It's a sad day in the Brown household...

I'm sorry but I'm going to have to vent here for a moment.  Flipper has been pulled from TV,  apparently it was too wholesome (morals, conservation, family values, love of animals, great displays of a healthy sibling relationship and a father that makes sure his boys do chores before play and "do the right thing"...etc.).  Actually, the whole "American Life Network", a Christian-owned network that offered conservative family-oriented programming (launched on May 1, 1985), has been pulled...the channel will be rebranded as "You-too" and the only "retro" shows on their schedule will be Batman, The Green Hornet, and The X-Files.  Grrr!

I can't put into words how angry I am.  I guess it's just not as popular as "Almost Naked Animals" or some brain-trash like that.

Justin looked last night to find something to replace Flipper and, with our umteen channels, Leave it to Beaver and the Addams Family, two of his favorites, were sadly no where to be found either.

As with toys, I think some of the best shows were ones from the 1950s and 1960s.  They show a world where television shows set an example for how people should live.  I'm sure things weren't perfect in "real life" like they showed in the TV shows...but when you chose to watch something, it was a positive experience and you got something out of it.  Those shows were using TV as an instrument to entertain, but to also teach...to IMPROVE our American culture, not destroy it.

One thing I love to look for in the Bible are versus that were written so many years ago that still apply today...When TV and internet didn't exist I know words were written to guide us.  In Matthew 17 Jesus talks about temptations to sin.  When I think about today's programming and that I have a CHOICE in what my children watch (and what I watch for that matter!)I think of these verses.

"If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied around his neck and be drowned in the deep sea.  How terrible for the world that there are things that make people lose their faith!  Such things will always happen---but how terrible for the one who causes them!...If your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out and throw it away!"

There are many TV shows out there that set bad examples and make you "lose your faith", ie desensitize your mind and "grey" the area between black and white.  These verses make me understand that I have to be careful with my own shows!...and REALLY careful with my childrens'!  Especially, when the "TV world" isn't in the business of helping us parents out!

Flipper...

I am very selective about what TV shows the kids watch.  This is one area of my "parenting life" that I think is easy...and by easy I mean that I have complete control.  With pretty much everything else I can teach them until I am blue, but THEY control if they will do what is right.  With TV I control what they will watch (by using Kids On Demand, DVR or DVDs) and how long they will watch (1, maybe 2 if the weather is bad, 30 min shows per day).  If they bring up some sassy or violent show they have heard about somewhere else I just simply say..."Nope. Our family doesn't watch shows like that.  Your choices today are...blah, blah, blah.  We don't have to watch a show if you don't like the choices?"  Works every time.

I have "go-tos" on Kids On Demand (Bobby's World, The Berenstain Bears, Olivia, Wonderpets) or I DVR shows that I would think they would like (Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith, The Adventures of Black Beauty).  We also have DVDs of shows like Lassie and Veggie Tales.

My selections generally have animals, adventure and a lesson of some sort and I'm always trying to add shows into the mix.  I don't really do "learning shows" as much as shows that teach a lesson ("moral shows?").

When we were in Charleston a few weekends ago we had the hotel TV on a channel that was showing Flipper (Not the one-hour Flipper...It is AWFUL.  The 30 min. one with Sandy and Bud).  I was thrilled!...I get really excited to add shows to our rotation.  It gives the kids some variety and choice.

The last two weeks they have been choosing Flipper as their choice every day.  I think he's our summer Lassie!  The shows I pick work well for both boys and girls, but honestly--with boats, planes, alligators, rescue missions, dolphins, Coast Guard, etc.---for a little boy it doesn't get much better than Flipper.