Do you think that shows such as Nick Jr.'s Wonderpets are bad for children?

Question

I target Wonderpets specifically because it has a duck with a really bad speech problem. I know that we should have tolerance for people like this, but don't you think that Children who are still developing their speech need to here words pronounced correctly. I know it's cute, but I think it's bad for development. Are there any other shows that you think are bad for child development and why?

I know that he hears me speak all the time, but he likes to imitate the tv shows too. The "baby" talk that the duck exhibits is something that i think he might try to imitate. He sings with Dora and quotes elmo. I'm afraid that he might start to look at wonderpets and quote the duck.

I don't want to hear about teaching tolerance. That is a parents job. Kids are very influenced by television and if he will imitate one show, how am I to think that he won't imitate the duck. It's not a lack of compassion. It's anger that the network that is supposed to be dedicated to teaching kids is teaching them wrong. They tell you not to talk baby talk to your child, how is this any different?

Answer 1

I don't like that show either, i noticed this when it first came out and asked a question about it, all anyone did was point out the other shows with character who talk funny. I think it is a bad example for kids, that age especially because i have heard a lot of kids who talk like that duck and you can't hardly understand them and most go to speech therapy to correct the problem. If you can't speak so people can understand you that is a huge setback for a child in social settings.

Answer 2

I let my kids watch wonderpets and they love it. I think that if you think back to other childhood characters they too have speech issues. Take for instance Daffy Duck and Donald Duck. Hmmm maybe all animated ducks can't speak. But then again I look at Elmer Fud, both he and Sylvester the cat had speech impediments. Oh yes both famous dogs Scuby doo and Astro from the Jetsons are hard to understand.
Millions of kids have also watched these shows and gone on to be successful speaking adults.
"What's gonna work - Teamwork."
I can tell you are a very caring parent and your kids will turn out great, but you can't protect them from everything.

Good luck

Answer 3

Spongebob Square Pants is not allowed in my house. It does not teach kids anything. I think wonderpets are good because the things it does teach kids far out ways the bad. How about Sesame Street, all Big Bird does is whine all the time, does that teach your kids to whine? I guess you could pick a part every kids show, but basically it does teach them things. My five year old daughter knows what metamorphasis(I can't even spell it) is, and can explain it in detail from watching The Great Big World. But, the anteater on that show is very negative about everything all the time. I guess you just have to take the good with the bad.

Answer 4

I was just thinking of teletubbies when i read your question and then i saw it in the first answer. my son is four. we never let him watch teletubbies b/c he had absolutely nothing to gain from it. they can't talk and there never seemed to be a "lesson." however, he does really like the wonderpets. i've had your same concern and used it as an opportunity to point out to him that the duck wasn't speaking correctly. i guess the producers think it's cute or something???

he's not allowed to watch spongebob, but i don't know that it really applies to development. i just think it is too mature for the target audience.

Answer 5

While I understand your concern over the duck's speech problem you have to consider the fact that it's one voice he/she hears that isn't pronouncing words properly. Your child hears you speak all day and hears that voice for maybe an hour or so a day. I don't think it's anything to really worry about it.



I agree with what white_crane said below about how we need to have tolerance for those types of things. My younger sister had a horrible speech impairmant as a child and people would often ask us what she said because they couldn't understand a word she was saying. Kids used to make fun of her all the time. It made her feel bad and it was something that she shouldn't have gone through. I think that by hearing that voice it's getting kids used to hearing different voices and may make them less likely to question the way others speak.

Answer 6

I think the key to this situation is to focus on the reason for the show. It is intended to teach children the benefits of helping others. Don't you think it is more important to teach empathy and willingness to get involved and not worry about the speech issue. Speech can be fixed, but once a child is grown, it will not be so easy to teach the more valueable lessons.
I think you need to weigh the positive against the negative and not rely on TV to teach your child (which I am sure you don't, but so many people do). Try flash cards and teach him the proper way to pronounce things.

Answer 7

Uhm the duck is not speaking baby talk ALL the time , just certain sounds and you should not call it a "really bad speech problem". That being said , speech impediments are not cute , they are a part of some people's lives. How about a little more tolerance? I think its a GOOD thing they are showing differences instead of everyone playing to be perfect.

Answer 8

I don't think it will affect the speech of many children. If anything it will get them use to hearing different speech problems and maybe not judge actual people with them because they have already heard it before.

Answer 9

And then he'll expect you to buy him a talking dog. you are the parent, it's your TV, change the channel
and another thing, is the duck ridiculed for his impediment or is he just one of the characters on the show? In other words do they portray him as being accepted as an equal?

Answer 10

I love rugrats, but i've always thought it showed kids how to get into things more, and it disturbed me that the parents were never around watching them.