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Post by cowgirl on Jan 20, 2015 23:12:26 GMT
I let my eldest watch bits of Tracey Beaker as one of many ways to discuss adption whilst we were going through approval. this was about 4 years ago.
It never used the word adoption & the programme certainly wasn't perfect.
Has anyone watched it lately ? A few days ago I watched two episodes. They covered gambling, adoption, racist speaking towards a child, abandoned child at 18 months having flash backs, being let down by parent, anger issues, remembering awful contact visits & parental mental health issues, an ex-child (Frank is now 18) coming back as not managing outside of the house & illegal immigrants
Phew !
I was surprised at the "meaty" topics
anyway its changed a bit so just to let you know.
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Post by lovelybee on Jan 21, 2015 10:27:57 GMT
And this is a children's program?!
Thanks for the warning!
LB x
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Post by mudlark on Jan 21, 2015 14:26:13 GMT
I didn't know about this programme until my little 5 year old told me she used to watch it while in foster care. I watched it as didn't know what it was. It was totally unsuitable for a 5 year old but I can imagine from about 13 upwards it would be quite useful....but I don't like the name...dumping ground....seems like its just reinforcing negative stereotypes...or is it just showing it for what it is...it was pretty meaty quite hard hitting...I think if any child watches it they need to watch it with their parent or carer so they can ask questions about some confusing topics for a young person.
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Post by cowgirl on Jan 22, 2015 10:30:22 GMT
Hi it could be your daughter watched the Dumping ground when the character Tracey beaker was in it. That wasn't as hard hitting however probably not for a 5yo not least because there is always lots of shouting.
I have been guilty many many times in leaving the room if elder son is watching CBBC and younger son is in the room without checking what is on. CBBC is of courses for older kids & I trust the BBC but of course some of the stuff is not for my 4 yo that is what CBBIES is for.
Another example drama set in first world war and 1 characters sister married a German before the war & has been arrested. Eldest wandered off but I'm not sure where the drama was going - looked very interesting from my point of view. Oh and the serial about the kids that are werewolves or young Dracula. Needless to say I turned these off.
The Dumping ground name comes from a book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson for those of you who aren't aware. In the book & earlier series Tracey is taken by SS as her mother leaves her whilst out drinking (I think) but anyway once the kid is in the children home mum never visits & rarely writes & Tracey makes up stuff why she doesn't come. Then she decides she will be fostered. So basically she is dumped as far as she is concerned. It only ever mentioned fostering & was wildly inaccurate from the little I know of SS but as I say was an intro for us on adoption.
I will be keeping a closer eye on the stuff CBBC show as I say it's for older kids
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Post by damson on Jan 29, 2015 21:00:10 GMT
My kids used to watch Tracey Beaker some years back, and although it could be sad at times, fierce at others, it was a rather over jolly version of life in care. I used to hang about on the fringes, listening in, and just occasionally, would sit and watch. When DD was being particularly stroppy and chucking things about in her room, I said bluntly that she was not Tracey Beaker, I did not go out to work hard to provide her with things to smash, and this had to stop. DD didn't choose to go into care, so I don't think TB was a role model, lol. Cowgirl's summary of the Dumping Ground plotline sounds horribly realistic. Keep your littlies off that one  |
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Post by larsti on Feb 2, 2015 15:57:11 GMT
BD (soon to be 15) used to watch the Dumping Ground and Tracey Beaker and read Jacqueline Wilson books and complained to me that adoption was never mentioned it was always fostering. I said she ought to write to BBC and/or Jacqueline Wilson to ask why adoption wasn't mentioned. She never did though.
She mentioned the Dumping Ground to me the other day (I think she had been watching it with Dash) and she said the new one was rubbish and of course Tracey Beaker isn't in it any more.
I will have to check with her now what it was they watched on iPlayer. I do trust her up to a point not to let Dash watch unsuitable stuff if they watch something together. He is 10 but still...
Thanks cowgirl
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Post by pingu on Feb 3, 2015 9:09:56 GMT
My ds1 watched TB a lot when younger, I think it helped him realise he was not alone in being in care..and the programmes usually show the badly behaved characters get their come uppance so quite helpful.The follow up series where TB is an adult was good as we see her facing issues she had avoided as a kid. Also, there is a related series with incidents from the programs and follow up advice from Tracy and other characters about how to deal with certain situations, general advice for kids and very good. I have not seen so much of the latest series. So can't comment on it, but the earlier stuff is often on repeats.
I think it helps to occasionally point out when it is particularly unrealistic but there is a lot in the programmes that helps kids in care process some of their feelings and understand about other issues, so I have always been happy with mine watching it. But my kids came to me at 10 and almost 7 ( and very bright) and had significant memories of being in care so they mostly knew the differences from real life. Younger kids is different.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2015 9:25:16 GMT
My two DD's used to watch this all the time to the point of obsession and I do think EDD in particular thought living in a childrens home would be fun. I often felt as if TB lived with us.
She did spend 10 months in an Ofsted failed childrens home and is now under no illusion that your average care home is nothing like the Dumping ground.
A hard lesson to learn and she spent 8 months of that time desperate to get out of there. She is now is a good foster placement with two other foster kids of 10 & 11and the foster mum has banned them from watching TB, she says it is a bad influence on them and she doesn't want them copying any of the ideas off there.
DD has a few TB Dvd's (no idea where she got them from) and she still watches them occasionally in her room at the FC's, but FC doesn't know, so the facination or comfort/familiarity remains?
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