Whatcha doing? It’s what I hear close to a million times a day. If it isn’t emanating from the TV in the form of the typical catch phrase of Isabella of Phineas and Ferb, it is from one of my boys. They are obsessed with the Disney cartoon and spend most of their days either watching the show, playing the on-line games or just plain talking about the characters.
While we were on vacation Matthew talked the ears off his cousins, extolling the virtues of Agent P and the Normbots, all characters from the cartoon. So naturally my niece was curious and interested in finding out more. At dinner one night she, also 6 years old, leans over to her mother and asks “Is Phineas and Ferb appropriate?” by that she meant, “Am I allowed to watch it?” You see, my brother- and sister-in-law, are pretty strict about what their kids are allowed to watch on television. They stick to educational shows and prefer PBS and Nick Jr to other channels. For the longest time I was right there with them. If the show wasn’t teaching math or language skills I didn’t let it in our line up. Then we started to realize that some of the shows taught less tangible ideas such as empathy and forgiveness, and we started loving those shows too. One of my favorites has always been Max and Ruby which is probably my brother-in-laws least favorite kid show out there.
But as Matthew has gotten older and we have started to see a real need for him to fit in amongst his peers, we have opened our definition of “appropriate”. To us, appropriate now includes those show that are popular with his peers and Those shows that other children are talking about and watching. Although Phineas and Ferb doesn’t typically teach math or language ( except for the A-G-L-E-T song), it does often teach acceptance and friendship. But to us it teaches a child with autism yet one more way to relate to his peers, to have relevant talking points, and a little bit of fun.
I don’t know if my in-laws let my niece start watching Phineas and Ferb, but I certainly love watching those two clever boys, knowing that in our home they meet the new definition of appropriate. And I scour the message boards to find out what other shows and games are popular, so I can introduce Matthew to them. Giving Matthew the tools to “fit in” and be one of the gang is so important. We know he is smart and will continue to learn normal academics, but helping him learn how to speak to other kids and feel confident in his interests helps him overcome just one more hurdle.
Yes, I can get really tired of Dr. Doofenshmirtz and how everything my kids touch becomes and -inator, but I LOVE how Matthew already know he wants to be Agent P for Halloween. Yeah, he’ll do just fine, and will be very appropriate.
Stay Well.
🙂
pretty smart! 😀