Good Guys, Bad Guys

Television and movie themes feature many superheroes who are irresistible to children. In these stories, there is a stark distinction between good and evil characters, and it seems that they always resort to fighting to settle problems.

It is common for preschoolers’ play to center on themes of good and bad, friends and enemies, and even weapons of destruction. Through their play, they are working hard to figure out the difference between right and wrong, to understand rules, make sense of moral and social issues, and deepen their understanding of themselves and their place in the world. Preschoolers also use play to express their aggressive or frightening feelings.

In trying to understand and support your child’s need to express himself through safe, creative play relax and try not to overreact. Extend your child’s play by suggesting additions of building homes, creating costumes, writing stories, illustrating their storybooks, and finding ways to resolve the conflict without using weapons or violence.

The impact of superheroes depends a lot on how much time children spend watching television and videos. If you watch programs with your child and talk about the characters and their actions, you can help keep superhero tactics in perspective. You may also begin reading stories to your child about peaceful, real-life heroes like Johnny Appleseed or personal family history stories of heroes from your past. My Grandson loves to hear the story of “The Shoes” about a Great-Grandfather (who also has the same name) who escaped from being a prisoner of Johnston’s army when they were on their way to Salt Lake City so he could relay the plans of the army to Brigham Young. He was freezing to death as he ran barefoot on a cold, January night in Wyoming away from the searching soldiers. He prayed and asked the Lord for a coat and pair of socks to help him through the night and straightway stumbled over a coat in his path with a pair of socks in the pocket.

With careful adult guidance and lots of discussions, children can understand the difference between superhero fantasy battles against the bad guys and how ordinary human beings deal with the evils we encounter in the real world.