Though we are having fun with Halloween by playing games and wearing costumes, I prefer to keep it fun and not scary. I know zombies and vampires are all the rage right now but I think preschoolers are too young to experience those ideas and movies . So you understand it isnt just my opinion but my belief based on real research.
From the American Association of Child Psychiatry : ( Its long but please read )
American children watch an average of four hours of television daily. Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Unfortunately, much of today’s television programming is violent. Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may:
- become “immune” or numb to the horror of violence
- gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems
- imitate the violence they observe on television; and
- identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers
Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness. Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. Children with emotional, behavioral, learning or impulse control problems may be more easily influenced by TV violence. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the child’s behavior or may surface years later. Young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence.
While TV violence is not the only cause of aggressive or violent behavior, it is clearly a significant factor. Parents can protect children from excessive TV violence in the following ways:
- pay attention to the programs their children are watching and watch some with them
- set limits on the amount of time they spend with the television; consider removing the TV set from the child’s bedroom
- point out that although the actor has not actually been hurt or killed, such violence in real life results in pain or death
- refuse to let the children see shows known to be violent, and change the channel or turn off the TV set when offensive material comes on, with an explanation of what is wrong with the program
- disapprove of the violent episodes in front of the children, stressing the belief that such behavior is not the best way to resolve a problem
- to offset peer pressure among friends and classmates, contact other parents and agree to enforce similar rules about the length of time and type of program the children may watch
Parents can also use these measures to prevent harmful effects from television in other areas such as racial or sexual stereotyping. The amount of time children watch TV, regardless of content, should be moderated because it decreases time spent on more beneficial activities such as reading, playing with friends, and developing hobbies. If parents have serious difficulties setting limits, or have ongoing concerns about their child’s behavior, they should contact a child and adolescent psychiatrist forconsultation and assistance
This is why I believe the way I do. Is it possible your child is acting out violence he or she sees on TV or using language that is inappropriate for a preschooler ? What are they seeing ? Kids cannot handle everything that we can as adults. Please think about what you are letting your child see on TV or at the movies. ( Debbie steps off her soapbox. )
We did a colors story called ” A ghost called Matt ” today about a ghost that wasnt happy with his color ( blue ) and he changed it over and over again only to find out that he needed to be true to himself.
We made pop up ghost and practices our cutting skills. Our four year olds are cutting pretty well while our threes still need some practice but that is expected !
It was a pretty great day and we are all super excited about the pumpkin decorating time and hayride with the daddies tonight !
( Still having a problem uploading pictures. I will throw a few on Facebook. )