Superhero Play

[QualiTcare]

also - i know you didn't mention guns, but there's a very fine line....

in the daycare i used to work for, we had to discourage all play involving violence or weapons (even guns or "lasers" made from legos) but at the same time we took field trips to play...dun dun dun.....LASER TAG!

i mentioned to my director how contradictory this was. it was a problem with school age kids because when i saw them building "guns" they would say, "it's not a gun, it's a laser." that was hard to argue when we allowed them to play laser tag - especially when i knew they were flat out lying, and were actually building guns.

[QualiTcare]

although i think it's completely normal, i absolutely think it should be discouraged, and i'll tell you why:

back in the day, my cousins, friends, and i would play with toy guns, knives, etc. all the time and it was no big deal.

this was also before kids started killing classmates at school.

i do think it's sad that we have to discourage that type of play because of a few bad apples, but with the zero tolerance policies in school - we just have to. i've never allowed my own children to play with guns or knives for this same reason, and when my daughter was FOUR years old - her daycare director told me that she made a comment about shooting everyone, and if she had said that at school then she would've been kicked out. she took it very seriously - which actually shocked me. i've worked with preschoolers and kindergarteners who have said things about shooting or played pretend with guns and although it's not allowed at school, i also have half of a brain - so i would just tell them they couldn't do that, explain why, and forget it.

point being - although i think that type of play is natural and i did it as a kid - i know there are lots of people out there like that daycare director who take it very seriously. i don't even let my children play with water guns. i've explained to them that they can get in big trouble at school for even talking about guns - and it's just the new reality. i think anyone who allows that type of play (even if they don't mind it themselves) is doing a disservice to the children because of the new fears and policies in schools regarding weapons - including the mention of them.

[originalkat]

I dont know if you are THIS interested in exploring the topic...but there is a book that covers this topic in depth for early chilhood. It is $24.95 on Amazon. Heroes, villains, and saving the day!

For as long as there have been heroes and villains in our books, on our TVs, and in our everyday lives, children have been imitating them. Superhero play remains a wonderful, developmentally appropriate way for children to explore power, experience adventure, and investigate big questions about the world. At the same time, many adults are understandably troubled by the effect of media storylines, stereotypes, and violence on children's superhero play.

Magic Capes, Amazing Powers takes an in-depth look at why children are so strongly attracted to superhero and weapons play, examines the concerns of parents and teachers, and suggests practical solutions that take into account the needs of children and adults.

I disagree!! that is absolutely NOT allowed at my house. My house, My rules!! At my house we do not play violent games. There are no guns, no hitting etc. I make this very clear from the beginning. I tell the kids right off the bat that is not allowed, and warn them that if it continues they will go to time-out. It usually only takes one or two timeouts and then I don't have to worry about it anymore. There is lots of other things the kids can play.

[Vesta]

We're going through Teen Titans/"Inja" turtles/Batman at the moment.
Awhile back there was a big Power Ranger Hoopla, but everyone wanted to be the pink power ranger (I have no idea why).
We ended up with pink, magenta, fuschia, and rose power rangers.
It is kind of entertaining when they meld the mommy/daddy game with the super hero games.
"Mommy, spiderman took my cup"
My own DD6 got upset the other day and declared herself "Everything Girl", we then had "Everything Else Girl" and "Lots of other stuff Girl".
As long as they are not whacking at each other I let it go. Try to only intervene when they need help with color choices.

[GretasLittleFriends]

Back in the 30's - 70's(until Star Wars came out) it used to be Cowboys and Indians with full out gun battles at high noon! Boys will be boys, I always say!

Don't forget about Cops & Robbers!! I think that was about the same era?

I have to giggle that you mention Star Wars. First film was released in what... 1977? The most recent was released in May '05. My son was born Sept 04, and is one of the biggest Star Wars geeks I know. He'd wear his Darth Vader suit EVERY day if I'd let him. I had to explain to him why it wasn't appropriate attire to wear to a first communion celebration a couple of weeks ago. He doesn't get violent with it though, and rarely does he turn his other toys into light sabers.

I have a set of brothers in my care, on the other hand, who are just turned 4 and 5 1/2. They often try to play karate or wrestle. Fortunately they typically keep the moves to each other, but they actually hit, punch, choke hold, etc. I remind them CONSTANTLY that we don't play like that at my house. "But Dad lets us at home, and he wrestles with us and lets us watch wrestling too. Why don't you let us watch wrestling, or power rangers, or Fighting?" Hmmm... you tell me why.

[sahm2three]

Yep, all sounds completely normal to me. I myself have two boys ages 8 and almost 4. They live and breath super heros. Ben 10 and Star Wars mostly. I have some DCB's that are into Bakugan. My poor daughter, she is surrounded by boys. I have only 1 DCG and 5 DCB's! LOL! The only time I really try to redirect their play is if three of them are playing and two of them team up and the third gets left out. I pretend like I saw bad guys or someone that needed saved and all three of them then go off as a team. Good luck, !

[MN Mom]

My son and dcb's are into x-men, spiderman..any Marvel super hero, they know all there is to know. The first couple months that is ALL they would talk about or play. Until one day...I put on the movie Ghostbusters for them. Now that is all they talk about and use in their imaginary play. That is just how boys are. Some phases last longer than others. I'm sure the next week or two (since the new Iron Man movie is comming out May 7th) the new talk will be Iron Man.

Back in the 30's - 70's(until Star Wars came out) it used to be Cowboys and Indians with full out gun battles at high noon! Boys will be boys, I always say!

[AfterSchoolMom]

Absolutely normal boy stuff. My son spent a year wearing a Spiderman costume everywhere he went. He went around shooting invisible webs and drew pictures of spiderman for every school assignment. I sympathize with you because it CAN drive a person crazy, but I wouldn't discourage them from playing superheroes unless they're getting physical with one another or using inappropriate language.

[Daycare Mommy]

"...after 5 minutes the cow and the pig were in a cosmic battle."

LOL! I love it.

Sounds like normal boy stuff to me. My son is into vehicles BIG TIME with some Spider-man on the side. I'd just take that interest and incorporate it into teaching them. Like, "If Wolverine has 5 cookies and he gives 1 to Jubilee, how many does he have left?" or make and print out a memory game using some clip art of X-Men characters from the internet. I love it when they have interests I can play off of. It's just that much easier to lure them into learning.

[Michael]

Normal boy stuff is what it is. I use the playing of these games as leverage to get them to earn time on them. They will do anything to play them. Its called "gaming".

[momofsix]

I'm going crazy here! I have 2 brothers, ages 5 and 3. All they EVER want to do is play superheroes (x-men mainly), which of course involves fighting and weapons. All they talk about is superheroes--the shows they watch and the video games they play(at home they watch superhoroes and play marvel games on the x-box all night long), telling me different powers and suits each one has, and on and on and on...I know dad is very into this kind of stuff too, so it's his way of spending time with his boys.
This week we're doing a farm theme--they were excited for the new toys and farm stuff that i had out, and I even got down with them to model how to play with the farm, but after 5 minutes the cow and the pig were in a cosmic battle. Is this normal boy stuff? Since I know I'm not used to boys, I try to not be too critical, but this is really getting on my nerves. It feels like I'm telling them every 5 minutes "you may not play that here, save it for home"
So I'm just wondering if am I overreacting to normal boy play or. if not, any ideas how to get them to stay interested in ANYTHING else?:confused: