While watching television last night, my two teenage boys presented me with a question that is still puzzling me this morning. Their inquiry went something like this, "Why couldn't we watch Pokemon when we were little?" Easy enough question, I suppose; but as I sat there listening to the youngest inform me how awkward this restriction was when NOTHING else was on, for example, I really could not come up with a reason to explain my own actions. Why didn't I let them watch Pokemon? Let's think back ten years or so...
Hmmmm... Pokemon was believed to be (at least in my Pentecostal circle) of a demonic nature and highly addictive for kids.The name itself means "pocket monster" and in some articles a quick Google search will reveal, "pocket demon." Powers are contained within the characters and those that use them have access to the same magical tools of mischief. As a mom of young kids trying to guard them from the evils of the world, I am assuming that's why I banned the funky little critters from our home.
Of course, a reasonable argument from the powers that be (in this case my children) could be the fact that while Pokemon was not allowed anywhere near my beloved babies for their spiritual good, Power Rangers and Bionicles ran amuck in my boys' bedroom with a particular fascination stemming from my middle child. Have you ever watched Power Rangers? If not, they are brightly costumed young people complete with masks, high kicks, and supernatural powers that allow them to morph in all kinds of crazy, evil-fighting heroes that save the world on a regular basis. And Bionicles? Well, I'm quite sure I'm not even close to figuring these odd-shaped, creepy-looking, long-clawed varmints out; but I think their powers originate from the different masks that they acquire. The only thing I do know for sure is that we have a tote box full of an assortment of Bionicle parts that would entertain that child of mine for hours on end.
Kids and powers. They do kind of go hand-in-hand, don't they? Who has never imagined what it might be like to zap their enemies with a quick laser from the eye or take a running leap and soar high above the clouds? I believe my fascination was in Wonder Woman. If time had pushed me forward to my kids' generation, maybe the Powder Puff Girls would have been my thing.
Now don't get me wrong. I know that cartoons can be a perfect hiding place for harmful concepts that target our children and I'm not necessarily backing away from my Pokemon stance. Of course, those boys have long outgrown any desire to be associated with Pokemon memorabilia, the Power Ranger collection is safely tucked in the attic, and the Bionicle tote has become a good place to stash just about anything in its convenient spot between the bed and the wall. However, that question presented to me last night did cause me to step back and ponder my role as a parent. Have I done it perfectly? Nope. Have I overreacted when it comes to protecting my kids? Probably. I can only hope that they see through my mistakes to find a mom that just wanted to shield them from every evil this world has to offer for as long as she could... even if she thought that evil might be in the form of funky-eyed monsters with their pictures on trading cards.
