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Home > Health > MOMania > Archives > 2008 > December > 28 > Entry

Best and Worst Pop Culture in a Mom’s World 2008

One mom’s list of the top TV shows, movies, video games and books of 2008.

By Theresa Walsh Giarrusso | Sunday, December 28, 2008, 09:19 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Tolerable” is often the highest praise parents can offer the children’s TV shows, movies, books or video games that they are forced to endure. So when parents find shows or games that the whole family can enjoy, we want to share!

Here’s my list of some of the best and worst TV shows, movies video games and books for kids in 2008. They aren’t necessarily new for this year, but they are things that my family discovered or enjoyed in the past 12 months. Please add your own favorites so other parents can have more options, especially with school out for the next week.

Best TV for elementary school students

“Phineas and Ferb” — This Disney Channel cartoon features two brothers who are always creating fantastic contraptions, a big sister who is always trying to get them in trouble and their clueless but sweet parents. Oh, and they have a pet platypus who is a secret agent at war with a mad scientist who uses every cliché in the super villains’ handbook. What’s not to love? This show is full of catchy music, wild plot lines, slapstick laughs for kids and referential humor for parents.

“Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman” - A cartoon dog hosts this PBS game show with kids competing for prizes by doing physical and intellectual tasks. My kids think this show is hilarious, and they don’t even realize they’re learning something. The tasks expose the viewers to science, history, math, literature and critical thinking skills. My kids watched all three seasons and they reference the show often. My oldest already has plans to move to Boston for the summer of 2014 when she’ll be old enough to be a contestant.

“iCarly” - Of all the shows on Disney and Nick starring tween girls, “iCarly” is the most enjoyable for our family. Carly gets into all kinds of trouble making her own webcast and has a kooky brother to boot. The romances on the show aren’t too sappy or explicit for younger kids.

Best baby/toddler TV

“Sesame Street” - When Rose was a toddler, Sesame Street was going through a dark time. The “Journey to Ernie” bits were boring and repetitive, and they showed fewer of the quirky little skits that I loved as a child. But “Sesame” is once again unpredictable and fun like I remember. My favorite new characters are Murray and his little lamb. Visits from celebrities make the show enjoyable for adults. Will Arnett recently appeared as a bumbling magician similar to his character on “Arrested Development.” The kids were laughing and so was I.

“Clifford” - My baby loves dogs, and the stories are always enjoyable and sweet.

Worst TV for kids

“Total Drama Island” -Just because it’s on Cartoon Network doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for kids! The show is actually a relatively clever parody of reality TV, but it’s full of mature themes and sexual innuendo

“Hip Hop Harry” —We happened upon this show on Discovery Kids. My son loved it, and I hated it. Picture a giant bear wearing his hat sideways doing some excruciatingly bad rapping and dance moves from “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.” The children on the show are annoying and the music is bad.

“Pokemon” (or any of the rip-offs like Naruto or Bakugan) - These shows are simply unwatchable. The stories make no sense. The animation is terrible. The voice talent is embarrassingly bad. The music is annoying. Worst of all, the whole industry is simply one big infomercial for cheap toys.

Best shows for moms

“The New Adventures of Old Christine” — If you want to make yourself feel better, just watch this show. Christine drives her child to school in her pajamas, thinks her gynecologist is hitting on her while examining her and is convinced a virus is actually hot flashes. Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character is self-deprecating and honest in a way few TV women are.

“Mad Men” - You may think this show is all about men, but this season it spent more time exploring women’s lives in the early 1960s. Housewife Betty Draper seems like she has it all - a super hot, successful husband, a beautiful house and two adorable kids. However, her husband is cheating on her and hiding chunks of his past. Other characters include a sharp secretary who can’t get rise above that role because of gender discrimination, and a pioneering, single career woman who is judged by everyone

“How I Met Your Mother” -This show is not really about being a mom, but it relaxes me for 30 minutes and reminds me of what my life was like pre-kids.

Best Movies

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” - I stayed behind with the baby for this one and now I’m sad I didn’t get to see it. Michael and the kids agreed it was hysterical. World-class comedians make this series funnier than most cartoons

“Kung Fu Panda” - Fun and funny, I am excited to see it on DVD again. Some of the fight scenes may be too intense for small children.

“Wall-E” -Like most Pixar films, “Wall-E” is beautiful, engaging and thoughtful. The topics are a little heavy, but my kids seemed to understand the message.

“High School Musical 3: Senior Year” - Michael and his friend took the oldest girls to see this, and Michael declared: “It wasn’t half as bad as I thought it was going to be.”

Worst Movie

“Speed Racer.” — Michael took the kids to see this one, too. Even though he loved the cartoon as a kid, he could barely sit through this version.

Video games

The Best

If you have to bring a video game system into the house, choose the Wii. It offers games you can play as a family and has some that involve exercise. Here are some we like:

Mario Kart - Besides being incredibly fun with amazing graphics and no violence, this game allows small children to compete with big kids and parents. If you’re in last place the game gives you extra bonus opportunities to catch up.

Wii Fit - My 7-year-old loves to do yoga on it, and my sister-in-law swears the hula hoop game helped trim her waist.

Wii Sports - Golf and bowling are my favorites. We feel like the president having a bowling alley in our basement.

The Worst

Gears of War 2 - Don’t let this XBox 360 game in the house. Shooting your opponent is bad enough, but do you really need to saw him in half?

Mortal Kombat VS DC Universe - My 5-year-old would love to fight as Batman or Superman, but he doesn’t need to see a Japanese warrior rip the spine out of the Flash or knock Wonder Woman’s head off.

Best children’s books

“What the World Eats,” by Faith D’Alusisio - This eye-opening book examines what 25 families from around the world eat in one week. It has a photograph of each family and the food they live on for seven days. The disparity between nations is shocking. It also features lots of charts and graphs exploring mortality, literacy and obesity rates, plus the number of McDonald’s world-wide, among other things.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne - If you have a reader who is trying to ramp up into chapter books, this is an excellent series to get them going. They follow the adventures of a time-traveling brother and sister. The author weaves in history, science, geography and tall tales. I get sad when my daughter jumps ahead in the book without me!

“The Ultimate Interactive Atlas of Space,” from Scholastic. — My son chooses to read this book every night. The book is a fascinating study of all things space with lots for kids to move and touch. We don’t get bored and neither does he.

Please share your list of the Best and Worst Pop Culture in a Mom’s World!

Permalink | Comments (49) | Post your comment |

Comments

By Gina

December 29, 2008 7:45 AM | Link to this

I was troubled by your opening line :

“Tolerable” is often the highest praise parents can offer the children’s TV shows, movies, books or video games that they are forced to endure.”

No one forces you to turn on the TV, video games or go see the movies or rent the DVDs.

Who is in charge - you or the kiddos?

Just a thought and Happy New Year and a year for more family friendly entertainment

By sexy1977

December 29, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this

Best: Anything quiet and educational.

Worst: Anything else……

By Jesse's Girl

December 29, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this

I ask you Gina…how does a parent know if a show is appropriate for their child if said parent does not watch it first? “Tolerable” is a valid description of many shows….and in my house, a tolerable show is usually not one that gets a family view.

I adore Phineas and Ferb! They are very cute. Its lead to a couple of construction disasters in The Boy’s room….but it is funny and its their choice for a quick after school relaxer. The kids don’t really watch any of the other shows.

But Theresa…you neglected to mention the lead in show for How I Met your Mother!!! Big Bang Theory is awesome and its really the only I feel p** about if it is missed. I do watch “mother” because it follows…but Sheldon just does it for me. I like em big and dumb or extraordinarily geeky.

By Jo

December 29, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this

Oh YES! Sheldon RULES! And why wasn’t my beloved “2-1/2 Men” mentioned???

By Melanie L.

December 29, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

I enjoy your blog, Theresa…this is the first time I’ve commented. My son is 2 and we like Imagination Movers, the Wiggles and Blues Clues in our house, TV-wise (which he only watches while I’m in the shower or to distract him while getting him dressed). As for books, my son and I love them ALL, particularly the original Curious George ones and “Ten Little Ladybugs” and “Ten Rubber Duckies,” with three-dimensional ladybugs and rubber duckies on each page…they are very cute. Another “best” for moms: YouTube! Search for ANYTHING and you can put on a short “video” for your kids if you need to distract them while you get dinner or lunch ready. I pull up old Sesame Street skits, Laurie Berkner music videos (we love her), etc. You have total control of what they see (unlike TV) because YOU pick…and they are short bits of watching so the kids don’t turn into zombies. Happy New Year to all!

By Jeff

December 29, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this

I’ve recently rediscovered Numb3rs after missing a few seasons. While def not for the younger set, it IS something that mid to older teens can watch with mom and dad. (AND it shows real life applications of the subject that most kids that age hate most!)

Mythbusters is also good, though not sure that the younger ones would get into it that well.

Macgyver was something I grew up on and you can get the entire series on DVD.

Speaking of DVD, Fraggle Rock is also on DVD, as are many of the classic Loony Tunes and Hanna Barbara cartoons. As well as the classic Tom & Jerry toons… not such a fan of the newer versions. Truthfully, the same can be said of Loony Toons and even Batman. With Batman, the complete Batman: The Animated Series from the 90s is also on DVD, and I would recommend it for general family watching as well. Might be too scary for the youngest sets though.

Gaming:

Wii is definetly better for younger kids/non gamers.

Personally, I now own Gears of War 1 and have played Gears 2, and I remain a strong advocate that I would rather kids blow up pixels than actual humans. Therefore I am a strong advocate of ALLOWING games such as Mortal Kombat, Halo, Gears, etc - WITH appropriate parental participation. (RE: The kids understand EXTREMELY WELL the levels of Hades that the parents will bring into their world if they ever try any of this stuff outside the console.)

Books:

I still like the Magic School Bus series and the story about the food coming in as weather (Can’t remember the name of it now!)

Of course, I was reading Clancy by 5th grade, so I’m not the best to ask about ‘Childrens’ books. I WILL say, however, that there are SOME - Ted Dekker’s The Circle Trilogy and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga - that are marketed for adults that I wouldn’t mind my own 5th grader reading. Steve Alten is also good for early-mid teens. (Some cursing, some nudity, some sex, but all mild and used as part of a larger idea. In general, the shark attacks of his Meg series are the biggest chunk of the books. The best scene in the trilogy though happens when a completely nude female admirer tries to get the married male protagonist to sleep with her. Unbeknownst to him, his 17yo daughter is watching this go down. What he says in that scene is one of the best lines I’ve ever read in a fiction work in regards to how a husband views his wife.)

By Jesse's Girl

December 29, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this

If they would bring back my all time fave…just for a while…I could die happy:) Designing Women!!!! Sadly, I know every word to every show.

By DB

December 29, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this

We really don’t watch much TV in my house — honestly, if it wasn’t for “House” and movie videos (gotta love the Netflix subscription!), I doubt the TV would be turned on, except by the males for various sports.

As far as books — any book, any time, anywhere. A friend visited my house a few years ago, and asked, tongue-in-cheek, “Did you ever hear of a library — you know, you borrow books and take them back?” My look of horror was only half-feigned — “TAKE THEM BACK!? NOOOOO!!!” We haunt used book stores regularly, and my husband has a science fiction collection that is better than most libraries. Me, I read anything. “Twilight”, Clancy, military, sci-fi, fantasy, historical romance, biographies, whatever. My daughter loves Jodi Picoult and “Twilight”, too. My son doesn’t have too much time for recreational reading now — his major in college is pretty reading-intensive, but we still have a much-loved “Animorphs” collection preserved on a shelf.

Video games: I’m so glad my son brought his XBox from school for the holidays — I was missing “Rock Band”! We’ve had fun playing it this holiday, even though I will probably never be better than a “medium”. He’s not really into any of the role-playing games (“sucks up waaay too much time, Mom”), but I have been known to while away the occasional hour playing AstroPops, Bejeweled and Collapse. :-)

By JJ

December 29, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

Morning All, I hope everyone had a nice holiday. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY BLOG FAMILY!!!

I have a teenager, and she watches some of the DUMBEST shows on tv. The Girls Next Door (Beyond stupid), Bad Girls Club (bleeped practically the entire show due to the language), and Gossip Girl.

OMG those shows are just beyond stupid!!!!

My fav is Criminal Minds. I will not miss that show.

Jessie’sGirl I love Big Bang Theory. How I met Your Mother is occassionally stupid, and I only watch it becuase it follows BBT. I LOVE two and half Men. I record it every time it’s on. It’s also on every night at 7:00.

And of course, I love the Ellen show. No one makes me laugh like she does. Her sense of humor is great. I love it when she cracks up.

By DB

December 29, 2008 10:37 AM | Link to this

And since we’re talking about movies, I’d love to hear some opinions from those of you with young children re: the “Marley & Me” movie that came out over Christmas. I loved the book, and I thought the movie was a wonderful segue from mischievous dog antics to Marley being the exclamation point in a growing marriage. But I wonder how many families took young children to it thinking that they were going to see a cute dog movie, a la “Beethoven”, and ended up with a relationship movie where the dog eventually has to be put to sleep as his age and infirmities catch up with him? I loved the movie — sobbed and cried during the last 10 minutes — but I was aghast at how many people had brought young children — 6, 7 year olds — and wondered how many of these parents felt that they had been misled by the movie trailers?

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December 29, 2008 10:39 AM | Link to this

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    By motherjanegoose

    December 29, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this

    DB…I commented on Marley and Me this is the previous topic. LOVED the movie but agree with you that it is not for smaller children.

    By new mom

    December 29, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this

    We try not to let our baby girl watch too much tv, and thankfully she isn’t very interested. yet.

    But the shows I will allow are sesame street (great when I’m trying to get breakfast going), WordWorld, and of course, she loves jeopardy!. I will admit i’m a bit nuts over it, maybe I have a weird thing for alex…but our baby girl loves the bright colors and will dance to the music. It’s a riot!

    And really, what adult really loves even the best kid’s show? Ultimately we tolerate them, because we know our kids will enjoy them and hopefully learn from them. I would really wonder about the adult who chooses to watch kids shows with no kids around….

    By Theresa

    December 29, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this

    Hey guys — My girlfriend took her 5 nd 7 year old to see the Marley movie this weekend. I haven’t heard yet how it went — I told her I thought it had a sad ending.

    I’ll have to give Big Bang a chance — we’ve never watched it.

    Lately, my kids have been watching Imagination Movers too. They like the music — I find it far less irritating than Hip Hop Harry but I won’t be stopping what I’m working on to watch it either.

    By JJ

    December 29, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this

    I saw Marley yesterday. Loved it, but it was VERY sad. I read the book, laughed, cried, laughed, etc.

    Death is a part of life. This movie seems to be the Old Yeller of our generation. It was about the life of the dog.

    My mom cried throughout the entire movie. I cried here and there. Anyone who has ever loved an animal, and had to put them down, will relate to the tears.

    I think it was a good movie. It will probably be added to my DVD collection when it comes out. I have the book.

    By FCM

    December 29, 2008 11:31 AM | Link to this

    I will post my best/worst….though I must admit to loving Perry on Phineas and Ferb…Actually its the only cartoon we watch that won’t make me hurl.

    Movies on the list I take umbridge at….”Narnia 2: Prince Caspian” should be on the list and lose the hug a tree promo of WallE. Also add Horton hears a Who and kill Madagascar 3. That is before I even get into the holiday for kid movies released.

    By Belle

    December 29, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this

    BabyFirsttv is great for the little ones. it is designed for 0-3yr old and it is all learning. Letters, numbers, colors, counting, sign language, etc… I have a two yr old and she loves it. She has never watched any of the other cartoons. Maybe when she is older but for now this works. So when she is watching tv this is it.

    By Joe

    December 29, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

    I hate these “holier-than-thou” people that scoff at the whisper of people enjoying television. Get over yourselves people. I read every single day, but I also enjoy watching television when I get home from work. Stop thinking you rule the world because you read fiction and romance.

    By Joe

    December 29, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this

    I hate these “holier-than-thou” people that scoff at the whisper of people enjoying television. Get over yourselves people. I read every single day, but I also enjoy watching television when I get home from work. Stop thinking you rule the world because you read fiction and romance.

    By Penguinmom

    December 29, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this

    We’ve always enjoyed Blues Clues (Steve version not Joe) and Backyardigans (very catchy fun music in a variety of genres). Both of those I can watch with them without losing my mind. Little Bear was also a favorite when they were younger because it is so gentle and everyone is kind and polite.

    We still don’t watch any of the tween shows. I don’t really want my 5-year-old or 3rd grader watching shows featuring teen angst about friendships and boys. Too much info for them at this age.

    We also watch Lingo on the Game network. It’s a word game that the kids love for some reason.

    We just got a Wii and love it. We’ll get Wii Fit at some point but we’ve all enjoyed the Fitness part of the Wii Sports.

    Books are a real passion in our house. We read constantly so the favorites are too many to list. We’re mainly science fiction/fantasy fans. Ender’s Game and the Lord of the Rings are definitely high on the list for my oldest. Teen book wise, the Dragonback series, Redwall series, Warriors series and anything funny like ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ get high marks from him.

    Anything with fairies or animals for my middle child. She’s just recently finished ‘Half Magic’ by Eager; a book I loved as a kid.

    My youngest isn’t quite reading yet (or at least doesn’t believe he can) so he gets to enjoy lots of picture books read by whatever family member is available. I love the “Frog and Toad” books for this age.

    Anything by Andrew Clements is an enjoyable audio book selection for the whole family. He captures kid’s thinking patterns amazingly well. We’ve often listened to his stories on trips.

    By Penguinmom

    December 29, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

    FCM, have to disagree with the Prince Caspian plug. They changed so much from the book that it was a little hard to watch. Beautiful movie, just not the right story. Too many of us who loved the book really didn’t like the movie so it did poorly overall (compared with The Lion..). I’ve heard Disney has nixed making the Dawn Treader movie. Walden may still make it but at the moment it’s not a go. Sad that the massive rewrite of a wonderful story can kill an entire series.

    By Mr. Nice Guy

    December 29, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

    Best Book: “Where the Wild Things Are ” and “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge”

    By Mr. Nice Guy

    December 29, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this

    Oh, and once they arrive in their early teens, a good parent must also provide their child with one of most banned books ever, “The Catcher in the Rye”.

    It always seems to spur curiosity in youth when you tell them a book has been banned or certain people want to control what a teenager can read…. “Catcher in the Rye” is a must for all.

    By JJ

    December 29, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this

    My 17 year old, received, at her request, two books for christmas.

    The first was Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and the other was The Great Gatsby.

    She LOVES to read, and is now interested in all the classics. I’ll have to pick up Catcher in the Rye for her. I don’t recall reading that one myself.

    By Jesse's Girl

    December 29, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this

    You’ll find no Holer than Thou sprinklings here. I so look forward to when I can in good conscience let my kids enjoy the 2 funniest movies ever made…..Caddy Shack (only the 1st, the 2nd is an abomination) and Old School.

    By DB

    December 29, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

    @Joe: Since your complaint about the “holier-than-thous” seemed directed at me (since I’m the only one that confessed to reading romance novels!) would you please re-read my post regarding TV watching? If I cam across as “holier”, then I apologize. I didn’t say TV was stupid or a waste of time — I just said we don’t watch it! There’s no judgement implied — I just included that to illustrate why I had no opinions on TV shows. Honestly, we just don’t care enough about it to bother - my 17 year old daughter is either working or doing homework, and in her limited free time would rather watch a movie than watch a TV show that she hasn’t been keeping up with. And since we have TiVO, I never make a point to watch TV at any particular time — I watch “House” when I remember it, which is usually a week or so later!

    By Razz

    December 29, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this

    uh, thanks for ruining the ending of ‘Marley and Me’ for those of us who have not seen it yet!

    By motherjanegoose

    December 29, 2008 3:11 PM | Link to this

    If you are angry at me, I apologize as I was not trying to ruin the ending of Marley and Me but if you are taking small children to see it…think twice. My daughter read the book and we knew what to expect. Many folks have not read the book and have no idea.

    We are all 16-49 and we left in tears…I cannot imagine a 6 year old…just giving MOMS the 411 as that is what we try to do in this blog…or did I miss something?

    Everyone I know, who has seen it, is saying that it is not a movie for small children. Be prepared with tissues and explanations….

    We loved the movie it just reminded us of our own labrador!

    By Kathy

    December 29, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this

    IMHO….best preschool TV/Music - The Imagination Movers. Great rock sounding music and the TV show shows kids different ways to attempt to solve a problem. Our family LOVES this show!

    By FCM

    December 29, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this

    Best TV for elementary (no particular order):

    1- Ruff Ruffman 2- Phineas and Ferb 3- Drake and Josh 4- iCarly 5- Wizards of Waverly Place

    Best movies for elementary (no particular order):

  • Narnia 2: Prince Caspian (Despite not being like the book—which I have read dozens of times)
  • Horton Hears a Who
  • Kit Kitteridge
  • Bedtime Stories
  • HSM 3

    • Best Shows for Mom:

  • Dancing with the Stars
  • Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (aka Triple D)
  • LOST
  • Big Bang
  • How I Met Your Mother
  • Grey’s Anatomy

    • Best Movies for Mom (which I seldom get to see):

  • Twilight (again not like the book but loved anyway)
  • Sex and the City
  • Traveling Pants 2

    • By fcm

    December 29, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

    MJG general rule regarding new movies talked about in the blog is NOT to give spoliers or MAJOR plot points within the first two (refer to archives on Sex and the City blogs among others). Otherwise YES it spoils it for everyone.

    No you don’t have to leave, no theresa isn’t going to email you to go away…etc.

    By Mr. Nice Guy

    December 29, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

    Best Movies for Dad:

    Anything with Jenna!

    By DM

    December 29, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this

    I think MJG did the right thing about discussing the ending in order to warn parents about taking younger children. Besides, if you read the book, you would already know the ending.

    By motherjanegoose

    December 29, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this

    Since I rarely go to movies, Ii rarely comment on them. I AM with little kids all the time and I understand what might distress them and keep them up at night.

    Perhaps this is a bit different from the Sex in the City thing as children may be upset…I did not view that movie as I have no idea about it….never watched the show.

    I am sorry if I ruined it.

    Here is a dumb question but if the book is out ( way before a movie) and the ending has been revealed for a while…months even……does that still mean no one reveals anything ? I really do not know…

    I knew going into the movie what would happen at the end ( as I was told) but since most parents do not realize this…they could have a bit of a problem with the younger set as it is rated PG.

    By motherjanegoose

    December 29, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this

    FCM….my kids got me the Diners Drive Ins and Dives book for Christmas…I LOVE that show because it really offers a slice of America when you see the people all saying wonderful things about their restaurants…LOL.

    I look forward to trying some of the places in the book!

    Jeff…we also like Numbers…a great show and you learn a lot. I know nothing about the current kids shows as it has been way too long since we watched TV with little kids. My favorite book for Preschool/Kinder is HI PIZZA MAN by Virginia Walter. I have shared that book OVER 1000 times!

    By Penguinmom

    December 29, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this

    MJG, I actually think DB is the one who gave away the ending of Marley.

    However, I don’t think this was a major plot spoiler. This is a movie based on a grownup book therefore, it wasn’t really unexpected to have the dog die. It’s not like anyone gave away the ending to something really surprising, like ‘The Sixth Sense’.

    I actually think most moms/dads appreciate the warning that this is not a kiddy movie where everything ends up sweetness and roses.

    By FCM

    December 29, 2008 4:59 PM | Link to this

    My kids gave me D,D, & D cookbook, soundtrack, and DVD (the FYE special advertised on Food TV) too!

    MJG—generally speaking we do not do any spoilers for 2 weeks. Protocol of blogs is to type ‘SPOILER ALERT’ at the beginning of the entry so that those do not want to know can skip your post. Yes, telling an ending anytime is a spoiler.

    I would have said “It may have subject matter sensitive to young children” or something.

    Some of may not have read the book (or finished it yet) when the movie is out.

    Just chalk it up to learning this time.

    By motherjanegoose

    December 29, 2008 5:21 PM | Link to this

    Penguinmom and FCM…

    I love this when anyone can give opinions that are opposite and yet remain civil. it is SO nice when no one is hurling insults at others and yet not making any other contribution…LOL.

    Thanks for the tips…my lips are zipped about movies…even if I think someone needs to know…no big deal for me as I see about 3 per year…hahaha!

    Kathy…have you taken your little one and would you want to know if the ending was sad…just wonderin”….

    By new mom

    December 29, 2008 6:07 PM | Link to this

    OK, I’m sitting here trying to think of the last movie I could possibly spoil for anyone….and can’t. depressing. ;)

    By fk

    December 29, 2008 6:48 PM | Link to this

    We saw Marley and Me, also. Toward the end of the movie, all you heard were sniffles in the audience…from every direction. Bring tissues. My brother-in-law begged off b/c he did not want to cry in public. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how the movie will end. Even the reviews say the movie really isn’t for young children. If you haven’t read the book, read it. We think Marley is the crazy uncle to our overly enthusiastic yellow lab.

    I agree with JJ that death is a part of life. The movie portrayed a humane way to deal with an aging and ill dog. The book is more uplifting at the end. Read it. There is even a children’s version.

    By Kathy

    December 30, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this

    MJG….Little E would not sit through Marley and Me yet. We have not moved on from animated movies yet. If she were older (10 or so) I would take her. I read the book so I knew how the story ended and I would absolutely prepare a child for a sad ending. I LOVED the book (cried of course,as I was the owner of a rambunctious Lab) and I am sure I will cry through the whole movie. I put my lab down in April, so watching the movie will probably bring back some memories of my Winston.

    By motherjanegoose

    December 30, 2008 8:41 AM | Link to this

    Kathy…I agree that 10 is probably a good age for Marley and Me…I hope other parents will realize this too!

    By DB

    December 30, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this

    To everyone: Mea culpa. My apologies for the spoiler for “Marley & Me.” To be honest, it really didn’t occur to me that people didn’t know the ending, because the book has been out forever, and I thought I was the last person on earth to read the book (over Thanksgiving, on a plane.) So, my apologies to everyone. Knowing the ending doesn’t ruin the movie, IMO, though — but as I mentioned, for parents with small children who are expecting something like “Beethoven” might be taken aback if they weren’t ready to deal with it.

    But Penguinmom, you’re right, I would NEVER have given away the end of “The Sixth Sense”!

    By motherjanegoose

    December 30, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this

    DB…I am with you on the fact that the book has been read for years…I agree that parents may want to know if they were taking a small child to a movie where at least 1/3 of the attendees would be openly crying…that might be a bit too much and this is why I was trying to give some the heads up….never again….LOL.

    I assumed that most of the posters on this MOMANIA blog are those who are wanting to share opinions on enhancing families. Not those who take their infant to a 9:30 p.m. adult movie ( and let it cry) because it is too much trouble to get a babysitter ( I have seen it firsthand) …maybe not!

    By MyOpinion

    January 2, 2009 9:32 AM | Link to this

    Hello Theresa,

    While I agree that Pokemon and Naruto is not for children, I must clarify that Naruto is an original Japanese Anime. The original versions are made in Japan with Japanese voices and music. When converting the Japanese language to the English language, the characters voices were changed due to new actors/actresses. The original episodes with the English Subs are better than the English Version of the anime. The Naruto anime shows how to deal with relationships (platonic and romantic), leadership, belief in one’s self, and death, and many other issues. Again I agree that Naruto may not be made for Children, but for mature betweens and teen, the original Japanese eposides with the English subs are

    By MyOpinion

    January 2, 2009 9:43 AM | Link to this

    Hello Theresa,

    While I agree that Naruto is not for children, I must clarify that Naruto is an original Japanese Anime. As a Naruto fan, I do not like watching the episodes that comes on Cartoon Network. The original versions are made in Japan with Japanese voices and music. When converting the Japanese language to the English language, the characters voices were changed due to new actors/actresses. The original episodes with the English Subs are better than the English Version of the anime. Naruto shows how to deal with relationships (platonic, friendship and romantic), leadership, belief in one’s self, death, and many other major topics. Again I agree that Naruto may not be made for Children, but for mature betweens, teen, and young adults (like myself),the original Japanese episodes with the English subs are actually good. Also there are manga books that were created before the series. So if you want to know what your child(ren) are viewing, the anime closely follows those books.

    By Tajo

    January 18, 2009 6:47 AM | Link to this

    Greeting. In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you. I am from Iran and also now teach English, give true I wrote the following sentence: “Babies grow in spurts just like older children, but when is being smaller than normal a cause for concern?”

    With respect :-D, Tajo.

    By Tulla

    January 18, 2009 6:48 AM | Link to this

    Good evening. An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. I am from China and now teach English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: “For women with irregular periods, working out the best time to get pregnant can be difficult.”

    With respect ;), Tulla.

    By Tulla

    January 18, 2009 6:49 AM | Link to this

    Good evening. An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. I am from China and now teach English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: “For women with irregular periods, working out the best time to get pregnant can be difficult.”

    With respect ;), Tulla.

    Commenting is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. M-F

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