Too old for Sesame Street

[Redsonga]

I actually had never ever heard f a play date before and I'm still not sure I know what that is. That name just sucks the fun out of ever wanting to play.

I know, it does..the only time I ever had 'friends' forced to come see me was when my ma made a bunch of my class come to my 6th birthday party..I spent most of it holed up under a table in another room...
Golly, let the poor little kids make their own friends or not, but don't force classmates they don't even know upon them! It may seem like little ones are quick to make friends with anyone but that's not always true..

Oh and daydreaming..I think that it is nearly a crime against daydreaming to have to even say 'take two hours everyday'. Daydreaming should not be planned, it's daydreaming^.^! As long as you aren't doing anything that would hurt daydreaming should be anytime at all^.^!

 

[wwfpooh]

I still don't understand play dates..even though I was shy and never asked to play with anyone no one forced me to ether .

Agreed. But with society and its people changing (to be more structured, despite all the so-called "time" some people say they don't have), the Street was paved and forced to undergo similar changes, one of which included Elmo rising to the forefront as a character.

And personally, forcing kids to play with one another or forcing them into sports when they aren't that into such extra curricular activities is basically forcing children to be confomist (i.e. be like how society thinks people should be), and ain't it ironic that people say one doesn't have to conform (i.e. one's parents may say, "Don't be like everyone else & be proud of who you are"), but yet, in people's need to have control, they unknowingly or unwittingly force conformity on the youngest of the young?

 

[Redsonga]

Agreed. But with society and its people changing (to be more structured, despite all the so-called "time" some people say they don't have), the Street was paved and forced to undergo similar changes, one of which included Elmo rising to the forefront as a character.

But the thing is, society and people have not truly changed IMHO, it's just higher ups (which have more of a hand in saying what SS should do than ever it seems like) and the media are trying to make everyone believe that there is some change, since the rush, rush, structured, everyone should think the same (and want to buy the same things when they are older) idea makes more money, and if less people think for themselves, and form meaningful relationships they aren't forced into, that might end up with more people picking their families over their office jobs and actually taking vacations, or starting their own businesses using their own ideas or...

We have just as much time as we have ever had, only it is hard to see this if you're so dead set on putting every hour of every day in a day planner..That planning of every hour (besides the important things like work or school or doctors visits of course) is what makes life seem shorter IMHO .

I dunno if this feeling makes me too old for the newer episodes of SS, but it sure makes me too old to ever thinking that forcing my future child into going to play dates it a good idea .

 

[wwfpooh]

Well said, Becky. And agreed; If I have children, I'm going to let them have some freedoms, within reason, of course.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm still trying to come to grips with the idea of a "play date", where parents actually schedule appointments to play with their children. "Okay Caitlin, I can pencil you in to take you to the playground on Thursday between 5:00 and 5:30". Life seems to be too structured for kids now. Both parents and kids lives filled up so much with activity and being busy, with no signs of slowing down.

Lemme just say this... Elmo getting 15 minutes of the show didn't bother me. Ernie using a Cel phone didn't bother me. but when they mentioned the term Play Date in the late 90's early 00's, my heart sank. Play date is such a suburban well to do soccer Mom term. "oh yes, little Muffy-kins will have her hair appointment at 3, so 4 would be a better time to schedual the play date with Buffy-kins... fwah fwah fwah." GAAA! When I was that age I said, "YO! I wanna play at Mikey's house after school. 'zat okay?"

Even playtime has to be structured? What the Smurf is going on with the new generation of kids? No woner why they're growing up Molly Coddled.

George Carlin once said in one of his comic routines, what kids could greatly benefit from (and many adults too), is set aside two hours a day for daydreaming. Turn off the tv (even Sesame Street) turn off the computer, turn off the iPod/MP3/Walkman, turn off the cell phone, and just stare out the window at let your imagination take over.

Sounds like a novel idea. Anyone care to join me?

That's the problem. parenting is hard work, and very little parents want to do said work. They want to coast by and blame everyone else for their child being fat stupid and lazy. In a grocery store, their kids will whine and scream unless they get every single piece of junkfood in the store. And because the parents don't want to say no for multiple reasons, their kids eat like pigs and grow up to be huge. And who's fault is it? Spongebob! And Kelloggs... and McDonalds... and the commecial advertisements for Gushers and Pop Tarts that fund kids programming and make it profitable. Not the parents. And hey, it's a beautiful day outside, but does Mom say anything? no! Let little Jeffy play X-Box for 8 hours a day and blame the video game ratings system that the parent ignored. No Way is a 10 year old supposed to have GTA.

It's sad... Sesame Street is stuck with the bag. No wonder they had to sharply focus on health the past few years....

 

[bazooka_beak]

"Play dates"? When I was a kid, all I had to do was walk over to the neighbor's house, knock on the door, and ask if my peer was available to play. That's it. No muss, no fuss. Granted, I was very shy so it was already people I knew, but... the most planning my parents ever did was say, "You can go to so-and-so's house after dinner." Ah, well.

I don't necessarily feel that I'm "too old" for Sesame Street - many things that I still love are technically for people at least 15 or even 20 years younger than me. I'm just not interested in the abundance of Elmo, or certain other things, I guess.

 

[wwfpooh]

... and McDonalds...

Well, "Mickey D's" sure doesn't help matters, considering their food isn't that healthy to start with. Then again, it is one's own choice to eat there, and then, they have the gull to blame the fast food company (a company that needs money for the same reasons a majority of people seemingly do [heck, even most of us would use money for certain things]) for something they chose to do of their own accord?

 

[Redsonga]

Well, "Mickey D's" sure doesn't help matters, considering their food isn't that healthy to start with. Then again, it is one's own choice to eat there, and then, they have the gull to blame the fast food company (a company that needs money for the same reasons a majority of people seemingly do [heck, even most of us would use money for certain things]) for something they chose to do of their own accord?

I grew up with Mc D's, I ate there at least once a week with my daddy. Not salads and apple dippers and 1 % milk, but burgers and chicken nuggets made with rat lips and normal soda..and I never was or grew up to be fat...But I played, (and still do go), outside..Sometimes to just walk and do nothing and think of nothing..For much more than the 15 mins a day the ads are saying to do now. I played with unicorns and vampires and went to Narina and found where the fairies lived...

I think that's what is lacking in most little kids lifes IMHO, not the food , but just un-day plannered outdoor stress free imagination time...Stress has been shown to make everyone gain weight after all, most of all when food is the only comfort they get in those times...

 

[wwfpooh]

But it is often the combination of unhealthy food, possible family history (genetics), lack of exercise, and lack of stress-free outdoor time that all contribute to the obesity problem.

 

[Redsonga]

But it is often the combination of unhealthy food, possible family history (genetics), lack of exercise, and lack of stress-free outdoor time that all contribute to the obesity problem.

Well, I had the family history, but had stress-free outdoor time, which counted as exercise even if it is fun, so I don't see the family history thingie as much of a thing to blame..then again, at home I ate my home cooked vegetables and still only have fast food about once a week...but family history only overrides everything you do if you let it IMHO...and even then, you can be heavy set and not let it cross the line to obesity...Not every heavy set person is doomed to getting so fat they can't walk...
One of my friends he is a heavy guy, but actually more fit that many other people I know . I dunno, it is a case by case thing I guess...

Maybe SS is trying a bit too hard to be PC lately about everything and that is one of the things that is pushing older fans away....I wonder if they would have ever done the Snuffy gets a baby sister storyline today if it had not happened yet :\