I'm completely floored!! I use several different LeapFrog products in my homeschooling curriculum and the kids absolutely LOVE them. I've never had a problem.....until now. Yesterday, we were at the store and they had a bunch of their LeapPad books on sale. I found a couple really cheap for the kids (keep in mind my kids are 6 & 4). The one I got for my son was a 1st grade storybook reader of Toy Story 2. It says on the cover that it teaches: Understanding Characters Vocabulary Spelling Phonics Logic and deductive reasoning Social Skills So, my son was sitting in the floor reading along with his new book (he was so excited) and I was doing some work with my daughter across the room. I heard my son say, "Oh! We don't say that!" and he brought me the book and said that Buzz Lightyear said a bad word. I took the book and clicked on the Buzz Lightyear (page 2 if anyone has it) and he says, "Shut Up, Cowboy!" Yikes! I'm sorry but that is NOT teaching a 1st grader social skills or vocabulary....especially from a loved character like Buzz Lightyear! So, I call the LeapFrog company and file a complaint. I told her that I was shocked and have NEVER had a problem with LeapFrog before and use it almost everyday in homeschooling (in some form). She put me on hold and pulled the storybook and checked it and sure enough.....everyone of the books says that! I told her that I was disappointed that LeapFrog let that get through the cracks and out there (not only for private use, but a lot of schools now use LeapFrog as curriculum). She offered to replace the book/set with another title for free if I would ship it to them (which I'm probably going to do), but I'm just so disappointed in them. :cry: I'm writing a 'written' complaint right now to send.
OH, and take it back to the store and get your money back...... I havn't been able to get any new titiles lately but we do use the leapfrog stuff, we have a few leapsters, the story book thing, a math thing you turn the ends, and the alphabet one where you can write your own 3 letter words and it says the word, and who knows what else we have. I hope that you get a book you like.
I would be dissapointed too. I don't even like Tanner hearing the words stupid, dumb, or anything negative like that. Now I know what NOT to get for his Leap Pad. Other then hearing about this, I have loved LeapFrog toys and materials since I started teaching and since Tanner was born. He loves his Leap Pad and other Leap Frog toys and they have really helped him learn certain concepts. He also loves his Phonics Desk he has from Leap Frog. You insert cards into the desk, find the letters to spell the word, and it has different modes to play with the words, like rhyming and word play. He can rhyme like nothing else now!!!
I think they actually say that in the movie, don't they? I hear a lot of things in passing and think that isn't really appropriate for a kid's movie. Sadly, Disney and other makers of kid movies put too much adult humor/sayings into the movies. Leapfrog should not use any parts of movies that are not appropriate. I don't like the saying, "shut up" either. I never used to say it but I have noticed within the past year or so that I have said it repeatedly. I should spank myself!!!!!!! Well, I suppose it is a little better than using "curse" words.
You know, when I was AWANA Sparks director I got taken to the pastor for saying shut up. I didn't say it to any one child, it was like, 'we need to shut up and get going..' Everyone was gabbing and it was nearly time to go to the next activity, and that's what I said. It was said to me that some families consider shut up a cuss word. I thought it interesting that the child of one of these families was allowed to walk around singing Shania Twain songs, but wasn't allowed to say shut up! Shania Twain songs aren't for kid , last time I heard. I don't see it as a terrible thing, either, although I guess we could all live without it.
I think for me it's because Tanner is young yet where he uses words in the wrong context. Knowing my luck, he will go to church and tell someone to "please shut up". The hubby and I will joke around a lot and say things to each other under our breath when Tanner is around so he doesn't pick up on it. But, at his young age, he doesn't know why certain words are not appropriate for certain social situations. It's bad enough that he likes to make up his own words lately...he made up the word "boobie" on his own and is now facinated with saying it. Having no idea what it really means I bought a book called "What is a Booby...it's a bird" hoping it wont sound very interesting anymore if he knows it's just a bird. It was very embarrassing going to the store and hearing him shout "BOOBIE" really loud in public!!!
JenPooh, It could be worse. Last year my son fell at his grandparents house and got a huge piece of wood stuck in his palm. We went to an urgent care center and they medicated him to help calm him down so they could try to get it out. The meds made him see things and he couldn't stand up. The nurse said he looked like he had one too many margaritas and she laughed. Well, later the story was told several times and it was said he looked drunk. Anyway, Preston likes to tell the story of when he was drunk. I didn't think too much about it until we were walking into Target one day and he says out of the blue, "Remember when I was drunk?". Of course, there was a lady walking right near us and I could have just DIED!!! No telling what she was thinking. I quickly corrected him and said you were MEDICATED!!!!
Today Tanner said "shut it" to one of his friends. I don't know where he got it from, but after talking to him he hasn't said it again, thank the Lord!
A few days after I last posted I was watching Jeanne play her Magic School Bus computer game. It's an older one. One game on there asks you to choose the thing that most likely killed the dinosaurs. Your choices are - a meteor, a handgun and what looks like a bottle of poison! Luckily, she only looks at the meteor. Has anyone heard the flap over that Potty Time with Elmo book? Elmo's friend, whose name I can't recall, is supposed to say something like 'Is anyone ready to try?' Some people who own the book say he really says ' Is anyone ready to die?' It's too hard to make out over the television, I thought.
Some of those toys are so hard to make out what they are saying and tend to get muffled. Tanner's fridge phonics is hard to desifer (sp?) sometimes...B sounds like D, and so on.
