My first-grade daughter came home from school the other day and mentioned her teacher told the class about TV Turnoff Week. She said it hesitatingly, as if it might really be true. I can imagine the stunned reactions in that class and the kids thinking they would rather have been told about a giant meteor heading straight for their house that would destroy everything, including their Webkinz.
I assured my daughter that, yes, there is such a thing as TV Turnoff Week. And, no, we don’t have to turn off the TV this week for two reasons: 1) NHL playoffs. 2) Overall peace and harmony in the Kid You Not household.
TV Turnoff Week is a valid effort to get kids to watch less TV. But in reality, Not Breathing Week would have a better chance at success. Therefore, Kid You Not proposes a compromise: Turnoff Stupid TV Week.
The prime offenders are the shows that exist solely to sell merchandise: "Power Rangers," "Ninja Turtles" and "Pokemon." I’m not a fan of the loud smart-alecky stuff like "Jimmy Neutron" and "Fairly Oddparents." Any violent stuff like Hentai is off-limits.
Let your kid make a few choices, say one morning show and one after-school show. We like "Higglytown Heroes" in the morning and "Spongebob" in the afternoon. Here’s a tip: if you’ve got a grade-schooler, rent a PBS show from the early ‘00s called "Redwall." It’s set in the Middle Ages. It’s like "24" for kids.