Readers responded positively to this information from last year, so I’m repeating it as my own holiday special!
It’s the time of year for amazing, heartwarming holiday programs. It’s also the time of year for tons of commercials aimed at kids, and on nearly all the platforms they use. The commercials themselves are often part of the fun – I vividly recall specific toy commercials and that moment when the actual item was in my hands. (You know I’m talking about you, Lone Ranger Action Figure.) However, the abundance of marketing directed at children can create difficulties for parents when a kid starts to ask for something that you know is not a good idea or is out of your price range. With that in mind, here are some things to think and talk about with your kids, with help from the wise minds at Common Sense Media:
- Once kids get to eight years or so, they can distinguish that an ad has a specific aim: to convince someone to buy an item. That means that you can talk to kids about how the ads may be using language and images to make the product seem more magical than it may be in real life.
- If your kids are not yet ready for that conversation, ask them about why they like something they have just seen. Sometimes it’s similar to something they already have and love, and they just need a reminder. If the toy is a great addition to a collection, or If it’s truly new to them, put it on your list for consideration.
- Lastly, advertisers put a ton of emotion and excitement in ads for kids – their aim is to have children feed off of that energy and say, “I WANT THAT!” You know your kids, so try to look through the hype and ask yourself, “Will this toy really work for my kid? How long will the interest (or the toy itself) last?”
If you are looking for non-commercial holiday programs spanning a range of cultures and ages, check out the lineup at www.austinpbs.org/holidays. For holiday family activities and crafts for kids of all ages, go to www.pbsparents.org.
Benjamin Kramer, PhD, is the director of education for Austin PBS.
