She has no problem with any of the Disney villains she has seen thus far, she laughs in the face of animated monsters, and she sings along happily with Jack the Pumpkin King, so what was it that sent our two-year-old running to us in utter terror repeating the panicked words "There's a scary guy!" over and over? -- the conductor on Fantasia. I don't know if it's the darkness that surrounds him, or the way he raises his arms to begin the musical number, but there is something about that conductor that she does not like. She saw the show over three weeks ago, yet when her sister suggested listening to it while getting ready for bed tonight, she went into a rage, "No, we are NOT watching Fantasia! There's a scary guy!"
As adults, we expect kids to be afraid of various scary things that are in movies or on TV, but sometimes, random things just set them off. My friend called to tell me the other day about how her little boy became disturbed during an episode of Team Umizoomi when a little girl changed into a butterfly. These little moments remind us that kids take what they are watching very seriously at a young age, which emphasizes the importance of limiting and monitoring kids' TV time. Also, though, children's reactions to things they see on TV can provide insight and opportunities to teach them. As we unravel the mystery of the scary conductor, I hope my little girl can learn not only what a conductor does (and that it isn't terrifying), but also that she can come to mom and dad with things that bother her to gain help and understanding -- not to mention lots of support, hugs and kisses.
Family Films
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