[...] as bad role models for boys? (see here, here and [...]

I never have figured out why it’s so difficult for some parents to just turn off the TV.

We prefer that our son watch superheroes, because they have qualities that we would like him to have. He knows that these heroes help people, and we have a considerate, compassionate little boy that has followed superhero role models. He loves reading, and there are a lot of superhero comic books that are more kid appropriate – Marvel Adventures, Batman Brave and the Bold, etc. We find that while our child watches things like Justice League Unlimited, Batman Brave and the Bold, he doesn’t go around hitting other kids, and socializes well. Other kids who watch Caillou, Thomas the Train, etc., or perhaps no television at all, are some of the most vicious, violent children we have ever met. Our son watches “violent” things like Tom and Jerry… has learned that there are consequences to violent actions… people get owies.

The biggest influencing factor for children though is parenting.

Apparently there is another bob in the derb, posting above. Possibly, given the topic, an arch nemesis? If so, maybe punctuation can be my secret weapon.

To be fair, I really wouldn’t want my kid growing up to be Tony Stark, but I can’t say I’d really encourage them to idolize ANY fictional character blindly either. It’s my job as a parent to make sure they understand that some aspects are a good thing, but that others are not to be emulated.

Why cant you just let kids be kids. If my son or daughters want to run around pretending they are miley or brenda song, or ironman or hulk then thats what they will do. This is how they learn, they are fascinated by these character because of those abilities or find it cool because of the costume they wear. i find nothing wrong with that. when you were a girl did you want to be barbie or strawberry shortcake?

This another stupip article created by another stupid person concern about what girls and boys watch on channels like Disney that doesn’t cause any harm to them. Pay more attention to shows like SOUTHPARK, THE SIMPSON, FAMILY GUY, FUTURAMA or the series channels like Mtv have examples? The Hills, Skins, and a lot more over reacting about channels like Disney Channel is so ridiculous I’m 16 years old, and not because i like Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place or The Suite Life On Deck means i’m gonna act like their characters i have my own personality and i don’t need to copy fictional characters that i see on tv Come on!!! and neither does my younger sister and she’s only 8!

Sandymaple clearly hasn’t a clue who these superheroes are.

Batman is a man who overcame immense tragedy (watching the murder of his parents) and instead of seeking vengeance or turning to crime vowed that no other child would go through what he went through. He succeeds even though he’s merely a human in a world of near Gods, an important message that it isn’t just physical power that’s important. He’s known as a Scientist and Detective (brainwork) more than his combat abilities.

Superman is basically an incarnation of God. He’s essentially all powerful but he was raised as a simple farmboy and that is the life he loves the most. He IS Clark Kent, Superman is simply something he can do because he was raised to care about humanity. He has very close ties to his parents and respects them more than anyone else. His comic was also one of the first to really feature a strong female in Lois Lane. Beyond messages of equality of the sexes it proposed equality of ‘races’, Superman being a different race than Lois but theirs being pretty much the most celebrated and consistent comic romance in history.

Then came Wonder Woman who preached messages of peace and love and featured a slightly tweaked but still largely accurate historical background (Amazons of ancient Greece, Hippolyta, Hercules 9th Labor, The Greek Gods).

Do they have flaws? Of course. But everyone does and those flaws (such as Batman’s womanizing) are very much emphasized as being flaws, not flaunted.

I would rather my kids idolize people like that than sit around watching some of the mind-numbingly simple and ridiculous ‘educational’ shows like Backyardigans, In the Night Garden, Yo Gabba Gabba, The Wiggles that so many tout as being so much better.

Wow, talk about reaching…

5 boys, all grew up on super heroes…. NONE Of them have the “slacker” or “vigilante” mentality… here’s the trick people….

MY KIDS KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY!

I also agree with Bob… and one thing to point out with Batman: He leaves the actual punishments up to the police and judges. BATMAN never kills.

and I also agree with the previous poster about parents turning off the television. Rather than depend on the television to entertain kids, how about turning it, and video games, off (I know, call social services, I’m an evil mom that started the “TV OFF time” with my children when they were toddlers and told them the tv was tired and needed a nap. It got to be so routine with them to turn it off after one particular show that they did it at their grandma’s house and they’ve also learned how to entertain themselves and are voracious readers!) and actually spending time with them or letting them figure out how to entertain themselves.