good tv versus bad tv for kids

[tryingtobeagoodmum]

My children (11 and 9) love watching tv. I'm fed up with all the American import rubbish (Hannah Montana et al) and I want to find programmes that are fun but where they can learn too. Any suggestions? Little Einsteins is ok. National Geographic good but only natural world. Any other favourites that someone can recommend?

What about Nature documentaries, I was a nanny for many years and kids really love these. A particular favorite was the Deep Blue boxset. Maybe foreign cinema.
What are their hobbies, find DVD's and TV programs that explore those topics.
What about some Japanese anime like Spirited away.
On BBCiplayer there is a science and nature section, that should have some interesting programs.

The Apprentice is always good for a laugh - my 12 year old loves it! And comes up with far more workable ideas than the contestants usually.

But if they watch HM they can learn the Hoedown Throwdown - life doesn't get much better than that

Ok, seriously, I am struggling with pre-teen tv shows that are actually worth watching so I will watch with interest!

I could try your bin it approach but then I would sit alone at night without even seeing another human being, never mind interacting with them. so it is not an approach I will be trying

Oh no, that would never work for me, I am totally addicted to watching the thing that came on after the thing that was on before...
(Whilst MNing of course!)

Tv is about relaxing why does it all have to worthy and educational, nothing wrong with a bit of HM.

DC's enjpy programmes like the The Apprentice, Top Gear, Brainiacs.DD 11 particularly likes programmes like Meerkat Manor and Lemur Street on Animal Planet.

It's a pity Discovery Kids isn't available any more, although you can watch it on the web

discovery kids

Kingcanute - I used to be utterly addicted to tv, would never consider not having one

Now we havent and life is better
Im entirely with nofurtherquestions on this one

I'd get dvds of old sit comedies.

Bear Grylls, Born Survivor......

We watch some crap but we then talk about why its crap but why we like it and how to make choices about what we watch - Britain?s got talent has raised lots of good talking points in our house inc bulling, how people judge each other on appearance etc

what do you want them to learn from tv?

why do you want them to learn while watching tv?

what do you like to watch that also learns you?

'It clogs and clutters up the mind
It makes a child so dull and blind.'(Roald Dahl - fellow TV hater)

I HATE television - especially all that rubbish on the kids channels. My charges are addicted. I refuse to put it on but their parents have no such reservations shutting them up with it.
The only thing I can stand is documentaries- nature and history mostly.
Bin the TV and invest in books. Far better.
My parents never banned me from watching TV but I was one of those weird little freaks who hated it from a young age and spent all my time in the library.
Children learn whatever they are doing - however what they learn from most of the rubbish on TV is up for debate

Little Einsteins is aimed at pre-schoolers tryingtobe.

Ben 10?

Personally, I think tv today is a wonderful way of educating children, depending on the age of the child. I am a cm and have regular programmes we watch that teach healthy eating, phonics, knowledge and understanding of the world, makaton etc, etc. No, I don't plonk children in front of the tv while I do my housework - I use it to compliment the other resources I have to help children learn and develop. My son's nursery uses cbeebies on bbc iplayer too- so it can't be all bad.

My teenagers hate Corrie and Emmerdale but I know what I would say to them if they told me I couldn't watch it.

As previous poster said, tv isn't just about learning, it's a way of relaxing - is HM and other pre-teen programmes all that bad to children of this age. Let them be children and watch what other chidren their age are watching.

[Big ouch as flames are thrown my way]

Tavvy, why would you assume that watching tv means no books? Myself and my dc are bookworms in the extreme. I read 2 or 3 novels a week, my dc read at least 2, age relevant, books a week themselves. Plus what they read in/because of school. This is along with a sport based lifestyle incorporating after school clubs, competitions, extra training... and on and on.

TV only "makes a child dull and blind" if you let it. Whilst I hate Hannah Montanta or the likes, as has been said, crap tv can bring up talking points on its own - about important and relevant issues. The most recent with HM was responsibility with money and the need for material "things", why this is good and bad in different situations. This led onto a conversation about credit and debt and into an overview of how the economy works.

I, personally, do not shut my children up with the tv, in fact tv promotes more conversation, more regularly, than a book. Finding a happy medium is ok. The thread was asking for good tv programmes not a lifestyle oneupmanship show.

Infact, okay - I love 'High School Musical' and 'Hairspray'- there, have come out and said it . And I am 44 - years, not months .

There goes my street cred...........

I don't assume TV means no books. I just get fed up of children I know shunning books because 'they've seen the film'
TV is my absolute pet hate- my problem that's all - no disrespect intended to anybody else at all. You clearly use it sensibly. I have no problem with that. My problem is with it being used as a babysitter.
It's just something I'm weird about but then I come from a family of TV haters - it was bound to rub off in the end

I wouldn't bin the TV personally. We didn't have a TV at home until I was a teenager and practically begged my parents because I really REALLY wanted to know what London's Burning was all about because it was the thing to watch according to my friends at school.

TV, like it or not, is part of our culture and it's one level that children interact on. If your child is the only one not watching aforementioned rubbish then they're going to inevitably be excluded from some things in life.

I personally don't like TV and hate Pokemon and Dinosaur King with a passion but I actually argued with repectfully challenged my boss's decision not to allow my charge to watch it because I know that they talk about it and role play it in the park after school and denying him the TV/DVD input is denying him the opportunity to join in. OTOH he doesn't get to watch indiscriminately, we get nice 'educational' videos etc from the library and I use TV to support things he's doing at school (geography/history etc) so it's not all rubbish. Plus we watched Harry Potter and then I read the first book to him, he's now on the 3rd book reading independently and says they're better than the films but he likes the films because it helps him imagine what it's like.

Conclusion: TV valuable when used properly and in conjunction with other resources (eg. books or friends)

I suggest limiting the amount of time spent watching tv rather than limiting what they watch. It won't do them any harm to watch a bit of crap - children need relaxation too! I watch The Apprentice - they watch Hider in the House and MIHigh.

How about good radio instead of tv?

Try 4pm-5pm weekdays on radio 7 (digital) -Big Toe Books. Normally three books serialised over several days. I think it's better than an hour of junk tv before tea time. It's also on weekends at 8am - so is an alternative to Saturday morning tv.

And following on from Franakins point - Ceebeebies radio (radio 7 5am-8am) is great for younger kids imaginations and listening skills - they follow familiar stories and characters but without the visuals.

Sorry, frannikin

My eldest DD (10) loves trapped on the CBBC channel. She also loves the Sarah jane Adventures (Doctor who spin off )