Seeing is believing

by Lianne Castelino www.whereparentstalk.com

How many times have we not all watched tv and had this experience —- believing something is real when it isn’t.  You know a commercial that looks and sounds like it could be a a true story.   You may become entranced while watching it, moved by the visuals, words, or both and then SLAM – you realize it is a masterfully-created advertisement.  It probably happens more than we all think.  Now imagine how a young child would process the same messaging?

It’s an interesting thought and one that many parents strongly consider when they decide 1. to restrict tv viewing, 2. not buy cable/satellite, 3. hide the tv remotes during certain hours, 4. place parental controls on their tvs, 5. not have a tv in the house.

These days the sheer power of advertising is something to behold – largely because it is everywhere we turn.  Billboards, mobile phones, internet,  airplanes.  You can even buy a refrigerator with a built-in tv screen if you are so inclined.

Advertising to children has long been a hotly-debated issue with some gains made, but more ground still to cover.

Kids tend to love commercials.   And as is the case in my family, they somehow are able to remember the minute details of commercials whether they like them or not.  That’s great news for the creative minds that concoct them, but it is cause for reflection for those of us viewing them.

Junk Food advertising and kids

Advertising junk food to kids under 13 is an interesting case and point.  A private members’  bill will be put forth today by NDP MPP Rosario Marchese calling for a ban on these types of ads.  This will be Marchese’ second attempt at banning unhealthy food ads to kids in this age group.  The first came in 2008.

It will be interesting to see the reaction this time around.

After all, the alarms have been sounded, and if you listen closely you can hear them ringing right now.  One in 4 kids in Ontario is Ontario.  The statistics become increasingly grim as you move nationally and across North America.

How in the world can we expect kids to discern what this type of advertising is telling them?  The bright, inviting colours, catchy music, toys, games, freebies, cartoon characters — whatever medley of goodies featured in these ads or used to promote them is what most kids focus on.  No need to study it, get a professional opinion or anything else.  That’s just basic common sense. The more they are exposed to it, the more they will want it and ask for it —- likely not understanding or unable to comprehend the nutritional value, or unhealthy elements in these food items.

Kids and advertising

We all eat junk food.  There is no crime in that.  However, unhealthy choices have to be the exception and healthy choices – the rule — for a host of  obvious reasons.

Junk food advertising is one of many contributors to obesity.  Why not be proactive and address the symptom rather than the problem.

The litany of health and other issues linked to being overweight or obese costs each of us money, every second of every day.

These junk food advertisers will be just fine if they are prevented from promoting unhealthy foods to kids, thank you.  Present and future generations of children however, will not be if it’s allowed to continue.

This is a no-brainer.

A little respect

by Lianne Castelino, www.whereparentstalk.com

Yes, I have a huge bee in my bonnet.  Actually it’s more of an elephant at this point, so bear with me.

The uproar, frustration, analysis over headshots and violent hits in hockey is on the operating table, being poked, prodded and studied by anyone and everyone – players of all ages and sizes, coaches, referees, medical professionals, the C-suite, and parents.

We are all focused on scrutinizing the outcome – concussions – but what about the symptoms?

I’m of the firm belief that the root of this increased violence in the sport is an inherent lack of respect — for the opponent, for the game, for each other.

Talk to any NHL oldtimer — and you don’t have to go back that many decades – and they’ll likely agree.  They played in an error of strategy, skill and little equipment.  It was all about bettering the opponent within the rules.  The fierce competition, physicality, sheer will to win were not the least bit compromised because of an underlying respect.

More and more though the respect component in hockey is being eroded.  I see it at different levels and it is disturbing.  Respect is being elbowed out by one main culprit – money.  It’s couched in a variety of ways  of course —- “a win at all costs’ attitude, pandering to companies/corporations who write paychecks or provide funds, a greater emphasis on entertainment to sell tickets and the ever-famous parent/coach/staff member who is living vicariously through their kids/players.

Parents should be concerned.  Minor hockey associations should be concerned.  The NHL should be concerned.

Respect takes a long time to earn and very little time to lose.

There are plenty of respectful people playing, coaching and supporting hockey at all age levels, capabilities and leagues.  They should be applauded for their conduct.  The professionals though set the bar.  A flagrant cheap shot, headshot, bodycheck is a blatant lack of respect – period.  The trickle down effect is well underway whether we want to believe it or not.

We simply pay lip service to conduct and the rulebook if we don’t follow it or enforce it.

I really don’t see what else needs to be analyzed here.

Imagine for a second what a violent check in hockey looks like.  Pick one – Zdeno Chara on Max Pacioretty, Matt Cooke on (fill in the blank).  Now imagine the same hit with neither player wearing equipment.  Different perspective, powerful point.

At the end of the day, it’s about how we treat each other — at home, in the rink, in our cars, on the street.  Anything outside of respectful conduct, is simply an excuse, and a cheap one at that.

Related content – Web Video interviews:

Hitting & Headshots in Hockey

Teaching Kids Civility

Bring it Back

By Lianne Castelino www.whereparentstalk.com

It may have seemed slightly meaningless at the time, but boy did it ever come in handy later.  And now as a mother, I would vote to BRING IT BACK.   ASAP.

Home Ec.  Home Economics.  Family Studies.  It goes by different names.  You remember the class right?  It was part of the curriculum in grade 7 or 8 depending on where you lived.   It was dubbed the “easy even cheesy” class where we were taught how to sew, bake, use a tool or two and learn a little about money matters.

I remember my Grade 8 Home Ec teacher.  She seemed like the most relaxed person in the building.  Shouldn’t teaching life skills be more stressful?  I recall thinking how most of my classmates and I truly enjoyed what we were being taught because it was a little different from the standard academic fare.  Plus we all got to make those customary wood carvings, which some of us may still have!

Home Ec has not existed in most public, elementary schools that I am aware of for years.  It’s dropped by the wayside like regular gym class, library class, band and a few others.  So sad.  

It wasn’t exhaustive by any means but it did expose students to everyday life skills like — cooking, working with their hands and budgeting — things we rely on daily that are now frankly absolutely lacking —- and not just in the curriculum.   Teens, youth, adults need to be exposed to these skills for a litany or reasons.  Being able to prepare a meal, heck even fry an egg should be a skill that everyone should have.  I once met a person who said, “if you can read, you can cook.”  I thought to myself truer words were never spoken.

These are life and in some cases survival skills.  Even more important one could argue is learning how to manage money — especially in the debt-ridden world we live in.  If parents can’t or aren’t equipped to teach these skills at home, let the kids at least be exposed to them at school.  Heck, I’d vote to expand home ec to beyond one year or two.  I’m sure there are quite a few other parts of the curriculum that could be dropped for something this relevant.

How many households are there where both parents know what they are doing when it comes to:  cooking, managing money, doing laundry, working with tools. changing a flat tire?  We’re not all going to be experts at everything but that’s really not the point.

Many kids learn better through seeing and doing.  At the very least they will hopefully develop some kind of appreciation for the life skill being taught.  Maybe that’s why Montessori schools are so wildly popular these days.  They teach these everyday living skills from day one.

Exposure is a good thing after all, isn’t it?