Hi All,
My oldest daughter (turning 8 in December) told me that she thinks the stories on TV (ie. Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana) are real. She thinks that only cartoons are not real. I explained that it's people acting but she didn't believe me. We don't watch much TV in our house because we seem to always have other projects going on. Is it normal for her to think this? I don't want her to get teased at school.
Hi D.,
I think that it is normal for kids to think that tv is really. She will understand it more once she is older. I dont think she will get teased at school, my son never did.
Hope everything goes well,
J.
How about taking her to see a play, or better yet, put on one yourselves. Maybe for the family on Thanksgiving. You could do something about the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims. Make some simple costumes and rehearse some simple lines. This will show her what "acting" really is. She will know all of you are real people but are not pilgrims, but are pretending to be.
You might have a misunderstanding going on...
When you videotape your daughter, and then watch the tape on a screen, it's real, isn't it? It' something that actually happened to live people and you're watching it on TV.
Have your daughter play-act a different character, (princess, doctor, whatever) and when you replay it, ask if she is watching a "real" princess, or is it her "acting" like a princess...
Explain that Miley Cirus <sp?> is a girl who pretends to be Hannah Montana on her videos, and we get to watch it. But just like there is no Princess "X" in real life, there is no Hannah Montana either.
i would def keep advising her they arent real but dont worry too much. i would just show her the same people in different movies/shoes. even show her a magazine where its talking about a certain actor by thier real name in their real life. honestly, i cant blame her. i completely understand how confusing it is nowadays with the huge amount of reality shows on- very young children know american idol is real so how are they supposed to think hannah montana isnt? just keep it up when the situation presents itself, but dont go overboard.
Maybe you could rent a few videos with the same actors playing different roles, or look on YouTube for videos of the actors doing interviews. TV Guide.com can lead you to TV related videos all over the web, too. Good luck!
I helped my son understand the whole acting thing by showing him the same actors in different roles (ie mattie is suite life is in High School Musical) hope this helps
Hi D.,
It can be tough for kids to understand that the "real" looking people that they see on t.v. are actors and that making up these pretend stories is a job. All the reality t.v. shows out there don't do anything to help kids' perceptions. Maybe there's a youth actors workshop that she could check out or a local t.v. studio that does a tour? Or you can print out articles from the internet about some of her favorite stars of these shows, where she can see Miley Cyrus at home with her real house and family, or Ashley Tisdale and realize that she is actually a grownup and not a teenager.
Good luck
My granddaughter is 6 and we find she has a hard time distinquishing reality from fiction because today they have cartoon stories acted out by human characters instead of animated. Makes it so difficult for them. Just keep reinforcing to her that they are not real stories and that you will let her know if it is a real true story of someones life. Maybe learning that the tv is totally fiction unless it is a news broadcast, and even sometimes then is a good thing. LOL.
Oh my, there are adults that have a hard time distinguishing between real and TV shows. I remember when I took my kids to Florida and they saw the characters walking around. They said "See mom they are real." When you see a sad movie do you cry? Even tho its not real. Dont worry about it, I bet she disagrees with you because the kids at school told her its real. As long as you told her its make believe she will be fine.
Hi D.,
I'm a SAHM of 3 as well--ages 9, 7 and 4. My 7 year old daughter asks the same question, so many kids have the same concern. I tell her that they're actors, and that anyone could play those roles. I tell her to imagine herself on tv instead of Hannah, Raven, or any of the girl characters on any of the shows. The ones she sees on tv just happened to be the actor who got that particular role. I also ask her which of her friends does she think could play the role of their favorite characters. This kind of put things into perspective for her. I also let her know that these kids are working, and that they're getting paid to be on tv. I explain that they're regular people just like us when they're at home. She's getting it, and so will your daughter. No worries. Good luck.
