To think kids media should ease up on the representations of snow

[someladdersandsnakes]

Trying to be lighthearted here but this is bugging me
CBeebies has wall-to-wall snow right now, in all the Christmas episodes and in-between segments, anything to do with Christmas or winter = SNOW SNOW SNOW
Except for Bluey which represents Australian December accurately.
Also books from the library, British ones, it's snowing at Christmas and anything about the seasons is like "in winter it snows bla bla bla"
Well my DD has never seen snow in all of her 5 years and she asks every day when it's going to start snowing, and getting disappointed that it isn't snowing yet.
AIBU to want to see Christmas or winter represented without snow occasionally so it's accurate to our actual lives?

I have some other news for you...
Most scientists don't have crazy hair and glasses and wear white coats
Vets don't hug puppies and kittens all day

It's time to introduce your child to what is known as a "trope". Snow is a Christmas trope. I just don't think people love to snuggle up and watch a Christmas film where it drizzles throughout and everyone runs outside to stand around getting damp and annoyed
Tropes - TV Tropes

As for the lack of ducks, I cannot help 😂

I get what you mean. We’re in the south midlands and have snow once a year at the most (and then usually only a centimetre or two) - don’t think we got any that settled last year. I used to live in Sussex, and the only ‘white Christmas’ in my whole lifetime of 43 years was in 1986. My kids used to ask questions about about why we never have snow when it was on TV all the time.

I hope your DD does get to see snow sometimes soon OP, maybe take a trip somewhere that has snow when it does snow somewhere vaguely near you.

Snowy Christmases are a reality for my children though as we live somewhere with proper winters so children's media depicting them makes sense for them. I think my daughter has only twice seen Christmas without snow, once when we were in the UK for Christmas and once when it was an unusually unsnowy winter. Right now I've got 22cm of the white stuff in my garden

Trying to imagine the alternative. Christmas images depicting rain, wind, grey skies, puddles etc. How magical that would be!

I live in the SE and we get snow every year, sometimes just a couple of days, sometimes proper dumps and on the ground for a week or more before it thaws. If you live on the South coast there will be areas within less than an hours drive of you that get snow every year so this is on you I'm afraid. Anywhere over 150m will get snow in all but the mildest winters - the South Downs and Surrey Hills for example will always get some snow - we usually get at least one or two days skiing and sledging in every winter. Butser Hill is usually a good bet.

In terms of seagull representation in children's books, may I recommend 'The Everywhere Bear' by Julia Donaldson? I think you might some find relevant imagery in that one.

So you want TV/books to reflect your DDs very limited and atypical experience of life so she doesn't get upset that she's never experienced snow or seen ducks? OK then.

But if you live in Brighton, can't you just take her to London on the train for the day and visit the big London parks? They have ducks there, I think.

Go for a winter holiday somewhere where it snows, or visit a snowdome? Explain that different parts of the country have different weather and different animals/birds and while you don't have ducks and snow where you live, you have the sea and seagulls, which a lot of places don't have, and they're nice too.

Move to Sheffield / Peak District- loads of snow and loads of ducks.

The 7.30/8am listen in to BBC Sheffield for school closures is the highlight of winter for children here. Day of sledging, snow ball fights, building snow men follows.

Your poor children are deprived. You'll have to move.

Much of what we call Christmas now in the UK comes from the Victorians, they had winters when the Thames froze over and things like a tree in the house and Christmas cards were invented or brought to the UK by them.

We had snow last week, a few years ago it snowed at the end of November and it didn't shift properly until February, North East England. Mind,is was an awful colour by then.

It's normally end of January before we get much snow.

I suppose those trying to make money out of us in the media could show rain lashed streets, 5 degrees above freezing, people hockling up flem on the bus and black eye Friday.

How festive.

Do you feel miffed by the seaside always being portrayed as long, sandy beaches (without Weever Fish), the water being shallow and warm or getting sandblasted (like Camber), instead of being 99% stones and a big old drop into cold water after a few paces whilst giant Shytehawks treat you in the same way they do smaller birds if they think you might have something to eat in your hand?

After all, Brighton Beach isn't known for its sandcastle building or hospitable wildlife.

Hm. Have you considered getting a train somewhere and showing your child a duck? 😂

I don’t think the problem here is what’s on tv, I think the problem is too much time watching tv and not enough seeking out new experiences in the real world

My daughter has seen and played in snow lots of times but did get confused one Christmas Day when she was younger. She looked out of the window and said it can’t be Christmas, there’s no snow! It was a standard grey drizzly Christmas Day. She has now accepted that it probably won’t snow on Xmas day but I agree that all the films make it seem like it’s a given.

I’m with op.

I moved to a small bucks village because I wanted to live in the middle of all the drama, the affairs, the village fetes tainted with murder and mayhem!

18 years and not one murder for me to solve.

John nettles lied to me.

#MidsomerMurdersFake

Re: pond with ducks in or near Brighton - Falmer Pond has geese and ducks.

If OP lives in Brighton she has literally no excuse - it always snows on the north face of the South Downs so she is half an hour drive away from snow every winter. And of course there are ducks in Queens Park and at Falmer Pond. I think this is just a wind up.

OP, I’m just a short distance along the coast from you. I think there are probably some ducks at Brooklands in Lancing if you felt like a day trip away from Brighton!

In fairness to the OP BUT I don't have a car makes getting up onto Ditchling Beacon or suchlike fairly inaccessible - and the buses aren't that keen on running when there's snow.

My aunt, who has more money than sense, has rented a snow machine and artificial snow for her Christmas day every year since her kids were old enough to understand what snow was. Just so they could wake up to a snowy Christmas morning. Absolutely barking.

I've had multiple comments saying I have no excuse not to visit the downs for snow because it's a half hour drive away. I already said I don't have a car but even if I hadn't said that couldn't you maybe conceive of some people maybe not having a car? I literally cannot get up to the downs to experience snow unless someone wants to give us a lift.

I did intend this as a light hearted post but I'm getting a lot of shaming now for not giving my daughter specific life experiences that I either couldn't access or still can't access!
We went to the beach almost every day during 2020. If someone who lived inland said their child didn't go to the seaside until they were 3 (again partly because of covid) would they get all this flak for it?

10 minute train journey from Brighton to Hassocks 🙄

That's the single place I've been anywhere close to where I live that had ducks! Went there once this summer!

My eldest DC lives in the centre of Brighton. I've just messaged to see if they've seen any ducks.

How bizarre...have you never ventured to Queens Park in Kemptown? That has plenty of ducks and swans. And Gulls 😉
Also hop on a bus/train/car to Stanmer, 5/10 mins away and you'll find plenty of ducks on the pond there.
For what it's worth when there is snow you'll definitely find some up on top of the south downs. Brighton certainly isn't a microclimate just a bit more moist near the sea for it to settle!

Lewes also has pells pond full to the brim with ducks and just down the road from Brighton!

I think it’s incredibly important both snow and ducks are represented on the TV to get your child used to the idea. Otherwise one day she’ll come across a snowy duck and her mind will be blown.