Do You Let Your Kids Watch Spongebob?

Oh come on! It's 2010, and we can't pretend that we live in a sesame street world. My 5 year old daughter loves it, and there is so much worse they could be watching! Spongebob's occasional adult humor is harmless!

Yes. It is a cartoon! My 3 1/2 year old enjoys it and I even get a kick out of it! It isn't the only cartoon she enjoys, but sometimes they need to watch something that isn't just educational, if that makes sense.

What is considered appropriate or inappropriate for one family is not necessarily true for another family. It also depends on the child. If the child picks up bad habits from watching something and doesn't correct the behavior after talking to them about it, then maybe it isn't age appropriate for that child. I guess, that could mean that that even a show like Spongebob can have educational value! LOL

I feel the same way about movies. I don't censor most movies with my daughter, either. If she can handle it and enjoys it, then so be it. If it scares her, we talk about it and either she can work through it (and not be scared) or we do not watch it anymore until she is older. One of her favorite movies is Transformers. She LOVES it. We even got educational value from it!! She learned about death, a hard concept for kids. We recently had to euthanize a pet and she was able to grab the concept from the movie and apply it to the situation at hand and was better able to understand and accept it.

My 3 1/2 year old son has watched it in the past, but I sat down and actually watched it with him and their is language that no kid needs to be using on that show. We have since switched to watching the Sprout Channel, now his favorite is Caillou and Bob the Builder. We don't let him watch Cartoon Network or Disney either. Boomerang is great, has the old good classics.

There are much better programs on tv to watch than Sponge Bob. I don't let my preschooler watch it because, while it can be funny and entertaining, it constantly demonstrates attitude, disrespect, and has nothing redeeming to offer in my opinion.

I am a teacher and when I was in college we did an experiment (with parental permission, of course) with 4 year olds and television. One group did not get to see any shows and the other group got to watch shows that had characters that were rowdy, disrespectful, and misbehaving. After watching the show, the kids would rejoin the rest of the class for free play. We observed them interact with each other and lo and behold, the more aggressive and undesirable behaviors were demonstrated by the kids who watched the show. It was a very eye-opening experience for me! Now, I'm not saying that every kid who watches television will turn out to be a problem child; I'm just saying that kids pick up on things more than we tend to think they do. If my kid is going to watch something on tv, I'd rather they watch something that doesn't promote sarcasm, attitude, violence, or wild behavior.

My 4 year old son does watch Spongebob and he loves it. Big surprise, huh? Yes, there is some crude humor in the show, and no, it doesn't teach morals and values, or abc's and 123's, but I don't rely on Spongebob, or any other shows to teach my son proper behavior, values, morals or academics. Regardless of the show, the way I see it is that as long as kids are taught - and demonstrate an understanding - that TV is TV, and that what 'pretend' characters do may not be ok for us to do, then it's not a big deal. My son will even sometimes comment if a character says "shut up" or calls someone "stupid" by telling me that, "He said stupid. He shouldn't have said that."

There are far bigger things to worry about in the grand scheme of raising a child than whether they watch Spongebob. And I am ever so slightly annoyed by other parents who do the whole, "oh, MY child isn't permitted to watch that heinous and disgusting child ruining show." C'mon, people.

My 12-year-old has been watching it for years. It's funny. Yes, it's a little inappropriate now and then. What isn't. I had to laugh because that's one of the reasons I left church awhile back (and I was a very involved Christian at one time). Judgers. So sick of them!! Why is it any of her business what you do with your kid? Oh wait, she's a Christian so she's probably perfect. That's how it works.

Yes, my kids have watched Spongebob pretty much since its existence. I watch everything they watch and deem it appropriate or not. I see nothing wrong with Spongebob and that is one of the cartoons that we enjoy as a family. It's incredibly silly and sometimes we as adults need that just to get away from all the responsibilities we have. In my experience, moms who have such a negative opinion on innocent things usually have never experienced for themselves, are going on what others have said, or have never been a kid.

Isn't Spongebob rather harmless? I was a nanny a few years ago and I remember watching it from the time my little charge was a baby. Her mother put it on, not me. But I don't remember it being something that they shouldn't watch? Just curious if that mom gave reasons why she thought it was inappropriate?

As far as the Simpsons and Family Guy are concerned. Those shows are geared towards adults, not children. Same with American Dad, South Park and another I can't remember the name of. I don't think any children should be watching any of these shows. If you listen or watch interviews with the writers and creators of these shows you'll find out that one of the reasons they do this is because they can get away with so much more in a cartoon than with actors. They are now sort of like what shows like All in the Family and Good Times were like in the 70's. There could never be shows like that now, but the cartoons can push it and get away with it. I would definitely keep children from watching those cartoons.

My son doesn’t watch SB (he’s a Curious George fanatic) BUT I just wanted to say I'm sorry this woman criticized you on what you let your daughter watch. That is such a pet peeve of mine! She really needs to learn some manners. Tell her this next time you’re in church
“Judge not, lest you be judged” LOL

Seriously, you can always find someone who will object to whatever show, movie, game, etc. as being "inappropriate". I grew up, typical in the 80's, watching horror movies, brat pack flicks, and whatever was popular. Guess what? It sparked a love for "stories"-- movies, TV, and books, so I majored in Literature and Film studies. Sponge Bob is a cartoon. Kids think it is funny. Let's focus on the important things in life-- like loving your kids, treating them with respect and getting it in return, and keeping the lines of communication open. You'll gain more ground sitting down and watching an episode with a child than you will to "ban" it! I personally get tired of people trying to dictate to everyone how they should raise their children, and maybe it is time to start speaking up.

I find this hilarious!!! My kids all watch it (age 8. 6 and 2 1/2), my husband and I watch it with them and we all laugh out loud.

My 8 and 6 year olds are straight A students, get glowing comments about their behavior in school and we have no behavioral issues.

Also, I might be slow but I have NEVER heard any "sexual innuendo" in Spongebob and I'm pretty sure I've seen all of the episodes. I'm not sure where that comment came from.

Yes, there are a couple of words (stupid, idiot, etc.) that we had to tell our kids they were not to use and it gave us a conversation about appropriate language. They are going to hear words either on TV or from other kids in school and my kids know that some words are ok and some words are not.

I love Spongebob!!

EDIT: I just have to add that another mom mentioned an episode that she saw about stealing and then turned it off because she felt it was inappropriate. It was either the episode where Spongebob and Patrick "stole" a balloon on FREE BALLOON DAY and then became so scared and guilt ridden about stealing the balloon that they left town. They didn't think stealing was funny...they actually turned themselves into the police at the end to admit their mistake (not a bad lesson for kids, huh?) Or it was Plankton trying to steal the formula which is a running gag in the show. He always loses when he tries to steal (much as Wiley Coyote always lost to the Road Runner) so again teaching kids that stealing does not get you ahead in the end.

If you don't want your child to watch, that's fine we all choose what we want them to see but don't think you know everything there is to know about a show because you watched 5 minutes or heard another mom talk about it. No, it's not highbrow educational TV, but it is funny and entertaining!

Also, Spongebob did NOT premier on MTV. MTV has shown episodes and even did a marathon years ago because they are owned by the same company as Nickelodeon, but it did not originate on MTV.

Yes! Spongebob is funny and entertaining. My kids don't watch it much anymore, but I could always appreciate that some of the humor was geared more towards adults (chocolate bar episode comes to mind). And for whomever said that Spongebob doesn't have any positive messages, I beg to differ. Spongebob is nice/friendly to just about everyone, he's loyal, he loves his job and will do it just because he loves it and knows he's good at it, he's good to his pet - I could go on, but you get the picture. Bikini Bottom is full of diverse life forms and they even have a squirell, which is just about as alien as you can get on the bottom of the ocean.

Sure, there's some bathroom humor, and the situations/feelings are exaggerated, but that's what brings the funny.

I always thought I hated Spongebob til I watched it...now I love him! :-) There I said it. LOL
I have found in my experience with the families I know, that the "No Spongebob Allowed sect" have rarely watched it or understand it and they often allow other shows I personally consider more offensive (ex. Simpsons! -- yeah--No Spongebob, but apparently the Simpson's are OK)
I think the "movement" can be compared to the Obama bashing by the religious right that's going on right now--people often jump on a "bandwagon" just because that's what the other sheep are doing.

Goody goody mothers are so annoying! My kids watch it and I find the episodes pretty funny. There is nothing questionable as far as morals go. Like someone else said, it can have potty humor. But isn't that what kids love. I have never caught my kids saying or doing anything that they learned from SpongeBob. I say watch a few episodes witht him and you will find yourself laughing. There are a lot more things to shelter our kids from than SB. I think shows like this actually help develop their sence of humor AND not take themselves too seriously.

Yes my 6 year old is in love with sponge bob...my son was paralyzed in a car accident 3 years ago and 2 month ago the actual "spongebob" sent my son a ton of sponge bob memorabelia and a recording saying "Hi Shaun Spongebob here...ect it was one of the coolest things I have heard so from that stand point I am all about sponge bob :)

C.:

I see that you already got a lot of responses!

I let my boys (ages 8 and 10) watch SBSP!!! I watch it myself. They have been watching it for years - seriously - since 2004, I believe.

The social situations that Patrick and SB get into have helped me teach my children some social things. They have also learned social humor.

But really - does it matter what I think? These are YOUR children. What works for me - may not work for you. IF a fellow parishioner doesn't agree with other things you do - will you stop doing them even though they work for you?

Best regards and God Bless!!

Cheryl

Who cares what people think ? Do YOU think it's appropriate? Here's what people don't understand, you can't shelter your child from the world, especially the older they get. Teach them now whats right and wrong. When they see something on TV and laugh and you think it's inappropriate pull them aside and let them know why. My father hated the Simpsons, but my mother always let us watch it seeing as how they were not together. My father made it clear about the violence in that show and what he didn't like about it. Although we continued to watch it, we never took anything to heart. The shows never gave us ideas, and we didn't act like they acted on that show. Maybe it's the age too, but like I said, don't be afraid to put your kid in line and tell them yes and no and what's right and wrong. Maybe the problem is that kids like to repeat what they see...at a certain age they grow out of that and maybe that's when you can give them for leniency on what they are around. It's up to you, but don't let another mother make you feel bad about the decisions you make for your own. She doesn't have to raise your baby.

I am sorry, i don't have time to read all of the responses...just fried 200 meatballs...lol!

I see nothing wrong with spongebob. We have been watching it for years. I don't see anything sexual. Must have went over my head...but i really don't believe it. I see him having a great work ethic. He is friendly and fun. He always sees the good in the characters...even plankton!

I have seen mom's on here go crazy against the show. Really? Lighten up and smile a little... it is not like we are letting them watch the simpsons!

No, I do not allow my 2 and 3 year olds to watch SpongeBob. They do not even know what it is. I just don't think it is appropriate for preschoolers at all.

My theory is tv is for entertainment. I am here to teach my kids morals and give them the expectation for their behavior. Tv characters are fiction my rules and expectations are reality.

Yes there is some name calling but there is in preschool as well. That would be because parents are not making their expectations clear to their kids not because a tv show character said stupid.

I have never caught any sexual innuendos on sponge bob. If they are there tho no 2 year old is going to catch them unless they are overly exposed to them from other sources.

I have never let my 4 and 6 year old watch it. From the little bit I've seen of it, it seems pretty crude and inappropriate for them. There are much better shows for my kids to watch.

Yes! I feel spongebob is a very "innocent" character. Some of the illustrations are gross, but none are harmful. Spongebob has very good values, is very childlike, and would never consider hurting anyone.

Most of the shows that are aimed at kids (other than PBS ones) have FAR worse behavior - even if they teach a moral at the end. A preschooler's attention span isn't long enough to wait for the moral and to realize that the show was aimed to teach a lesson, they just see a whole show of bad behavior. This is true of ALL the kids shows with actors (i.e. Hannah Montana, and the others on Nick and Disney Channel) I watch a lot of TV with my daughter, and I definitely feel sponge bob does more good than harm.

I don't let my kids watch and they are 9,7 and 6. I think it is just mindless tv and some of the shows are offensive like the one where they thought the guy was dead so they hid the body. They will hear offensive things in their lives it doesn't mean it should be acceptable in your home.

I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and I don't let them watch it, but if they watch it somewhere else, I don't freak out about it. I just don't think it's appropriate for their ages (the character can be pretty disrespectful at times). I agree with some of the other posters who have said that TV shouldn't be shaping our kids' morals anyway, but it doesn't help for you to allow that kind of humor in your home if you don't agree with it or want your kids exposed to it. To me, it tells them that you are okay with it. My daughter knows she isn't allowed to watch it at home, but she has seen it at her friend's houses and that is fine. I can't control what other people do in their homes and if she sees it occasionally, it's fine. It's not the worst show ever, I just don't really think it's great for her age. She loves the toothpaste, so I get that for her. I think she just thinks the character is silly looking. It's our compromise.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!! its not really an adult show!!! ive seen almost every episodes!!! and its not adult kind!!! please ppl get ur facts straight, yes some episodes are eh but not too much where a child can understand!! well be sure u watch it with him just in case ok!!!!

My son watches it. I don't like it personally and did not let him watch it but his dad's parents watch him when I work and grandpa lets him watch it. Grandpa doesn't like the educational cartoons, they "annoy him" so he refused to turn them on.
SpongeBob and Patric don't have good habits, and find getting in trouble funny. They talk back to authority and make a joke of it.
On a positive note, their houses and rooms are clean. lol I just prefer shows that teach a lesson or something along those lines.
My son is now 7, he has been watching it since he was 3 but I tried to keep more noggin shows on verses spongebob. I find the problem is that spongebob is on almost 24-7. AHH!
My aunts kids, starting at age 10 down to new born, have never seen SpongeBob. She hates him and has forbibben them to watch him.

This is so funny, because my hubby and I were just talking about this. We were wondering why some parents won't let their kids watch. We have no idea. We love Spongebob and yes, sometimes I'll watch even when the kids aren't around. Spongebob has such an innocence to him. He is always positive and wants to help others. He is honest and loyal to his friends. He is more of a "good example" than a lot of other characters on tv. Sometimes I wonder if parents even watch what they ban from their home. What about the message that the Barbie or Disney movies send? They aren't always that wonderful. I'm kind of sick of seeing princesses having to have a prince to rescue them or get them out of a spot. But, back to the subject......of course it's to each their own, but I don't find Spongebob to be offensive. By the way, my kids don't sit and watch hours of Spongebob, of course that's not good. We take long road trips and they'll watch in the vehicle, or when they are sick on the couch.

Yes, its okay.
My son (who if 5 now) used to LOVE spongebob... first, they do not understand all that is happening in the show, that we do... second, him and I would sometimes watch together and I would ask once in a while, "is that a nice thing, or a not nice thing?" to be sure that he was distinguishing what was too much...
At one point he got somewhat "aggressive" around the house and dog and "crazy" acting... I took Spongebob away and explained that if was going to act like what he saw on t.v. (which is not real) he would not be allowed to watch it...
Hope this helps.

P.S. "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" Roald Dahl (from Willy Wonka)

I do bc its my husbands favriot cartoon to cuddle with out 2 year old with right when he gets home She is in day care and they only do actvities (I love that aspect) and when daddy comes home I don't think it hurts to let her watch one episode with him on the couch! The show has bad moments, but its not a problem for me bc we change the channel if its a unappropriate one. There are some good ones like you mentioned... I think its the right episode... but where every one joins together to help squidward even though he is a jerk most of the time. SHows that even if someone is a jerk they are worth helping.

I think Spongebob is harmless, my son used to watch it but he's gotten quite bored with it now.
Every now and then he will still catch an episode but he has outgrown it for the most part.
There's alot worse out there. Spongebob has an innocence thats almost 'nerdy' :) but he's harmless. Like one poster said, he loves his job, his friends, his pet, his parents.........he can be a bit whiny at times however.
I don't think its a big deal really.

As an everyday thing? No... But as a lesser of two evils... Yes.

Last week we were at a mechanics for a few hours getting the van repaired and the only thing to watch were soaps, wife swap, (other adult shows) and sponge bob... SO our 3 yr old watched spongebob... But the last time we were there Dora was on.... so Dora it was.

Its not usually an issue for us since we don't have a TV in our home.
At my Inlaws (FIL will sit with the kids (3 and 5 ) and watch WWE wrestling... I would much rather they watch spongebob...

I'll let them watch it after school or on the weekends but if it's an all day thing noway.I'm glad you posted this because I wanted to ask the same question some of the episodes I find really bizarre so i'll flip the channel or send them outside there are alot more things to do with our kids than to sit down and watch TV.As long as we monitor what they are watching and set limits on TV game time etc whatever we have in our homes and teach them about respect politness manners it all goes along way but I don't let TV do that for me.We all have our arguments on TV games raising children eat this not that sometimes I feel as if I have entered a bit... zone session.

yes i do BECAUSE ,, there are alot worse things in life than SPONGEBOB .....my son lkies it and it makes us laugh !!! theres never bad language on it plus i enjoy watching it with him so it is time we spend together laughing !!!!!!!! WHY WOULD SOMEONE THINK SPONGEBOB OF ALL THINGS IN THIS WORLD IS NOT APPROPRIATE ?????? THATS JUST SILLY !!!!!!!!

Has she ever actually watched an episode? I'm curious what her problem is with the show? My kids love it

I am a christian myself and we do allow Sponge Bob.I did not read your responses but here's my input.I have heard some say it's bad,but here's the thing I do not see any violence etc...on this cartoon.Look at most of the things that are on TV now days,there's not really many clean shows out there,even for our kids unfortunately!I have heard complaints saying he cusses!Ok,well I would have to agree they do say words in place of saying bad words,like barnicles!But I'd rather my kids repeat that then what's on a lot of TV!Our current cartoons are about fighting,aliens,etc...and I do prefer my kids watching something educational (another complaint I've heard) like Dora,sesame street,etc...but there's really nothing wrong with doing something just for entertainment purposes as long as you feel it's not influencing your child in a negative way!

i had to laugh because my 8 year old boy is watching it right now. we have let him watch it for years...i feel there is alot worse for him to be watching like family guy, simpsons etc!

Hi C.,

Everybody's standards for their kids are different, even within similar circles. I have friends that say they don't let their kids watch TV at all but the kids are always glued to the video games....There were certain Disney movies I didn't let my girls watch because of the message it sent but it wasn't all Disney movies. Since they have grown up they have seen these movies and understand what I meant. If you've watched it and see it as harmless, as long as they are not addicted to it or anything else, they'll be fine.

My husband actually watched SpongeBob with my girls until the movie came out and that was the end of his fascination, lol!

Regards,

M.

I have 4 kids...9, 6, 2 & 5 months...and sometimes we watch Spongebob as a FAMILY, lol. We love Spongebob! One of the first words my 2 year old said was Spongebob (seriously, lol) and even the 5 month old will watch if its on and he can see it. I don't see anything wrong with it.

Hello,

I have a 3 year old that loves it and daddy loves the opening theme song; however, after seeing many of the titles of the programs, I didn't feel it was appropriate as it didn't allign with my values. Titles included: Big Pink Loser, Survival of the Idiots, I'm with Stupid etc. I can be totally extreme on this, but it's my choice for my family. At the end of the day we have to be confident in our choices (not right or wrong) and forgive the folks who judge (althought sometimes it's REALLY REALLY hard ;). What's right for me might not be right for you and visa versa! I value tolerence and acceptance, and the program titles shame and judge which don't allign with my values....so it's an easy choice for me. Again, not right or wrong, just my perspective.

S.

Yes we watch it, there are several worse shows out there.

I do not allow my kids to watch Spongebob when I am home I absolutely hate the show and think it is unappropriate, they are 3 and 5 my husband on the other hand loves the show and doesn't have any issue with it. I know that when he is with the kids along they do get Spongebob time. but never ever when I am around, then again they don't get much t.v at all when I am home.

I don't see a problem in lettin your kids watch spongebob. My 6 year old and 15 month old love spongebob. I've watched it with them and i didn't see anything wrong with it.

How funny! I was going to ask this exact same question. The other day my mom was over and it came on and I turned it to something else and said we didn't watch that. Then I told her I'd never seen it, and she cracked up laughing. I laughed too when I realized how it sounded. What I meant was, we don't watch that because I haven't ever seen it to decide if it is appropriate or not. And since I only get a tiny bit of tv time to myself, I don't really want to spend it screening spongebob. :) I have a dvr full of shows I want to watch, and never get time to watch.

From reading everyone's posts, I guess I will just have to suck it up and watch it finally so I can decide. I think I will put it off a little longer. I also don't think ALL tv needs to be educational. I grew up on cartoons that must be horrifying to all the spongebob-banners. Didn't we all? Oh well. I am fine. I do think that at 2 1/2 (my son's age) I would rather he watch things that aren't going to teach him annoying habits until he is truly old enough to grasp the concept that tv isn't real and not everything is appropriate. It doesn't sound like I would have any personal problem with the humor, but I want to be able to make sure my kid knows he can't copy everything. Even Nihao Kailan annoys me that it taught my kid to say "I'm so mad!" and sigh and pout and stomp. So now we are working on proper management of his emotions. Which is what you should do with any tv show, really. Tv is not a parent. And it really depends on your kid and what they can handle watching. My parents let us watch horror movies in grade school. We understood reality vs fantasy and knew what was appropriate to say and do. Some kids don't, I am sure. I don't know yet which way my kid is gonna be.

And as for the woman at your church, getting on to you about your tv habits is what is inappropriate. Unless you were asking her what she thought about it.

I do let my kids watch it, but I also restrict it. It is not allowed on all the time and when I think it is really overboard, it goes off. There are quite a few other shows that are not allowed at all in our home because the characters are always rude or inconsiderate and I fgiure there are enough things to fight against than those. If you child is not acting out due to watching, I don;t see a problem. I also use shows like this to let my kids know what is not acceptable.

Wow who knew that Spongebob could be such a debate :-) Personally I think it is your own preference. It can be a bit potty humor, but in all truth I find it funny and would prefer watching that over some of the saccharine stupid shows. That mom had no right telling you that she didn't think it was appropriate, judgmental people just want to feel better about themselves. If you don't see anything wrong with it go for it, its not for anyone to judge. Potty humor will be discovered most likely whether or not they watch Spongebob and kids will most likely find it funny. Its forbidden and annoys grown ups so its got to be great. My daughter is now 7 and we have watched it for years. She never thought the burps were funny until this last year when all her friends decided burping was funny. I like some of the humor and bizarre jokes and she likes the slapstick stuff. Its kind of like Bugs Bunny or the Muppets, the humor was mostly for adults, but the kids love the silly slapstick. Good luck.

Hate the show. But, used to let the boys watch it. Now they know if I am in the house they have to change the channel -- Ah...But not because of any inappropriate humor (they don't get subtlety) but because I can actually feel the show draining intelligence right out of my brain.

C. - I let my 2 year old watch spongebob. I don't always think it is appropriate but in general I feel it won't damage him. It is YOUR decision on what you allow your child to watch and don't be concerned about what other people label as inappropriate. What is fine for one person isn't for another.

We watch Sponge Bob and there are some things on there that we don't say. I think it's good practice to illustrate that there are things in the world that other people do and say, but we as a family choose not to. It's a good start to this concept and I imagine will be exercised more and more as they go through school and mature.

One interesting thing I learned from reading Nuture Shock (a good book backed by lots of research) is that tv episodes typically spend 25 minutes building the suspense of the episode and then resolve everything in the last 5 minutes. This may be entertaining, but is not a good model for preschool shows because the repeated exposure to the issue helps a preschooler understand that, but the quick once over for the resolution is not absorbed. For preschoolers and how they think and learn, a show should actually be the opposite with lots of repeats on what to do.

No, no no. I hate SpongeBob. It's really aimed at a 10 year old audience. He's loud and obnoxious and...well, I haven't really watched him much because of my early experiences with the show.

That said, we think the theme song is hilarious and my boys (6 and 3) both know it.

There are so many other cartoons, more than we had when we were little, that actually teach something. Like manners or letters or how to be a good friend. So I see no need to let my kids watch Sponge Bob.

Oh, another comment reminded me. I regularly babysat two boys when I was in high school. They loved the Power Rangers, but I absolutely refused to let them watch it. It was so obvious to me that it affected them in a bad way, since they'd be watching a show and sitting next to each other or playing together nicely. The moment the Power Rangers started, they hopped up and started kicking each other and both ended up crying. I turned it off and they complained, but when i didn't budge, they went back to playing nicely. But the older one complained to his mom. I was impressed that she listened to my opinion and said she'd pay attention next time it came on. She was shocked, too, and banned it from their home. She said that she trusted it because it was a kids' show, but now she wouldn't take that for granted anymore. Shows affect us (not just our kids) in ways we probably don't understand. Food for thought.

Yes! It is the only show that we actually watch as a family. Who cares what the other person thinks?!

Hi C.,
I have watched Sponge Bob several times with my kids I always try to know what they are watching. For me the problem with Sponge Bob is that a lot of the humor is what I would call potty humor. There is burping, farting, making fun of bodily functions. There is also the gross out factor. Eyes bulging, brains showing. I really don't care for those episodes. There have also been some really cute episodes focusing on Friendship, peer pressure, and imagination. The biggest problem is I never know what the episode is going to be like ahead of time so I don't let my kids watch it unless I'm there so I can change the channel if it's the type of episode I don't like. I hope this helps

I don't have a HUGE problem with Spongebob, but I figure that he'll be exposed to the potty humor and disrespect for authority figures soon enough, so I don't need to give it to him at home. I don't find it funny, but rather annoying and juvenile. He used to watch it on Sundays after church as he ate his lunch, but thank God when Comcast changed their signal to digital our TV in the kitchen no longer gets anything but local channels. If other people want to let their kids watch it, fine by me.

I have noticed that my husband's little cousin is COMPLETELY consumed by Spongebob, and he's already 10 years old. He can't talk about anything except for SB, so just don't let it get out of hand :)

before i had kids, i babysat a boy who loved spongebob. i thought it was funny at first too. then it just became annoying to me and i would try to get him to watch something else at tv time that i enjoyed more. he barely spoke until he was about 4, so it didn't occur to me until i had an my own kids that i might not want some of the spongebob words repeated. my sons both spoke pretty early and love to repeat the same silly things over and over, especially if they know i don't like it. so i have to be more careful with the shows i let them watch. now "stupid" is a much nicer word than many, but i still didn't want my boys to learn to call names of any kind because they tend to get out of control with their mouths too easily. they also love gross/impolite things like belching and shouting "look at my underwear!" so i've had to actively avoid those kinds of examples in tv just to lessen my kids' rudeness. it has really helped. plus, i just don't enjoy spongebob myself anymore. i think Curios George is fantastic!

I personally can't STAND Sponge Bob. He is more of an adult humor, and the kids get nothing from it. That being said, its completely your call whether or not you want to let your child watch it or not. Personally, my children do not and I won't let them and now that my oldest is 13 he thinks its just stupid.

What we allow our children to watch is our decision. My in-laws thought I was nuts for being so picky on what they eat and what they watch, and now there is no discussion. They know that certain things are not allowed, and have actually set up a really nice play area with acceptable movies my children can watch while we watch what they want to share with us. Anyway, I do not let my kids watch Spongebob because I feel the show teaches bad manners, but I do not look down on you or your son for watching the show. I just am now allowing my kids to watch Disney shows and some of them still I do not let them watch. In fact I have to preview them before they can watch. For example Princess and the Frog, it is a cute movie, but they have voodoo and dark spirits in them, therefore my children are not allowed to watch it until they are at the age that I will be able to explain it to them and they can understand it and not be afraid.

If you have any questions about movies and shows if you go to www.pluggedin.com they rate them and tell whether they are family friendly or not.

I personally don't let my kids watch it, but that has less to do with its appropriateness than with the fact that I personally find it REALLY annoying. :-) Do not let someone else's opinion guide you - sit down and watch it yourself, then ask yourself whether YOU think it's appropriate, and whether you could stand to hear the theme song belted out repeatedly by your child. (You can probably guess what my answer was to that last question.)

I cannot stand to watch Spongebob but my little ones love him. So I am faces with the delimma too. They have made Patrick so dumb that he's not even fun to watch anymore, anyone who can't remember what their parents look like and make a friend pretend to be dumb.... Using Love and Logic, if I don't want to listen to the show I give 2 choices and the show is not one of them. I'll offer the kids PBS or Disney show instead. We don't watch much on the Cartoon Network, those shows are even more inappropriate, there are adult cartoons and kids cartoons. So, when Spongebob is on it's usually 1pm in the afternoon. I can usually get away with it being skipped by just not turning it on, it is rest time after all.

But the bottom line is, we watch it but sparingly. We have Spongebob stuffed animals...um, stuffed sponge toys...LOl, and have some coloring books and other items like shoes and clothes too.

My thoughts are that eveything we expose our kids to doesn't have to be educational. I remember the days when Johnny Quest and Casper The Friendly Ghost would have adventure after adventure, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie would give Uncle Scrooge and Uncle Donald fits and not teach colors and shapes.

My son Isaiah is 10 now,when he was younger and wanted to watch TV,I had a problem with how most cartoons on NICK,DISNEY,and yes even BOOMERANG,MOST of the characters EVEN the old BUGS BUNNY and of DAFFY DUCK were always SASSY & DISRESPECTFUL to each other,and some how the makers of cartoons which is made specially for children s viewing pleasure think its ok for bugs to hit daffy with a hammer and after show daffy UNHURT (which makes kids think its ok to to hit someone with a hammer it wont hurt them & its funny)then to be sassy about it ,and same with NICK ,DISNEY,ECT maybe some more then others,but I noticed this and didt want him to see his so called cartoon IDOLS misbehaving in a way I was teaching him was wrong.So instead he ALWAYS watched ANIMAL PLANET ,Isaiah is now a extremely well behaved 10 YR old who his teachers praise how well behaved he is and I am constantly getting asked how I raised such a good boy,.I credit some to him not seeing such antics on the TV shows he watches or has watched,mostly (ITS JUST ME IM A GOOD MOM) lol .I cant say for sure if its right or wrong for kids to watch theses shows & truthlfully I dont want to.I let Isaiah watch NICk and the OTHER channels (I avoided when he was younger) t him now .Now that I have taught him and saw he knew the difference between real and make believe at age 7 and it hasent changed him hes still well behaved.By the way Isaiah now loves animals,and on his own donates to ASPC which helps abused animals,and wants to be a vet..YOU DECIDE.

First of all, it is none of her business and not her right to judge so don't take it too personal. She was out of line. Please don't take that as an angry statement from me, I just want you to be empowered and not let people make you feel bad. Her intentions are good I am sure just misplaced.

With that said, I think Sponge Bob is fine. There have been a few things in the past the rose some criticism but really very mild. I am VERY Christian, go to church, my kids are in a Christian School, we say prayers every day, etc. and I really do not think there is anything to worry about it unless your child is sitting in front of Sponge Bob for hours per day (which that much TV is bad period).

Just remember that your child learns most from you, especially if TV is limited. You know what is right for your child and unless you learn that there is something more to this cartoon than you realized I would just thank her for the advice and move on.

Good luck!

I have found the more you try to keep them from something the more they want it. I caved and let my son watch it as a treat/reward one day after watching it a couple times he no longer wanted to watch it. I don't think there is anything wrong with it as long as it is limited. My son loves wow wow wubzy and I find about as annoying spong bob it's a treat and he only gets to watch one episode as Nick seems to play them in multiple episode blocks. Monitor the show with your son and if you don't see a negative impact your fine. Also if you see something on the show you don't like let your son know it's naughty etc. I grew up watching the violence of road runner and I turned out OK.

I have a 4 year old son and he loves spongebob. I, myself can't stand it! So I have compromised with him. He has Cystic Fibrosis and has to do physical therapy where he sets in a chair and is hooked up to a vest that pretty much pounds on him and he also does breathing treatments. He has to do this twice a day, each session lasts 30-45 minutes. So during his treatment times he gets to watch spongebob but that is only if he is good and doesn't throw a fit about doing his treatments. It's amazing how good he starts acting!!!! LOL!!!

If I remember correctly, this cartoon originally aired on MTV as an adult-humor cartoon. Given the intended audience, we have not watched it. If we did, though, I would certainly watch it *with* my kids to comment as needed. For me, I prefer shows where I know there will not be something questionable. Why filter when there are other appropriate shows?

Kaye S. and I share the same opinion on the matter. The kids can watch it, but I don't because I feel our intelligence drain out of us. My son is only 6 months but if he wants to watch SB then he can. I'd prefer it at his dad's house so I don't have to hear that annoying laugh, but he can. When I did watch it it seemed to teach somethings as well as silly just to be silly. I think it's a good mix for kids. Especially if they are already learning all day at school. A silly show to let lose to. Kind of like my Glee vs. what ever show I'm watching on the History Channel (currently AMERICA: Our story. SOOO GOOD!)

like many others, I do monitor and restrict viewing of TV and movies. I didn't allow Spongebob until my son was 7 - and it wasn't difficult because it is rated Y7, and I simply said he wasn't 7 and couldn't watch it. He's now nearly 11 and still loves the show - but I do watch it with him occasionally and discuss what we are watching.
My kids are used to my screening movies - I don't let them watch PG13 movies until I prescreen them or someone I trust sees it first. My nearly 15 year old daughter still hasn't seen a R-rated movie.

My kids have watched it (they're 2 and 3.5), but generally, we try to keep it to Disney/Nick Jr/PBS. Not really because we have any issue with the Sponge Bob humor (my husband thinks it's hilarious - I personally don't get what's so funny), but more because most of the other shows are less savory.

Right now, our kids are totally in love with Nick Jr.
I'd rather watch Sponge Bob any day over Max and Ruby, Blues Clues, and Dora.

We're trying to pull back on TV now that the weather's nicer. Because we're both working parents, we're trying to maximize our time with them instead of using the TV as a babysitter.

Yes my 3.5 year old son watches Spongebob.

No! The language is inappropriate for young ones - ie. stupid, idiot, etc. Also, the one show I saw included stealing and then Spongebob and his friend thought it was hilarious. That's all I needed to see to say no!

i think sponge bob i funny and my kid think the same thing ,sometimes i will watch it with my kid there is some things maybe innapropiate for a kid to see or maybe disrespectul for anothers but the kids don't really care about that they watch it because is funny.

If the lady at church said she 'didn't think it was appropriate' does that mean she's not letting you make the decision yourself? I don't see that giving your opinion is 'judging' you. We are still free to voice our opinions on both sides of issues I think. I don't like Sponge Bob and wouldn't advise other kids watching it but that's my opinion based on what I believe and my value system. We all have a value system. It's just a matter of what that is. So if you feel your value system agrees with Sponge Bob then he's fine and then that's your choice. If not then don't watch it.

No, I do not let my children watch Spongebob. Although, it is hard to shield them from what they are exposed to at school, a friend's home, or in other social atmospheres, I feel it is my duty to teach my children right from wrong and model that by what is "allowed" in our home. I watched a few episodes before I decided against the "Crabby Patty Gang." My reasons for not allowing it are the following:

1. Spongebob gets himself into immature/bad/reckless situations by choice, then acts ridiculous in the process of fixing the situation. For me this is a direct model of making poor choices and then pouting, wining, and being rude when dealing with your problems.

2. The characters play cruel jokes on each other. Although, some might see that as funny, I just don't agree on putting my kids in front of that and letting them believe that behavior is okay.

3. Some of the language used has dual messages, although my child may not understand it, is it wise to penetrate his ears with unhealthy messages.

4. There is absolutely no educational value. For me, any time I am not able to be with my child I would like to hope that they are gaining something positive from their time. Whether it be a few spanish words with Dora, conflict resolution with Arthur, vocabulary information from Martha Speaks, or spiritual guidance with Veggie Tales.

Ultimately, it is your decision as a parent to make that choice. But I hope you would consider these arguments and maybe even sit and watch for yourself. I may just be overprotective but that's my personal methodology.

NO! They show made its debut on MTV. That should answer your question right there. I don't even let my 10 and 9 year old watch it. It's just crude, disrespectful humor. There are plenty of other shows out there that are less offensive.

My 22 month old son loves SBSP. He thinks its the funniest thing ever, I quiet like it myself and sometimes I've been surprised at how his vocab has picked up "luckily its good words". My sitter is against it and she's said that in my face but at the end of the day I'm the one that decides, I know how my son's mind works otherwise I would make him watch action movies with us if it was that bad but instead we wait for him to go to bed if it's inappropriate for him so I think people that have a problem with SBSP issue should keep it to themselves.

dont feel bad!

YES. I have a 10-yr-old son and a 5.5-year-old daughter. For years, I did not because I was afraid it would make them stupid, because the show looked so pointless. But my daughter seemed to really be drawn to SB, even though she never saw an episode. One day I let her and they loved it and they've been watching ever since (past year).

- It's very silly. (Remember Looney Toons? Remember Tom & Jerry? Those were "violent" cartoon series. I remember loving them.)
- It's very funny.
- Exaggerated characters ARE educational.
- There are morals to the story.
- Squidward is SO mean and devious it's funny (says my 5.5-year-old & I agree).
- Sponge Bob is so good, kind and naive and would never hurt a fly.

Hi C.,
No, we don't do Spongebob. I think there are a number of reasons but I would say the first is there just isn't any morals there. I think life is too short to fill our little peoples minds with blobs of junk. I would recommend some Veggie Tales because they do have some valuable lesson teaching. We also enjoy some of the Bible Stories dvds for the same reason (good morals, good teachings). Blessings, L.

Okay, this is tough. Spongebob has ALOT of sexual innuendoes and adult matter within the scripts but you pretty much have to be at least a teenager to catch the meanings. So really it's up tp the parents. My 6 year old niece watches it and one day the entire family was in the living room talking and she was watching it. All of the sudden my sister says "Look at that! Can you even believe that??" And Spongebob and Patrick were singing a song that implied obvious not good behavior while dancing around with some characters that were made to look like certain symbols. Now of course my niece didn't get it, but we were horrified.

I now have an infant daughter and I can assure you she will not watch Family Guy, Spongebob, The Simpsons etc until she is old enough to know what you can repeat and what you can't.

I looked into the idea of subliminal and cult stuff. I did find an episode where Spongebob and Patrick started a club. They wore fezs and did indeed perform a ritual and flash hand signals. The club: the good neighbor club. The cult signs: sign language for I Love You. The ritual: mostly looked like warm up stretches. I don't know where the subliminal stuff is supposed to go bad but SB is a sweet childlike character that wouldn't hurt anyone.

I don't simply because it makes me crazy and I've never found it to have any sort of educational value to it. There are so many options for kids to watch something that might actually be beneficial, like Little Einsteins, that I'd rather not have them waste the time they are allowed to watch tv to watch something as obnoxious as Spongebob. But if you don't mind it-then do what you want-it's your family. Best wishes!

I've never watched it myself, so I don't know if it's appropriate or not, but no one should be telling you what you should or shouldn't let your child watch. That's YOUR job to decide. If you think it's fine, then that's your business. I personally didn't let my kids watch teletubbies until they were old enough to talk because I didn't like that they say "uh-oh" instead of hello, and other mispronunciations that I felt were a poor example for their language skills. But I would never tell another mom that HER children shouldn't watch it. If you haven't sat down and watched it, it might be a good idea to watch a few episodes so you know whether or not it's ok, and so that next time you can ask "What is it that you find inappropriate" and then you can tell them why you disagree.