Power Rangers....

[Graceoc]

Can someone please tell me what they think of the Power Rangers as something that is ok or not for an almost 5 year old...

I have always been pretty 'picky' about what I allow my son to watch on TV. But since starting school he has heard all about superheros, power rangers, ect..... and is interested in being able to watch them. I have never seen the show and am unsure.

I am not exactly sure what I am concerned about - he already is obsessed with Knights and sword fighting and the like from reading books - so I don't think it is the violence so much....but maybe that is it.

Or maybe I just want to keep him my sweet little boy and the Power Rangers don't fit with that image LOL!

Anyway - does anyone else have a little boy who likes Power Rangers....and if so what do you think????

[whatever]

my son is CRAZY for Power Rangers. He has a couple videos, and then he has lots of their little toys, with little plastic bits for stepping on in bare feet (ouch!)

I think they are okay. Not The GREATEST but okay. The series is pretty violent, in an exagerrated kind of way - not realistic violence. My son does like to play power rangers with his dad, but we have always been very careful about stressing thta the fighting in it is just for television, and not to be imitated in real life.

Some of the messages are pretty good - the female power rangers are good characters, not just there to be rescued, and there is a lot of talk about friendship and teamwork.

[moondiapers]

I think it's violent in the extreme, the most violent live action children's program I've ever seen. They use fake exagerated martial arts to fight the bad guys. The bad guys are people in really cheesy costumes make up to look evil. The martial arts part is my main beef with it, my children are in Karate and I don't want them to EVER think it's ok to just go around hitting and kicking at someone that "looks" like a bad guy. The easiest way for you to decide though would be to go rent a video that has a few episodes on it and watch them after he's gone to bed.


-Heather

[julielenore]

I do not like power rangers. I don't like how they seem to be a half hour long commercial so that your child will get you to buy all those action figures. I would rather my child not watch any show where the main storyline always involves violence, however mild that violence may be.

[supervee]

DS loves being a superhero. It's so funny when he pretends to be Batman and makes that "whish!" noise (I call it the boy noise). I laugh because I know he just thinks Batman looks cool and it's cool he's named after a Bat. He even had a Batman birthday party but he has never watched Batman!

Same with Power Rangers. Another boy at school did watch them every day, and DS would spin around and go "Power Rangers!" I asked him what Power Rangers did and he said "They pow!" That's it, they spin around and say pow.

I don't encourage him to watch these things on TV just because I find them too loud and don't really want him acting out that play more than he already does. I do think there is a difference between violence in books and on the screen. Have you ever read Stephen King, for example? You get different things in your head from reading Carrie and watching the movie.

I guess that when he watches TV I'd just rather it be something else.

[supervee]

I should have added that, yes, *I* have seen the Power Rangers, and like I said they are too loud and just really silly and cheapo looking. I don't think they're any more harmful than the other shows of that genre, but nothing to recommend them.

[LunaMom]

When my daughter was in preschool her teachers actually had to ban "Power rangers play" because the boys kept hurting each other and it was getting out of control.

I turned the show on once out of curiosity and I thought it was extremely violent, especially considering that the target audience seems to be preschool and kindergarten-aged boys. As I said above, the boys in DD's class who watched it would imitate it and punch and kick each other. Even boys who did not watch it picked up this behavior and brought it home as well.

If I had a son I would not let him watch it. I do know boys who are not allowed to watch it but do have an action figure or two to satisfy their curiosity, and as long as they are not playing in violent ways their moms are willing to make that compromise. Seems reasonable to me. DD isn't allowed to watch violent TV but I didn't stop her from choosing a Powerpuff girl doll as a prize at a party. It's just a toy.

[HollyBearsMom]

Originally Posted by julielenore

I do not like power rangers. I don't like how they seem to be a half hour long commercial so that your child will get you to buy all those action figures. I would rather my child not watch any show where the main storyline always involves violence, however mild that violence may be.

I totally agree. We don't have any power ranger stuff in our house, period. My son knows that I think it is too violent. he has never seen the show or watched a video. However it is so prevalent these days among his age group. There were 3 kids dressed as power rangers for Halloween. He attended a power ranger themed b-day party. You can't seem to get away from them.

My son actually sidled up to me the other day and asked if he could please pretend to be a "nice" power ranger. When I asked what he meant he said "one who doesn't shoot, hit or kick. That’s not nice". So I said OK and he just ran around the house saying “Yeah!!! I am a nice power ranger. WOOHOO! Look at me!! I am power ranger. I am the red one, the red one is nice!” I am just glad that he lost interest quicklyand hasn't mentioned them in weeks.

[julielenore]

[QUOTE=HollyBearsMom]
My son actually sidled up to me the other day and asked if he could please pretend to be a "nice" power ranger. When I asked what he meant he said "one who doesn't shoot, hit or kick. That’s not nice". So I said OK and he just ran around the house saying “Yeah!!! I am a nice power ranger. WOOHOO! Look at me!! I am power ranger. I am the red one, the red one is nice!” QUOTE]
That is so cute :LOL

[~*max*~]

I also have never seen the show, nor has ds. We are very limited in what I allow the kids to watch, nothing violent. One of the reasons I do this, is bc ds copies everything he sees on tv & in videos, so I want it to be age appropriate.

This said, his preschool classmates are very into Power Rangers. One day my ds exclaims, "Let's play Power Rangers!" So I ask how you play. He says, "You run around and yell POWER RANGERS!" As I watched the kids, this is exactly what they are doing, just running together & yelling. In their minds, there was some kind of game going on, and they were really enjoying themselves. So, maybe your ds can join in the fun (as long as it is safe & appropriate of course) w/out having watched the show. It certainly hasn't stopped my ds!

[Graceoc]

Thanks ladies I think I am going to stick with not watching the show....although apperantly my mom let him pick out one of the videos last time he spent the night even after I said no power rangers But once every month is not a very big deal to me.

I have seen them playing power rangers too - dosen't seem much differnt then when they play 'meat eating dinosaurs' or the such so as long as no one is getting hurt no big deal.

DS actually drew me a pic of the power rangers the other day - I was pretty impressed considering he has only seen it that one time with my mom - he is a great artist! He told me all about them and how one was a girl

Anyway - thanks for the imput...pretty much the direction I was heading anyway....l

[sistermama]

My friend lets her son have the action figures, with the understanding that the second they are opened the weapons will be tossed in the trash. I like that idea - he is much more creative in his play with them and it teaches that weapons are trash!

[jempd]

You've already gotten many replies and you've replied to them, but I just had to post as Power Rangers is such a big issue in my home. My son (almost 4) loves them and loves to pretend to be one. Dh and I watched a rented tape of one of the movies and unfortunately ds saw some of it and was for weeks afterward anxiously asking about what happened to a little boy who was hurt when a parking garage was blown up and he was in it. Dh and I agree with all of the above posters; the only thing I'd add is that although it's ridiculous and over-the-top (think updated Godzilla-type drama) it's got stuff like whole buildings blowing up and bad guys bristling with so much weaponry they look like they could wipe out a city single-handed. Way too encouraging of violent play for 3 to 5 year olds! And older than that I'd think the kids would just think it's stupid. But ds is so enamored he's got some of the dolls--I myself am conflicted about this and dislike them but relented in a weak moment when he was sick and as a special treat got him one and then a relative got him one. But they come with automatic weapons. If I could rewind life, I would and strictly ban Power Rangers as they have actually affected him in a negative way, according to his teachers and therpists. Sigh. So, take it from someone who went down the wrong path re: Power Rangers: steer clear if you can, or for as long as you can. (Half the little boys and a few little girls were Power Rangers for Halloween in our neighborhood.)

[Moss's Mommy]

My mom had the nerve to buy ds a power rangers doll for his 2nd birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you punch it, it went .... HUH... like it lost its breath. and then punch it again and it sounded like a sword or knife or something. DS didn't know about PR then... so we threw it in the trash. He didn't care. NOw, at school he has learned about the pr's.. I'm going to try my best not to let him get into it all.. by ignoring his fascination of them, not encouraging it. I don't really like them at all. These dudes were around when my little brother was young.. Why are they still here? I wish a mother would create a line of toys with characters for boys that were loving and caring... and clothes that werecolored cool and had nothing to do with violence. You can buy stuff like that now, but you have to look. If only there were better choices for that stuff. At least we restrain ourselves from consuming.

[UnschoolnMa]

My son was very into Power Rangers when he was little (like 4-6 or so). It didn't bother me, and we leave the decision about what to watch to them. We talked alot about the show...the characters...the monster "bad guys"...violence and etc. He eventually stopped watching.

[poppywise]

I am glad to see this thread because I am faced with this same issue. We have never let ds [who is 4.5 yo] watch power rangers or teenage mutant ninja turtles - too much weaponry and violence in my opinion. however - we do let him watch other 'superhero' stuff and for some reason p.r and t.m.n.t. is where we draw the line. unfortunately, the other kids at his pre-school are very into them so i have to hear about it from d.s
it makes me feel bad for him because he feels a little excluded and often asks me why he can't play power rangers too? i do think that his fascination is waning a little, however.
[but god forbid we walk down the wrong aisle at target...oh boy]