The results of our survey are in and here's the story we came up with!

http://www.thebabywebsite.com/article.1 ... htmare.htm

I always loved Doctor Who when I was little but nowadays the slightest hint of violence gives me nightmares!

my niece and nephews LOVED primevil but all three got nightmares from different episodes so its a no go in their house now. I must admit wizadora was as scary as I got when i was younger im such a wimp!

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i agree with all that!! i never let my kids watch doctor who - cole got nightmares from the first episode he saw at nannas house!

Hmmm I'm really not too sure about the extent of the influence TV has on children. Especially, with regards to what gives them nightmares. I personally think that anything that is fantastical such as Doctor Who, Power Rangers, Primevil, Harry Potter etc. may induce nightmares, but these nightmares are short-lived and children soon realise the difference between fantasy and reality. They soon learn that such programmes/films are not real, therefore, in rational terms, are nothing to be fearful of. I remember watching Nightmare on Elm Street, Rocky, Rambo and the like when I was around 7 and although I did have nightmares, they certainly were not recurring and didn't affect me mentally in any way as I knew that the nightmares were clearly a result of the films that I watched that night. Therefore, I really do not believe that the programmes mentioned in the list of the articles with regards to inducing nightmares are a cause for concern.

Conversely, I do think that programmes such as High School Musical, Britannia High, and Hannah Montana are unsuitable for children, just as I think make-up and revealing outfits are unsuitable for children. If I had a young teenage daughter, I really wouldn't want her to be sexualised at such a young age. Have you seen the girls walking down the street lately? Some of them are barely 10 years old and yet they are plastered in make-up and short little skirts/hotpants and high heels. I think the image that such programmes portray to young girls is far more detrimental to young girls and their mentality in the future than anything designed for children that may cause them the odd nightmare.

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Well Doctor Who is regular viewing in this house! Even got it on DVD so no getting away from it! Jaidyn loves it and isn't scared one bit, the others have watched it since it started when Lucas was 4 and none of them ever had nightmares. She also loves watching Ben10 with Lucas and has occasionally watched Primevil. She has seen all the Harry Potter films and again no nightmares.
In fact I can honestly say none of my kids have had nightmares that I would say were generated from something they watched on TV.
My MIL thinks it's awful that I let Rheiya & Elijah watch NCIS (the DVD's are rated 15), but they aren't stupid and know it's not real and they know the bodies getting cut open in the morgue are props!

Oh am I a bad mother or what?

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I dont want my children to have nightmares - regardless of whether they are a one off or not.

As for hannah montana and all that - I see no harm in my 7yr old watching them, she does not dress up like her or wear the makeup as i have brought her up differently, she knows its a programme and not real. But when it comes to the scary stuff she is scared by the pictures, violence and idea of the programme.

All kids are different, as are all parents and we all have different thoughts about stuff.


This should have been in the debate forum!!

I don't want my kid to have nightmares either, but I think visual stimulation such as scary films etc and whether or not they induce nightmares depends largely on the perception of the viewer. Also, be it a child or an adult, you can't control what happens in a persons subconscious mind. I still think that anything that encourages a child to grow up too quickly and become image and body conscious should be discouraged, kids should just enjoy their childhood and be kids. However, we both agree Vicky that eventually, kids learn the difference between reality and fantasy and I guess that applies to whatever stimulation that kids are exposed to, be it a kids programme, the views and opinions of their peers/family, a magazine or whatever.

If I'm honest, I find these types of polls and surveys a little offensive as life just isn't that black and white. Also, there are many things that can induce nightmares, and they don't have to be visual. Besides, the programmes that are listed in the article are all aimed at kids! If kids programmes aren't suitable for kids to watch then what are they supposed to watch on TV?!

You're right again Vicky, this topic really should be in the debate section!

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But are they all aimed at kids Sel? Primeval? Would you let a 4 year old watch that?

Did you actually give your views in the survey? It would have been great if we could have had quotes from you as you clearly have strong opinions.

Anyone who wants their opinions heard in any of our surveys, can register their interest and say they'd like to comment or be a spokesperson! Remember that for the next story!

Thanks for that Kathryn and I definitely will consider it depending on the subject. I wasn't aware that this survey was done by TBW members, but I'll be ready for the next topic.

I think I'm just a little sensitive to this subject and nightmares in general due to the fact that I have studied them extensively for my own personal reasons. Nightmares don't have to be induced by something visual, they can be induced by anything from a fear of spiders to overhearing your parents arguing. Also, if such programmes do induce nightmares, boys are more likely to be affected as their brains are wired to be more visual.

Aaaaanyway, as I said, I'm ready for the next survey!

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