Skins!

Well, my daughter asked if she could watch Skins last night (a TV programme about young adults). And we said 'yes', because she watches it, her mates watch it, her brother watches it... and last night I overheard some of the language in the programme. I daren't think about the storylines that go with some of what I heard them saying!

But the thing that really strikes me is how different TV and people are now since when I was young. OK, maybe I was an exception, but at 15 I was still watching Scooby Do and didn't know 'who dunnit' either!

We are asking kids to grow up very quickly now. It seems in our wonderful developed world we are curtailing the joy of youth voluntarily. In the third world kids are sent out to work, even in the developed world many children have to work, take on responsibilities and face a difficult world in which they live.

I'm not saying I want to wrap my children in cotton wool and keep them young forever (goodness no), but the deterioration in language (in my opinion) is surely fuelled by these highly adult themed programmes which are aimed at kids. I don't care how 'real' or how 'relevant' these programmes are, they are making bad language, drug taking and bad behaviour acceptable to the youth of today.

And hey, folks, when we are old (I mean really old), these guys are going to be the ones who look after us. Am I totally naieve in wanting some positive role models for our children that are still valid, real and relevant, but don't have to be splattered with foul language and continual bad behaviour?

Maybe Skins is not the best example, I can't say, I haven't actually watched it. So, put me right! But I've seen Eastenders, and I don't think that's much better!

Right - now where did I put my Thomas the Tank Engine Video? Darn those pesky kids...