By
Dean LuskWhen our kids were very small, Winnie the Pooh videos were the ones we primarily chose for entertainment for them rather than going with Barney videos (I still think there's something evil in those things), etc.
One of the series of videos was designated "Learning," and it was a series that taught, in very broad ways, some basic concepts like sharing or helping others -- things that children could use throughout life. (Another series was called "Playtime," and I suppose it was more of a "Pooh on the torpedoes! We're going to have fun and not worry about this 'learning' stuff!" series.) Videos weren't a source of educational material for us, but if our kids picked up good stuff while watching a fun video, hooray.
It always struck me as ironic that at the beginning of each "Learning" VHS tape (yes, they used to have these things called "VHS tapes") there was a promo for other Pooh videos, and it started out with the narration saying, "Hey, kids! Now there's three new exciting videos..." In other words, the voice said, "Hey, kids! Now there is three new exciting videos..."
That probably won't make many of you flinch, and I know these weren't grammar videos, but in any childhood "learning" media, I'm of the opinion that there shouldn't be obvious educational blunders. To me, saying "there is three videos" is sort of like saying, "I
should of gone to the store," or, "
Can I go to the bathroom?" or something like that. In a broad context, the videos were promoting the idea of learning, and while they taught many things well, like the fact that it's always good to help others, they helped to establish an incorrect foundation in other areas.
Real-life tie-in: in our churches However, at the same time we're doing this, we build on wrong foundations elsewhere.
I think, for instance, of the correct teaching that we are to live a life of obedience to God because we love Him, which is a holy, beautiful, and accurate principle. However, by implication and frequently in practice, we can teach people the opposite by communicating that if they attend all scheduled services, get involved in church activities, and tithe, they are automatically reaching the world for the sake of Christ.
Can you think of some ways in which we might teach the truth in one area but are simultaneously undercutting it in another? And just how obsessive do you think I'm being about the Pooh video?
Comments (1)
Too obsessive about the Pooh videos. There are more informative and entertaining kid shows out there. For example, everything I learned about Jewish holidays, I learned from Rugrats