No "Peanuts" for David

Posted by Jan Zeiger Dec 11, 2006

I remember watching Peanuts specials when I was little, so when I saw It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown advertised in October, I took note of the day and time. I figured my four year old son would enjoy it, and I sat down that night to watch it with him. Now that I’m a parent, I have concerns about some television shows designed for children, and I work hard to keep my children’s media diet positive and educational. As I watched the Peanuts special, I was shocked to hear all the name-calling and teasing directed towards Linus. I heard names like “blockhead” and more. Slowly, I began to remember that most Peanuts specials I had seen did indeed include name-calling, teasing, and hitting. My son was already watching the special, so we didn’t turn it off immediately. Instead, I used it as a springboard for discussion, talking with him about the words he heard the children say and whether or not that type of language is appropriate in real life.

With Christmas approaching, I’ve seen commercials for Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown, but I plan to opt out this year. My son will see this classic special eventually, but I’m not ready for him to view it at age four. In this special, if I remember correctly, Charlie Brown is teased and called names similar to the way Linus is treated in the Halloween episode. I certainly do believe that some good can be found in the Christmas special, but I’ll encourage my children to watch more positive programs while they are young.

Merry Christmas, Little Bill will be airing at 1:30 on Friday, December 22. This is a holiday episode that shouldn’t be missed. For more information, check out my detailed review of Merry Christmas, Little Bill, a holiday special that celebrates family and togetherness.