasn't tried to watch another kid sitcom. Honestly, he prefers to avoid them! It could be because he prefers cartoons, knows Carrie's not a fan, or doesn't like the embarrassment humor (Which I totally get!). Still, I try to encourage him to try them from time to time. In some ways, they're not any more realistic than cartoons, but I do think they're a developmentally appropriate stepping stone. 

I remember coming away from many sitcoms thinking, "If only they knew how to communicate! If they just said..." And that's a life lesson! I try to be very clear in how I communicate to avoid all the sitcom situations I saw on the TV growing up!