Red Furry Monster Vs. High School Musical

Written by Writer Dad on August 25, 2008 - View Comments
Categories: Fatherhood

Childhood is a short season. 

~Helen Hayes

We went to the performing arts center to see Elmo in a Sesame Street stage show.  Of course the merchandising was out of control (ten dollars for a red mylar balloon, beaming with Elmo’s furry face is ridiculous), but the event was otherwise very sweet. 

What thrilled me most, wasn’t the delighted look on our little rascal’s face as lights dimmed, music swelled, and an Elmo who looked three times taller than he should have ran out clapping to take center stage opposite an even taller Big Bird. 

I’m thrilled he loved it, but wasn’t surprised.  

My surprise was from the obvious joy and steady amusement hanging on Mia’s face. 

I’m thankful that at six, Mia isn’t too long in the tooth for something as innocent and wonderful as Sesame Street.  I was a bit surprised, more than a few times during this last school year, with some of the things Mia’s friends were in to. 

High School Musical, specifically. 

There isn’t anything wrong with High School Musical.  It’s just that Mia’s still a little girl and we’d love to keep her that way as long as possible.  If she were in high school, then I’d be thrilled that something so innocent could charm her.  But she isn’t.  She’s in Kindergarten.  And I’d prefer if she wasn’t emulating a life lived behind the walls of high school, no matter how antiseptic the version might be.

Daisy and I put the flick on our Netflix queue, just to see what all the fuss was about. 

There were no surprises. 

The film is exactly what you’d expect from a Disney produced musical set in a middle american high school: almost garishly idealistic, with a lot of discussion about topics that are not yet a part of a kindergartner’s world. 

We don’t shelter Mia. 

At least not when it comes to things such as music, or language. 

She is exceedingly articulate, can exchange verbiage with any adult, and can separate the distinct instruments from the many tracks in almost any song.  

Still, we try to nurture the innocence inside her, knowing full well it won’t last forever. She has plenty of time to grow up, and Daisy and I aren’t in a hurry. 

Mia’s been made fun of at school this year (for certain a few times, and perhaps more than she’s told us) for still liking “baby” things like My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake. 

I’m glad she does. 

We canceled our cable almost two years ago.  We live off the Imac and Netflix.

I’m proud to say, the number of commercials our children have seen or heard in their short lives can be counted on a single hand.

Time will march and take our little ones.  For now, I’m glad that the harmless la la la la, la la la la from a red furry monster can still cause my six year old to smile.

Writer Dad

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  • Writer Dad
    Evelyn: Birthday parties are definitely the gateway. I'm glad they weren't too hot over it. You're lucky.

    Katy: I haven't had the misfortune of seeing the second one. Yet.
  • I agree. Here is my post about High School Musical - yes, I sat through both 1 and 2 - ugggh!
    http://www.adventuresinparenting.org/2007/12/03/keeping-our-childrens-innocence/

    katys last blog post..Enforcing computer/video game limits
  • If I have known better, I would have preferred not to let my kids watch too much TV. Still, I must say that TV watching is somewhat controlled in my home.

    I also would classify High School Musical as a movie that is more suitable for older kids. My kids only got to know about it because they attended a birthday party which had a choreographer teaching them the dance steps. All the other 7 year olds already have watched the show except for mine. My girls could barely participate in the Q&A session and did not manage to win a prize.

    In the end, I caved in and borrowed the DVD. My kids watched it but I was glad that they were not too hot over it!

    Evelyn Lims last blog post..Planet Of Dreams
  • Writer Dad
    Vered: I understand entirely. We're lucky enough to be able to insulate ourselves most of the time. It makes it way easier to complain.

    Andy: Thank you. I can't wait (hypothetically) until Mia is twenty. We'll have so much to share. My children are definitely part of the reason I post every day. No matter what happens to me, my words are forever.

    Chris: My goodness! Is your picture twenty years old? You look fantastic.
  • It's very difficult to shelter your children now a days. What my wife and I do to counter this effect is to spend a lot of time with them. Now that my oldest is already 20 and my youngest is almost 4, and 3 teenagers in between, we've gotten better at keeping them as young as possible.

    Chriss last blog post..5 Movies That Make Me Cry
  • I assume - you being a writer and all - that Mia is also an avid reader. She may get made fun of by her peers now, but I think she will thank you when she is a beautiful 20 something year old and tell you how much she appreciates you bringing her up the way you did.

    When I was little my idols were MacGyver, Ryan Sandberg and Jesus. The people that little kids try to emulate now seem to be a far cry from what they used to be.

    God Bless you for taking your daughter to Sesame Street instead of plopping her down in front of the T.V.
  • "It’s just that Mia’s still a little girl and we’d love to keep her that way as long as possible."

    My kids are 6 and 8. They watched High School Musical at a friend's house. They watch Kim Possible and Hanna Montana regularly.

    I'm not happy about it, but once they started going to play dates and birthday parties, it couldn't be stopped without paying a heavy social price or nagging other parents, which I didn't want to do.
  • Writer Dad
    Scott: Here, here.

    Dave Navarro: Ah, Tivo, how did we live so long without thee? My two years with Tivo were the best tv watching years of my life.

    SpaceAgeSage: The worst is the provocative clothing for pre-teen girls. Garish and horrifying.

    Blake Thompson: Unfortunately, it is more and more common. We should be embarrassed.
  • My daughter, 7, really wants to watch Hannah Montana when she can. We don't have cable, so there's no way for her to while at home. But there is a draw there for her for sure. And I don't really even think HM is that bad or in any way obscene. But I do think there are attitudes and thoughts on there that I'm not ready for my 7 year old to have.

    Yesterday she was at soccer practice, and another 7 year old made the comment that she likes to put on makeup and day dream about going on a date w/ Nick Jonas. I was shocked. But I guess that's more and more common.
  • Writer Dad,

    I recently saw a commercial for grade school kids' clothing. I turned to my husband and said, "Do those look like kids' clothes to you?" We just shook our heads at the college preppie look they were wearing and realized how much "adulthood" is pushed down to kids as a way to get money out of them.

    SpaceAgeSages last blog post..Is ingratitude like anti-matter?
  • I'm the same way about commercials - everything we watch gets Tivo'd, and commercials are skipped through. :-)

    Dave Navarros last blog post..The First Law Of Action: A Refined Outcome Is Easier To Achieve
  • Scott McIntyre
    Writer Dad,

    I agree with you.

    When I spoke of ‘adult’ values and messages not being forced upon young people, I meant those kind of messages which you suggested that only grown-ups are ready to be exposed to.
  • Writer Dad
    Scott: I don't wish to shelter our children to the point of them being ill equipped to deal with the world they live in, but geez, why does the world have to be in such a hurry?

    Dot: What I said.

    Stacy: It's amazing what they come home asking, isn't it?

    Bamboo: No kidding. Kids can be so mean. I really want to be in a position where we can be traveling during the middle school years; they seem to be the most cruel.
  • "Mia’s been made fun of at school this year (for certain a few times, and perhaps more than she’s told us) for still liking “baby” things like My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake."

    If I had children - I'd tell them that if I ever found out they made fun of another student, they would be in HUGE trouble. I just don't understand the cruel and piercing flame throwing that goes on in schools. It's disgusting. And I think parents should do everything in their power to ensure their children don't take part in such ruthless behavior.

    Parents should be vigilant in this department. Something I think should be conveyed to children again and again.

    Bamboo Forests last blog post..Why Having to Say Hello Twice can Be So Awkward
  • I'm all about Elmo too. My son is familiar with some of the HSM songs b/c they play the music at his preschool. My son doesn’t want to watch HSM (maybe b/c he is a boy). His requests are for Star Wars, Spiderman, Power Rangers, and Transformers. He is learning about these movies/shows from other kids at school. He understands he is too young to watch these shows, but that doesn't stop him from asking.

    Stacey / CreateaBalances last blog post..The Power of Accountability
  • What Scott McIntyre said.
  • Scott McIntyre
    Writer Dad,

    I've not seen 'High Street Musical', but it's as big here in the UK as it is in the US.

    Recently, one of our largest supermarket chains was forced to withdraw an item of children's clothing which bore the words 'Dive in' across the front.

    The uproar at the thought that Disney was merchandizing such (potentially) provocative messages at youngsters was front page headlines. Quite right too.

    There is a need for a fine line of balance.

    Children have to be gradually introduced to the realities of life. It is better that they be educated and informed so that they can make decisions which promote their positive wellbeing.

    However, each child's individual stage of development must be taken into account.

    In an ideal world parents, schools, and the media would work together to ensure that 'adult' values and messages are not forced upon young people ill-equipped to deal with them emotionally.
  • Writer Dad
    Barbara: Ooh, I can't stand the ads. I didn't realize how much I disliked them until I removed them from my life. Now I feel all grrr every time I see or hear one. We watch DVD's and listen to CD's. They'll be bombarded soon enough.

    Blogger Dad: Thank you for using Hannah Montana and vapid in the same sentence. It went perfectly with my morning coffee.

    Elaine: The years evaporate so quickly, I don't know why anyone would ever want to nudge them along.

    Peter: Thanks. I don't want to impede her, just nurture her in all the right ways. I'm sure I don't ALWAYS make the right choices, but I'm confident that I always do my best.

    Lance: I know it's going to become increasingly difficult the older they get. I don't want to imprison them in tupperware, I just wish the world wasn't populated by so much garbage.

    Robin: If you've got an imac, what else do you need? Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony are both on youtube.

    Sal: Little Einsteins is a terrific show that I cannot say enough good things about. If everything on TV were half as good, I'd still have cable.

    Hayden: Do you mean Jem and the holograms? Because that show was awesome. It was like an MTV soap opera, but eighties style and animated. They're making a Thundercats movie. That would be the dumbest idea I've ever heard, if I hadn't already heard about the Hot Wheels movie.

    Marelisa: Children are growing up faster than we did. It's sad.
  • Strawberry Shortcake is considered to be a baby-thing at the age of 6?! I'm pretty sure that I had a Strawberry Shortcake until at least the age of 10 or 11. I guess at one end of our lives we want to speed up time, while at the other end of our lives we want to slow it down. To everything there is a season . . .

    Marelisas last blog post..Stress Management: 25 Ways to Relieve Stress
  • "Mia’s been made fun of at school this year...for still liking “baby” things like My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake. "

    Ack! My highschool went through this little retro phase where stuff like "Transformers" and "My Little Pony" was uberhip. Even now you can see the occasional person walking around with a Thundercats sticker or something. Me? I always really liked "Gems", not that I am sure what that show was even about...

    Hayden Tompkinss last blog post..Put Some Happy in Your Friday
  • Sal
    Ahh yes, we are not trying to shelter our children either. We still have cable, but there are very few showes that we let our kids watch. The thing is that they all come on Disney Channel, which also has no commercials (a great thing for us parents) Her favorites are Doodlebops and Little Einstines. I am particularly thrilled that she loves the classical music and the art work from Little Einstines. She is also learning some spanish from Handy Manny.

    Needless to say, both will have plenty of time to grow up and we know we can't keep them kids forever, but why not enjoy it while it lasts?

    Sals last blog post..Look Before You Leap - Or Not
  • I enjoyed reading this Writer Dad - My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake sound like fun (we live off our iMacs, too).

    Robins last blog post..On Overcoming Obstacles
  • As a parent, I love this. It is so wonderful you can enjoy your children at the age they are. There is no hurry to grow up - it'll happen soon enough.

    My youngest son is in 4th grade this year, and he still prefers cartoons (Scooby Doo to be specific) to anything else. Sometimes his older brother and sister make fun of him for liking these. And then I remind them all, that there is nothing wrong with this. And, in fact, it is good.

    I also commend you on shielding your kids from commercials. I have tried, but find it more difficult as they get older, visit more friends, hear things in school, etc. There is too much of this, and too much especially geared toward children.

    Lances last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day
  • It is a tough line, knowing when that innocence is over, and when it should be nurtured. I think it is great that you are in no rush to see Mia grow up. Unfortunately, Mia will eventually grow up any way, so kudos for you not pushing the fact. I think letting children develop at their own pace is something that helps them for the rest of their lives. Just my opinion. Great post.

    http://yinvsyang.com/
  • i know what you mean even though i don't have kids, my wee niece is seven, and i'm so happy that i can still make her laugh over nothing, and hug her for too long.. those days will be gone soon, sniff sniff, but i still love elmo, so you never know ;)
  • Be thankful that your daughter has missed the cultural wasteland that is Hannah Montana and the other vapid shows aimed at young girls. I love the joy of seeing my 16-month old son dancing to music, too young to care how goofy he looks and what other people will think of him. It breaks my heart to know that at some point what other people think could define his happiness. We should all be able to hold onto the joy of childhood.

    Blogger Dads last blog post..I will never do THAT - parental intentions v. reality
  • Hi Writer Dad,

    With kids growing up so fast these days, it's nice to hear you and Daisy keep an eye on what your children are exposed to. I love the fact you're not exposing them to commercials. We all know how influential those ads are.

    Barbara Swaffords last blog post..A.S.K. - Liz Strauss - How Do You Inspire Your Readers To Join Your Community
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