So TV companies are altering nursery rhymes before daring to perform them on kids TV shows now, for fear of upsetting the delicate wee flowers watching at home, writes Emma Suddaby.

So TV companies are altering nursery rhymes before daring to perform them on kids TV shows now, for fear of upsetting the delicate wee flowers watching at home, writes Emma Suddaby.

When CBeebies showed their version of Humpty Dumpty recently, they found it necessary to alter the famous words so that all the Kings horses and all the Kings men re-wrote history and “made Humpty happy again”.

Are children really so fragile they’d be traumatised by the knowledge that not every problem in life is fixable? And if not now, then when?

The reality —as I know only too well right now —is that not every problem has a neat solution. And somewhere between infancy and adulthood that’s something everyone must learn. Nursery rhymes serve as a gentle introduction to the ups and downs of life. Editing out the uncomfortable bits for lack of a happy ending merely postpones life’s harsh realities.

Research has recently suggested that we are sitting on a generation of coddled kids and that cocooning them from the realities of life produces angry, dissatisfied, unfulfilled adults.

Growing up in a fluffy world inhabited by good fairies (ie. parents with deep pockets!) who grant every wish and keep the bad news to themselves just produces adults with unrealistic expectations of life.

Adults who expect an easy ride and then get angry when that’s not what they get. Adults who will lead lives full of discontent at their inability to achieve the same, perfect Hollywood ending they’ve seen played out so many times on the TV.

I’m not suggesting we shouldn’t try to create the best childhood we can for our kids, there’s no harm in prolonging innocence in this dirty old world of ours. But censoring nursery rhymes to eradicate the merest hint of negativity is ridiculous and damaging to child development. And worse than that, it’s cowardly.

Let’s not forget, it was only a few months ago that the BBC received complaints from parents, upset about their new CBeebies presenter, a bright, competent young lady with only one hand.

It’s unbelievable that any parent would complain about her disability and request her removal from the show, rather than taking it as the golden opportunity it is, a chance to educate children on people’s differences. Unfortunately, plenty did complain and more shame on the BBC for taking them seriously and letting that influence their treatment of poor old Humpty.

But as usual, it’s the kids I feel sorry forÉ By George we give them a lot to live up to. Imagine how perfect you have to be to live in a perfect world?

No wonder that a third of children under 18 are unhappy and suffering from anxiety.