Thanks for posting, Beer. I don't watch TV, and I had no idea the show was like that. I'm glad for the head's up.
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"Then you shouldn't let your kids watch this show. But then they'll just watch it at a friend's house right?"

1. Do parents today have no influence on their kids whatever? How about talking to them about how the show is mean and "Our family doesn't act like that?" Kids probably sense that something is wrong and are waiting for encouragement to show their compassionate side. Remember that they (especially boys) are bombarded with messages to be tough and cynical.

Teach them some facts about handicapped people. How they came to be that way, that it is not their fault, that they are not evil or bizarre. A lot of kids are afraid of the handicapped because they cannot conceive of how a person could look or talk that way. Taking away the mystery helps them handle an encounter.


2. As for watching it at a friend's house, make the friends want to come to your house. Have snacks, act friendly, provide a place to hang out and something to do. The reward will be great.

My nephew, age 28, got married a few months ago. Some of his boyhood friends traveled 400 miles to attend the wedding. One of them introduced my sister to someone as "his second mom." It made her so happy. He was one of the boys that she had made welcome 15 years ago.