I don't know a child that does not want to splash in muddy puddles or demand chocolate cake, and quite frankly, I wouldn't want to. Who are these parents and what do they want from their children?
It seems that the theory 'children should be seen but not heard' was probably far to apparent within their upbringing, and if it wasn't then it is certainly the caption that should be above their household.
I personally, want my children to be exactly that...children. I want them to ask questions, and push boundaries and learn from the restrictions that I put in place. Imagine banning a child from a programme that all of their friends love, imagine holding them back by keeping them wrapped in cotton wool... for what...? To keep up with what your neighbours think?
Come with me for a moment into the world of make believe... that is if you have an imagination left, let me take you back to a childhood filled with ninja turtles, biker mice, drop dead fred and ghost busters... and the list goes on.
I watched Drop Dead Fred yesterday, I'd forgotten all of the swearing, and remembered it as a family film. Luckily both my children had fallen asleep.
Do you remember 'mega bitch killed me with the death breath' and 'just tell her to piss off' oh and cannot forget drop dead fred looking up the ladies dress and saying 'ewwww cobwebs'.
There was evidence stacked up against programmes such as 'Power Rangers', which genuinely did have a negative impact on children's development, for the reason that, we do protect our children buy adding a guideline to our viewings by bbfc, and the content of power rangers should have had a certificate with the amount of violence.
Peppa pig is a heart warming programme about a family who love and respect each other equally. There are many moments, where I'd expect tantrums and protesting from the young characters, but when this does not happen, and the character is rewarded, I believe that it is a positive influence on a child, to see their hero succeed from good behaviour. The programme contains honesty and every day situations, that we, as a family have encountered and can identify with.
My eldest son loved peppa pig, and still occasionally calls us 'Mummy Pig' or 'Daddy Pig' as our pet names. It is a programme that we have watched and enjoyed, together as a family. We also have all of the books, which have helped my son excel with his reading, because he remembers the story from what he has watched, and he already knows all of the characters, so he can use the images in the book to help in develop his reading skills.
My only concern with Peppa Pig, is the vast marketing that they have. Every where I go, my son can spot anything with Peppa or George (Peppa Pig's younger brother) on, and naturally he wants it. As a parent, it is then my job to explain that he cannot have everything he sees. Just as it is my job to explain that we cannot always play in muddy puddles or eat chocolate cake, and once again, it is my job to make sure that I do make the time in my own life, to go and jump in muddy puddles with my children and to bake chocolate cakes with them for after dinner.
Parents who disagree should probably consider asking the nanny or their own parents to do this with their children instead.
The creators of Peppa Pig are genius. They will carry on reaping the benefits of their success for as long as children are allowed to be children.
