Kristen Bell Won't Let Her Daughter Watch 'Frozen' Because TV Is Bad For Kids
By Lisa Fogarty for The Stir Cafe Mom
Image via: whatsnexting.blogspot.com
It seems like every child on Earth has seen Frozen, knows the dialogue and song lyrics by heart, and is completely obsessed with the Disney film. Well, every child with the exception of one. Kristen Bell, who charmed the world with her Princess Anna, says her daughter Lincoln has yet to see the movie that made her every kid's favorite actress. And, if she has her way, Lincoln won't be meeting Elsa and Anna anytime soon.
The 34-year-old, who just welcomed another daughter with husband Dax Shepard, says Lincoln, who is about to turn 2, "couldn't care less" about Frozen, isn't Bell's biggest fan, and has no idea what she even does for a living.
What's more: Kristen and Dax have no plans to show their toddler Frozen until she is a bit older because she says watching TV at this young age is not good for her. Kristen says she and her hubby are following the American Psychological Association's recommendation that children not watch any television until they are at least two and a half so that they flex their imagination muscles and not become sedentary and used to zoning out.
But, lest you think it's easy for anyone to adhere to the rule, Kristen admits she thinks they're "shooting for the moon" and that she knows this is pretty "unrealistic" for some parents.
I love what she and Dax are doing for Lincoln, but I agree that it isn't easy. Children are attracted like magnets to TV. My husband and I even noticed a difference after we purchased an armoire for our den television set that closes so that we can make the TV "disappear." Our 3-year-old went from talking about Peppa Pig like she is a member of our family to treating the little TV time we give her like just that—one teeny part of her day.
But, honestly, I find it difficult not to allow her that TV time—because I get SO bloody much done during that hour. I know a few cartoons aren't destroying her brain or preventing her from learning and socializing, but, as a parent, you're always well aware of the fact that there are 100 other things your child could be doing that are more valuable.
With that said, my 3-year-old has seen Frozen five times, has an Elsa dress, knows how to access the soundtrack on my phone, and is otherwise perfectly fine and healthy. But all the more power to Kristen and Dax for being able to keep Lincoln from our decade's most culturally influential children's movie—they're going to need some luck keeping it up.
At what age did you allow your child to start watching TV? Has your young child seen Frozen?