'You silly old fool', shouts one of my 3 Year Olds

Thankfully we were seated in the car with the windows up, so 'the silly old fool' in question did not hear her.

My jaw dropped open and I did one of those best mummy smiles and sing song voices, you know where you do not want your child to know they have done something naughty, something you do not like, something they could use to wind you up for like, forever! 

'Ohh where did you hear that?' I ask. Nanny Plum, they both reply. Well, that is a bit surprising then, here was I thinking that Ben and Holly in their little kingdom was a nice programme, maybe not so. Apparently Nanny Plum was talking about the Wise Old Elf and saying he was a silly old fool.  Really, I ask you?  This program is aimed at pre-schoolers, is that what we want to teach them?  What person making this series thought it would be cute for their 2 or 3 year old to shout out you silly old fool to a passer by in the right context.  I did not find it funny.  Perhaps it's just me - did I have a humour by-pass? You tell me.

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I told dh about the incident and he did not seem phased at all. he asked me what else Nanny Plum might have said if the Wise Old Elf really was being silly. Errr, my response, 'just say whatever he did was silly'.  Surely we should be keeping it simple for them to understand? Separate the action from the person.  Silly behaviour does not make a silly person etc.

A while back I read a post by Dara on pretty much the same thing and this got me thinking and since then I have heard loads more from the TV that I am not happy with.  I was chatting with a Mum this morning whose child had started to call a younger sibling 'Worm'.  Guess what programme that came from?  Horrid Henry and that is a real favourite of my kids.  

I know my Mum hates it, but to some extent I do think that kids have to be exposed to different things as long as we, as parents and responsible adults (stop laughing, I am really!) are aware of what they are seeing. Then it is our role as parents to teach them what is OK and what's not.  In real life they will see naughty kids and hear naughty words and I find a pragmatic approach works best, tell them what the word means and why our family do not use it. O.M.G seems to be the favourite here at the moment but JJ has soon clicked that it is not very nice when I started to shout 'Oh my JJ' whenever I was a bit cross.

I now sound as if I contradict myself don't I?  On the one hand I say I think it is awful that Ben and Holly are teaching my girls derogatory language and then on the other I saw they need to be exposed to it.  I think the difference lies that I expect to censor Horrid Henry it is on a channel for older kids and thus it may not be age appropriate for 3 or 4 year olds, but Ben and Holly or Peppa Pig are on channels aimed at pre-schoolers and I really did feel I should be able to trust those channels - silly Michelle! 


What do you think on this?  Am I a bit of a stick in the mud?  Do you sit down and watch TV with the kids all the time?  

I have to say on the occasions that the TV is on in our house it is because there is something else I want to get on with and I want the kids to relax a bit. I'll have to think twice next time....  perhaps putting on a tried and trusted DVD instead.  At least then I know what to expect.


Wishing you all a very happy weekend!   Mich x


Ohh and I might as well leave you with my little Vlog for the MAD Blog Awards.... you have remembered I am a finalist in the family life category haven't you?  Have you voted yet?