Hannah Montana? (x-posted in blended)

[Phoenix~Mama]

Should 4 year old really be watching Hannah Montana and be obsessed with her already?? :blink

Or am I totally over reacting?

I HATE HATE HATE this... like am utterly uncomfortable with it and won't be letting my daughter watch stuff like this at that early of an age...

It's basicaly a show for tweens... it's junior high! There is no way a 4 year old could understand it all, other than them goofing around and sneaking around.. I just don't think it sends a good message to a kid who doesn't know any better to start with because they are too young!!

DSD's Mom not only lets her watch it... but promotes it. She has bought her a Hannah Montana CD and other accessories including a watch! What does a 4 y/o need with a watch? :blink They cannot tell time!

I just think kids grow up too quickly as is... seeing a preschooler act like a tween is seriously creeping me out... DSD has even been picking up some of the tween slang and such and her newest phrase for everything is "Like, I know!!!" and rolls her eyes some...

I didn't think I'd have to deal with this type of attitude til at least 10 or 11!

So am I over reacting? I know I have no control over it at her Mom's house... but she now comes over with her H.M. watch, and purse and clothing and begs to watch her all the time. I'm just not comfortable with it.

[philomom]

Are you in control of the Tv set? If so, turn it off!

[BurgundyElephant]

I don't let my DD's watch HM. They are 7 and 4. They know who she is because they have caught snippets of commercials out and about and they see her "aisle" at Target when we walk buy. I don't buy any HM stuff. Period. I think eventually she'll go the way every other Disney girl goes when she becomes an adult. And if she doesn't, that's great! But my kids still need to not watch her.

I also don't let them watch Suite Life with Zach and Cody or Cheetah Girls because they're all in the same vein. We pretty much only watch Noggin or on demand shows from Discovery Channel, etc.

Anyway, you obviously can't control what she watches at her Mom's house, but you can definately control what she watches at yours. I would approach it from the angle of "We don't watch TV here but let's do a craft" or "How about you pick out a book and we'll read together." If you tell her you hate HM she'll probably want more of it. Whenever HM comes up with my older daughter I say something like "I don't think that show is appropriate for children." and leave it at that. She's persisted and asked why and I explained more and she let it drop.

Have you read "Packaging Girlhood"?

[Phoenix~Mama]

Originally Posted by BurgundyElephant

I don't let my DD's watch HM. They are 7 and 4. They know who she is because they have caught snippets of commercials out and about and they see her "aisle" at Target when we walk buy. I don't buy any HM stuff. Period. I think eventually she'll go the way every other Disney girl goes when she becomes an adult. And if she doesn't, that's great! But my kids still need to not watch her.

I also don't let them watch Suite Life with Zach and Cody or Cheetah Girls because they're all in the same vein. We pretty much only watch Noggin or on demand shows from Discovery Channel, etc.

Anyway, you obviously can't control what she watches at her Mom's house, but you can definately control what she watches at yours. I would approach it from the angle of "We don't watch TV here but let's do a craft" or "How about you pick out a book and we'll read together." If you tell her you hate HM she'll probably want more of it. Whenever HM comes up with my older daughter I say something like "I don't think that show is appropriate for children." and leave it at that. She's persisted and asked why and I explained more and she let it drop.

Have you read "Packaging Girlhood"?

OMG! I am so with you on all those shows! What happened to Disney? It makes me want to cry but I hate all of these so called "kid" shows. They just make me uncomfortable and I don't think they are really teaching anything good!


I sometimes have control of the TV. DH can be totally oblivious to everything... we had discussed my feelings on HM previously, but before he left for work he turned sports off and put on Disney which had HM on it, and so left it... : So I got up to turn it and DSD started having a total meltdown... which I simply cannot deal with tonight, as I was plagued with much cramping and a severe migraine last night and am running on about 2 hours of sleep.

It's about bedtime, so am just letting her finish the stupid episode... But DH will be catching an earful AGAIN about this in the morning.


So I'm not over reacting? I just really don't think it's appropriate for her age level at all!!!

[Starflower]

No way you are over-reacting. It's not appropriate material for a 4 year old.

[Phoenix~Mama]

Forgot to put this in previous post... what's Packaging Girlhood? Is that a book for me, or for kids? lol

[KMK_Mama]

I let my girls watch Hannah Montana. I don't have a problem with it really. I did at first, but then I decided it just wasn't a battle I wanted to fight so I've let it be. One of these days they'll move onto something else.

[AuntNi]

Originally Posted by BurgundyElephant

I also don't let them watch Suite Life with Zach and Cody or Cheetah Girls because they're all in the same vein.

Add "That's So Raven" to this list - it's the worst of all, IMO.

But I don't think HM is the same as these shows. I've sat and watched several episodes of them all the way through, and I just don't think HM is anywhere near as bad. Yes, Miley can get sassy, but she always gets her comeuppance when she misbehaves.

OTOH, on Raven and Zach & Cody, smart mouths are glorified, and I hate that. So, my DD has been allowed to watch HM since she was four, but these other shows are off-limits.

Different strokes for everyone, you know. My whole family, from my mom and dad down to my 6-yo DD, enjoys HM.

[mamazee]

I'm not a fan, and my daughter isn't either thankfully, but I know lots of 4 to 6 year old girls who love it. That and High School Musical. I don't know if I'd ban it. I try to redirect rather than ban. But then it's easy to say that when your kid doesn't watch much TV anyway.

I guess I probably wouldn't choose a power struggle over Hannah Montana. It isn't that mature of a show. What would probably bother me more would be seeing my daughter follow a trend like that. My hope is that she won't follow peer trends so closely.

[ChetMC]

My Niece

I have a niece that got into stuff like Hannah Montana and Highschool Musical when she was around four turning five. It seems like a lot of her friends were watching the same stuff. I haven't noticed her being negatively impacted by watching these things. I get the impression she sort of ignores the stuff that doesn't make sense to her yet.

I've only watched one episode of Hannah Montana, and while I wouldn't choose it for my four year old, I don't think it's that bad. We don't watch much TV, but our four year old has watched some stuff that, while not meant at all for four year olds, I'm okay with her seeing. I've watched how she watches the shows. A lot of the time she just likes the music, or the clothes, or she's only watching the parts with the dog or whatever.... we talk about the show, and she isn't following and internalizing the plot in an adult way at all.

So while I wouldn't encourage my kids to watch Hannah Montana, I wouldn't lost sleep over kids watching it either.

[bvnms]

Originally Posted by AuntNi

Add "That's So Raven" to this list - it's the worst of all, IMO.

But I don't think HM is the same as these shows. I've sat and watched several episodes of them all the way through, and I just don't think HM is anywhere near as bad. Yes, Miley can get sassy, but she always gets her comeuppance when she misbehaves.

OTOH, on Raven and Zach & Cody, smart mouths are glorified, and I hate that. So, my DD has been allowed to watch HM since she was four, but these other shows are off-limits.

: Victoria really likes Hannah but I refuse to let her watch these other shows. Beverly just isn't interested right now.

[MommaFox]

I've never been able to sit through any of these shows. I can hear my brain cells dying. DS came home from school a couple years ago raving about HSM on ice. I was like "You don't even know that HSM is!" To top it all off, as a retail worker in a book store I'm constantly confronted with parents looking for something for the kids to read. So, I ask what they're into. Kids from 5 to 13 (and even older) will answer HM or HSM or the newest, Camp Rock. Or they're looking for manga. They're not into anything else. If they'd back up off the celebrety worship, they'd realize what they're missing.

[plantmama]

I am totally with you on disliking HM. I have only seen it once but the girl, Miley, spent the whole thing whining over wanting a new cell phone
The characters are so incredibly materialistic and shallow. I would think the show is one of those media influences that start girls on the path to thinking about their appearance, clothes, being sexy...and wrapping that up with their feelings of self worth. This is something I want to avoid exposing my ds to as well.
When ds was in the hospital after an operation the Disney channel was such a treat to have in his room because it was new and exciting but I would NEVER have the Disney channel at home. We get PBS which has kids shows on all day, so if he needs an hour of veg time it's that or a movie from the library.

If you don't like HM just pull the plug on the Disney channel all together.

[Phoenix~Mama]

Originally Posted by plantmama

I am totally with you on disliking HM. I have only seen it once but the girl, Miley, spent the whole thing whining over wanting a new cell phone

That is one of the ones I have seen and it hurt my head. She did a totally manipulative scheme to get it too, and while in the end she tried to smooth things over and didn't go through with it totally... it was still shown how to lie and scheme all for a stupid phone... It really rubs me the wrong way.

[kriket]

These are reasons I'm almost afraid to think that bean is a girl. Boys play with GI joe until they are in their 20s!

good luck!

[choli]

Not a fan myself, and my younger dd is too old for it (11), but it looks pretty harmless to me. I just hate all the merchandising. I was given a Disney Cinderella watch for my First Communion, and I remember being seven and embarrassed because I already hated Disney back then. I loathe Disney, and my kids have known from day 1 that I will never buy them anything Disney, never take them to Disney and if they want to watch Disney it has to be when I'm not in the room.

They've never had a problem with it, seem to loathe Disney from birth just as I did.

[Mizelenius]

No way. Why? Because I think it's the media's way (sex sells!) to quietly, or really, NOT so quietly make parents sink into a mindset where they say, "Well, that isn't so bad" and then it gets easier and easier for children to watch things/dress/act in ways that are not meant for children. First it's HM, then next it's 90210, then . . .

Not only that, but a HUGE reason I won't is because I hate the commercialism. My DH said he saw a zip drive for sale with guess who (HM) on it. So silly! It's all a big commercial.

That being said, DD keeps asking for HM music. She has her own $ (which she's worked for) so I say, sure, but buy it with your own cash. She never does when I put it like that.

[HarperRose]

Originally Posted by KMK_Mama

I let my girls watch Hannah Montana. I don't have a problem with it really. I did at first, but then I decided it just wasn't a battle I wanted to fight so I've let it be. One of these days they'll move onto something else.

Same here. I actually sit and watch Hannah and iCarly WITH my kids. (8 yr old ds watches it, too.) I enjoy the shows and the ones that are beyond them, we discuss and sometimes don't even continue watching. (Depends on the material.)

Of all the shows out there, Hannah & Carly are the 2 least offensive that I've seen.

Dd wants to be a rock star. She has wanted to be a rock star and had a toy electric guitar since she was 2. (It broke and I had to replace it post haste! She was one unhappy girl till we got her a new one!) Hannah is a real girl who lives that real life. It's ok with me.

I know that in the end *I* am her role model, not Hannah or Miley or Carly. ME. Her mom.

[annethcz]

My youngest DD is 4, has never seen Hannah Montanta (we don't have cable/sattelite and are mostly TV-free). Nonetheless, she is almost obsessed with with Hannah Montana. She hears about HM from friends and classmates, and sees the marketing everywhere. My DD has saved her allowance money to buy HM branded items (things that I refuse to buy).

I think it's really common for 4yos to become enamored of TV characters. I've seen this type of behavior in all of my kids at this age. When my oldest was 4, I remember that he became obsessed with Power Rangers- again it was a show he had never seen, but all of his friends talked about it and Power Ranger items were everywhere in stores. While I wouldn't allow my 4yo to watch HM, I do know that it's normal for 4yos to become obsessed with characters. So even if the 4yo stops watching the show, she may still continue to talk about it ALL. THE. TIME.

[mata]

We don't permit HM or Drake and Josh-the only shows in that vein that I like are The Wizards of Waverly Place and ICarly.

My biggest objection to HM is that I don't want my dds idolizing some random celebrity who is admired for what reason again? Look up to the kids who are creating non-profits, or who are battling or have overcome illness, or who are living with different abilities, etc. No celebrity worship in my house!