Kids and cartoons: 5 parenting misconceptions

Cartoons were banned almost from the very moment of their creation: they found racism, profanity, nudity, hints of political intrigue. In the 90s, everyone started talking about the “screaming” color vocabulary of Disney and the danger of the visual solutions of “Pokemon”, some of which sent children to hospital beds.

Nowadays, the issue of “malicious” animation is often already being resolved at the government level – this year China decided to ban Peppa Pig, seeing transgender propaganda in the content of the British animated series. In the 2000s, scientific studies appeared that proved the negative consequences of the abuse of the TV screen: sleep disturbances, reduced cognitive and creative abilities …

But the problem is more often in sitting in front of the screen for many hours, and not in cartoons as such. Today, animation studios involve psychologists as consultants, there are enough quality films on the animation market. So it’s not so much about cartoons, but about skillful handling of them.

Together with the consultant of the Soyuzmultfilm film studio, media psychologist Zhanna Karlova, child and family psychologist Olga Gavrilova, a young mother and psychologist Marina Guseva, we examined the five most common myths that lead modern parents to make mistakes in organizing children’s cartoon viewing.

MYTH #1: “A child will get bored without cartoons”

In a good desire to see her child happy, the modern hyper-responsible mother tries to expel from his life everything that does not give pleasure to her beloved child. With a sad or bored child, something urgently needs to be done – the parents think and … turn on the computer with an endless multistream.

“We are terribly afraid that the children will be bored. Leaving him to himself is a disaster for us,” says media psychologist Zhanna Karlova. “But the child needs to learn to occupy himself on his own. “Feeding” him with cartoons at any change of mood is a sign of disrespect for the little man.

By doing so, parents deprive him of the right to independently choose an occupation to his liking. Maybe those very 10-20 minutes alone with oneself, without endless flickering on the screen, will allow the little person to make several discoveries at once.

“The unconditional value of the beloved Prostokvashino cartoon is that it reliably shows a boy who is in contact with mom and dad, loves them, but behaves independently,” Zhanna Karlova explains. “And the parents respect him, worry, but do not stop living their lives and look completely safe.”

We recommend:

• Catch yourself wanting to be a “mass entertainer 24 hours” for a child;
• Let him be alone with himself and decide for himself what he wants to do. Maybe he will start painting or build a castle out of sofa cushions – it will be his will and fantasy;
• Encourage independence. Of course, it’s not worth asking a 4-year-old baby to cook borsch, but laying out a crib for the night or lacing up shoes is completely.

MYTH #2: “He only wants cartoons”

He is not interested in anything else, his parents make a frustrated shrug. Any suggestions that distract from virtual reality, the son or daughter responds with whims and sabotage.

“It is necessary to find out why he prefers the reality of his own life invented by someone? Jeanne Karlova says – Observe what is wrong on a walk, why going out into the street does not cause any joy? Why does the child not like any other activities? Often, a “wounded” mother can throw in a tired voice in a telephone conversation the phrase “Also take a walk with a child!”

If the baby hears this, he may form a feeling: walking with him is a burden for parents, but when he watches cartoons, his mother is happy, even sings out in the kitchen.

We recommend:

• In a game or a casual conversation, find out what scares the child so much in real life. Maybe, for example, once on a walk a huge dog ran up to him, he got scared and now is afraid to enter from the house. Or being teased by other kids in the playground.
• Plan leisure activities (walks, games, etc.) with the child together and in advance. Choose activities that will please both children and parents. The delight of the older generation, for example, from playing badminton or watching a filmstrip in the dark will be read by children.

MYTH #3: “Modern cartoons provoke hyperactivity”

The non-stop flow of events, the flickering of bright color spots – indeed, some of the cartoons look like a visual drug. Psychologists warn: such meaningless spectacles provoke anxiety and unmotivated fears in children.

“The most serious mistake of parents is that they start showing cartoons to children too early, at the age of one and a half or two years, but this cannot be done,” warns family psychologist Olga Gavrilova. “It is at this time that the child gets acquainted with the material world, it is important for him to interact with real objects, drop them and see how far they jump or roll away, feel their texture and shape.”

A child who is chained to the screen at this time is subsequently more difficult to learn to read and write, his spatial imagination is poorly developed, and fine motor skills suffer. Disregarding the age recommendations that every cartoon has is one of the most common mistakes parents make.

Mode is also important. Don’t watch cartoons before bed. “At night, it’s better to draw, sculpt, do some things that will allow the child to “reset” the remnants of energy, get ready for sleep,” Zhanna Karlova explains.

And, of course, limit the viewing time. “I often see a recommendation that children should not watch cartoons for more than an hour a day. An hour is too much, too much. During this time, the child experiences an overload of the visual areas of the brain, hence overexcitation, instability of attention, and sometimes even more unpleasant consequences, ”says Olga Gavrilova.

We recommend:

• Start showing cartoons to a child not earlier than 2.5-3 years;
• Strictly follow age recommendations – a three-year-old is unlikely to master a full-length film – it will be a long “color meditation” for him, but short 3,5-minute episodes with simple drawing, warm colors will delight.
• Clearly limit the time of cartoon viewing – for preschool age it is no more than 20 minutes a day.

MYTH #4: “He didn’t like my favorite Prostokvashino”

Another disappointment that overtakes modern parents brought up on the classics of Soviet animation is that their children are reluctant to follow the adventures of Cheburashka or the heroes of “Just you wait!”. But at one time, Pope John Paul II himself glorified Soviet animation, noting that it brings up “kindness and sympathy” in a child. But what to do, several decades have passed since then, the language, way of life, rhythm of life has changed.

“In the 70s, finding an abandoned empty house in the village, as shown in the old Prostokvashino, was a common thing, but for a modern child it may be incomprehensible – he sees dachas, country houses,” says Zhanna Karlova. “Imagine a young man who decides to watch Charlie Chaplin films for the first time: to understand their meaning, many will need expert advice.”

An adult can become such a specialist for a child. If you want to instill in your son or daughter a love for Cheburashka and Crocodile Gena, watch cartoons together. Your emotional experience, tenderness and willingness to share will make the characters more attractive.

We recommend:

• Watch retro cartoons with your child (remember – it’s 20 minutes!);
• While watching, you can explain – “The cat shows off bubble gum and jeans, because when I was little, these things were rare”, “I had my own Cheburashka, my favorite toy is exactly like in a cartoon, she was ridiculous, funny, but I did not part with her.

MYTH №5 “Modern cartoons do not teach anything”

Perhaps the main reproach of modern animation. Yes, indeed, if you leave the child alone with the screen, then the cartoon is unlikely to accelerate its development. Here again, you can not do without the participation of adults. Soviet animation, in fact, was designed for family viewing, for the first time an adult watches a cartoon next to a baby, who will evaluate the behavior of the characters.

By the way, now cartoons for family viewing are returning to the screens. “At Soyuzmultfilm, we made Orange Cow, a cartoon for younger children that shows a psychologically healthy family,” says Zhanna Karlova. “The characters of the series – father-bull, mother-cow, their children and forest friends find themselves in various typical situations, the resolution of which will be interesting for both children and adults.”

She clarifies that it is often impossible to discuss many important points in life, such as, for example, “what should I do if I offended my mother?”, And with the help of a cartoon, this can be done using the example of heroes.

We recommend:

• To evaluate the actions of the characters when viewing together – “Look, he did it, was not afraid, and he succeeded, although it was difficult”, “she messed up everyone and was left with nothing”;
• Discuss cartoons after watching, not only ask questions like “What would you do?”, But also express your own opinion.
• Organize joint trips to cinemas – “Mult v kino” is now back on the big screens.

“Healthy” cartoons

What cartoons will be useful for both children and adults in terms of communication messages? Zhanna Karlova, media psychologist, consultant for a number of Soyuzmultfilm projects, explains.

“101 Dalmatians”: “The eternal theme of the fight against evil in this cartoon unfolds from the point of view of the need to do as much as you can, invest your small resources in a common piggy bank, rely on the help of allies, each of whom alone cannot defeat evil.”

“Cat Leopold”: Soviet series about the all-conquering power of kindness, peacefulness and humility. It makes you think that the attacker causes damage not only and not so much to the object of aggression, but also to himself and his allies.

“Kitten named Woof”: “Helps children navigate their feelings, teaches them not to be ashamed of fear and cope with strong feelings, shows where to get support in difficult moments.”

“Baby and Carlson”: “It is generally accepted that this cartoon is about a very lonely boy and his imaginary friend, and therefore modern parents are wary of him. Nevertheless, it is important to be able to cope with loneliness, with the excessive severity of adults and their busyness, and the cartoon helps to learn this.

“Prostokvashino”: “The favorite cartoon of several generations of viewers, helping to realize their capabilities, supporting the child’s desire for independence. One of the important ideas of this series is that parents may not always be there, but in a critical situation they will definitely come to the rescue.

“The Lion King”: “A complex and multifaceted feature-length film, emotionally rich and touching, but still the most valuable thing in it from the point of view of education is the experience of loss and grief along with the main character. In modern society, it is customary to isolate the child from the topic of death and everything connected with it for as long as possible, and the opportunity to talk about it in a safe context is all the more valuable.

“Dora the explorer”: “An educational cartoon with simple tasks in each series, good for expanding horizons and maintaining children’s curiosity and an active position in finding answers to their questions.”

“Fixies”: “Accessibly explains to children the physical laws of nature using examples of everyday activities, helps to support and shape the research activity of the child.”