Entertaining, yes! But Are Cartoons Good For Our Kids?

Chhota Bheem, Kris, Mighty Raju, Ben 10, Pokemon, Doraemon, Kisna & Tom & Jerry - these have become more than just cartoon characters today. They have become common household names; we are literally living with these characters day and night. Kids get up with Chamki of Chamki ki Duniya, a famous cartoon character. But Are These Cartoons Good For Our Kids? In our childhood days, the moment we wake up in the morning, we would run towards the window, pull up the curtains and look out for the beautiful birds chirping outside, the people bustling on the street or the vehicles passing by our house. We hate to admit it, but the fact remains that our kids are lost in the world of cartoon shows.

Three year old Lehar Katara spends 2-3 hours everyday watching her favorite cartoon shows. She was particularly attracted towards Doraemon, the Japanese Robotic cat. The particular characteristic trait of this cartoon character is it moans and makes weird sounds. Lehar too did the same, her family members were annoyed looking at this. The initial attempts of her parents proved futile. Slowly, they drew her attention towards other cartoon characters, particularly, the Indian ones, which are totally cool, friendly and funny too! The transition was definitely not easy, but their efforts were rightly paid. Thereon, TV time became fun times too! Where both the parents and kids could happily enjoy.

Consulting psychiatrist, Dr.Neeraj Ravani from Lakshadeep Hospital said, “It is not unusual for children to have a role model. But parents need to ensure that the role model reflects good values and behavior.” Every single word is so true. Some parents opt for the extreme option- a total ban on cartoon shows. This might not work in your favour; as there is a high probability of the child to turn aggressive & rebellious. They could make desperate attempts to somehow watch the cartoon shows at friend’s place or on mobile/tablet in secrecy. Therefore, the need of the hour is monitoring but not micro-managing the amount of time the children spent on watching their favourite cartoon shows.  It is totally unfair on the parent’s part to completely cut off the cartoons; we have to move with the trend. But, when to pull the strings should be totally in our hands.

Spending time with the child and patiently explaining them both the good and bad aspects of particular cartoon shows makes a positive impact on the child’s mind. Then the child is bound to make the correct choice, much to the satisfaction of the parents too.

Some cartoon characters are incorporated to imbibe certain values or teachings in children. They have hidden messages in every episode. One such cartoon show is Chhota Bheem which is aired round the clock on Pogo channel. Chhota Bheem is an epitome of bravery, truth, hard work, loyalty and true friendship. Parents  are a little concerned about its round the clock airing on Pogo, but its various characters are sure to make you roll with laughter as well as make you think and act good as well.

In our times we used to enjoy the Roadrunner Show, The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse & Tom & Jerry, which was my personal favourite. These cartoon shows were absolute fun - just pure comedy.  Nowadays cartoon shows have gone one step further, of course, few of them in the good direction. They intend to teach good values and behavior to the future flag bearers of India.

Not all cartoons are meant for kids – have we ever thought about this? We as parents assume that all cartoons – simply because they are animated – are OK for kids.  Wait a minute parents, the fact is that, they often aren’t though. Your child might find it very funny and interesting too, but the content may not be appropriate for children – the content might be meant for adults or the comedy could be adult rated comedy.

In this scenario, it becomes increasingly important before parents introduce their kids to certain cartoon shows after prior thorough research.

• One of the most effective methods could be watch the show yourself before introducing it to your child.
• Observation of how the characters speak to each other and their body language could be an important yardsticks to judge a cartoon show.

Once you are convinced of a particular cartoon show, you can give a thumbs up to your child as well. This creates a comfortable atmosphere where the family can be care-free and share some laughs together.

Cartoons aren’t just about entertainment alone. Cartoons for pre-schoolers such as Nick Jr. “Dora the Explorer”, encourages the kids to improve their maths and reading skills. Mickey Mouse in English on Disney Channel also is a great hit among kids where the child’s vocabulary skills enhance. Kids right from the age of 2 can be introduced to this channel, and you could see the ways in which they pick up the concepts on pollution, environment, seasons, etc. since the language is so simple and effective. Such Cartoons Are Entertaining as well as Good For Our Kids.

Another such show aired on Disney Channel is Art Attack. They teach lovely things that could be made out of waste. So they promote the concept of “Best From Waste”. A must watch for the little artist in every child! Discovery Kids is one such educative channel where the kids become aware about many things happening around them. It acts as a guide for the young explorers of tomorrow.

Kisna the Indian cartoon character enacts the life of Krishna, one of the greatest mythological character of the Hindus. Each episode is an enactment of the life of Krishna and the eventful happenings that made him tough, charismatic and smart too. These events are depicted as per the mythological records, which means they are based on true stories.

Another show which is a great hit with the kids is ‘MAD’ show, where the host makes arts & crafts seem so easy and interesting. The presentation of the host makes it so inviting, that once the kid switches on the show, it is very difficult to take the eyes off it. These shows are totally engaging and develops the mental capacity as well as brings out the artistic skills in the child. Such shows deserve a total thumbs up for their content and quality.

With the advent of “smart television”, where one can watch movies(net flix), check out their Facebook feed & watch songs online, many children now watch educational videos on YouTube channels on television. One of the best emerging YouTube channel for children is KidzMix Flix a fun & educational YouTube Channel for kids – From all-time favourite Dinos to the Jungle Party songs & the Smurfs, your child can watch all the Grammy Award winning series now.

We all have watched cartoons in our childhood. We would love to hear your experience - which one does your child enjoy the most & what's your take on letting kids watch these cartoon shows. Do they do more good or more bad? :)

You should also read about the Top 10 YouTube Channels for Kids In India.