''Honey, We're Killing the Kids'' is a
BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, covering all genres including animation, comedy, cur ...
television series in which parents are shown the consequences of poor parenting. The program shows
computer-generated images and technology of what their children may look like as adults if they continue with their present life-style, dietary and exercise habits. It was also adapted for the American network
TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
in 2007.
Format
First, a family with issues relating to their parenting, dietary and exercise habits is introduced. Then, the children are examined by physicians and psychologists, and every aspect of their eating habits and physical activity is analysed by an expert team. Then, the parents are shown what their children may look like by taking present-day photos of them and age-progressing the photos with a computer year by year until age forty. The parents are frequently brought to tears when presented with the likelihood of their children's unhappy future appearance and significantly reduced life expectancy.
Some traits are exaggerated for effect. Highly variable traits such as clothes, hairstyles, jewelry, eyeglasses, facial hair, and so forth are added to the computer generated images based on guesses by the show at the social and educational impact current poor parenting may have on the children's future lives. These guesses at highly variable traits are swayed depending on the outcome predicted by the show's child experts based upon the likely life expectancy, state of health and emotional stability of the children. Bad haircuts and glasses may be used for the previous version while the finished version has the computer generated images smiling and wearing a suit. Another example, in the premier TLC episode, an eight-year-old boy was given a
mullet, an earring, nerdy-looking eyeglasses, and a
soul patch at age fifteen. In another episode, an eight-year-old girl was given a bad case of acne as she went through her teenage years.
Rosacea
Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that typically affects the face. It results in redness, pimples, swelling, and small and superficial dilated blood vessels. Often, the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin are most involved. A red, enlarg ...
, obesity, tooth decay, and hair loss also seem to be common ailments added to the age-progression. These guesses at personal traits are present in all episodes to dramatise the harmful physical, emotional effects of a poor diet and poor parenting, and the major impact the show's experts say these are likely to have on the children's future well being.
The show follows families' home lives for a period of four weeks. During this period they follow a manual of instructions written by experts including a child psychologist, a fitness expert and a dietician. At weekly interventions to this regime they are criticized by the show's host and given three new 'rules' targeted at each family specifically, to help them be better parents. Rules have been primarily aimed at the children, including both diet and exercise, but there have also been a couple of rules for adults, such as giving up smoking (and in one case going back to university). Practices such as "Home Cooking" and "Get Active" have been introduced, as well as recommendations aimed at fostering emotional stability such as "Honey Time", a practice encouraged where the parents set aside time before bedtime, to praise positive things their children have done that day.
It is generally accepted that positive reward and praise of children is likely to enhance their social and educational chances in later life, by making them more confident and emotionally secure.
Many families are from socially deprived backgrounds and derive significant benefit from simple improvements in diet. The show also features many second families or
blended families reflecting widespread social upheaval and change in traditional modes of parenting, and focusing on the dilemmas of stepparents and stepchildren.
Despite the arguably exaggerated computer generated images, the show has contributed to a widespread public debate about parenting which has included the television series
Jamie's School Dinners
''Jamie's School Dinners'' is a four-episode documentary series that was broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 23 February to 16 March 2005. The series was recorded from Spring to Winter of 2004 and featured British celebrity chef ...
initiated by
Jamie Oliver
James Trevor Oliver MBE OSI (born 27 May 1975) is an English chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. He is known for his casual approach to cuisine, which has led him to front numerous television shows and open many restaurants.
Oliver reac ...
in the UK. The Ukrainian version of the show was infamous for an episode featuring a boy named Sasha Fokin.
International versions
Legend:
Currently airing
No longer airing
Upcoming version
Critical reception
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. rated the show 3 out of 5 stars, stating that it "has all the annoying elements of a reality show: constant replaying of dramatic moments, meetings in an eerie gothic mansion, editing that may not tell the whole story, and a pat ending. But...the show aims to help real families who struggle with real problems. And to this end, the show does a good job promoting healthy ideas while staying away from labeling kids as 'fat' or 'lazy'. They also described the show as
''a diet makeover show in a
Supernanny
''Supernanny'' is a British reality television programme about parents struggling with their children's behaviour, mealtime, potty training, etc. The show features professional nanny Jo Frost, who devotes each episode to helping a family wh ...
format." Pop Matters was less favorable, writing that it "combines ''
Dr. Phil''s self-scourging pap with the sight of chubby children being deprived of the things they love".
References
External links
*
* {{cite web , title=Honey, We're Killing the Kids - Episode guide , url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mvr0/episodes/guide , website=BBC Three , access-date=20 January 2019
2005 British television series debuts
BBC television documentaries
Health education in the United Kingdom
Health information television series
Television series about children