What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that there's little to worry about in
this Disney sitcom about a trio of siblings with magical
powers. Each episode offers positive messages about
responsibility, honesty, and making good decisions, and
characters learn from their mistakes. Teen girls are sometimes
portrayed as image-driven and shopping-obsessed, and some
mildly rebellious behavior (a girl uses magic to help sneak out
of the house for a clothing sale, for example) is common. Older
tweens might find the squeaky-clean package a bit on the cheesy
side, but it's fine for younger ones.
Families can talk about how siblings relate to each other.
Kids: Do you think the characters' relationships are realistic?
If you have siblings, how are the show's characters similar to
you and your brothers and sisters? How are they different? Is
it ever difficult to get along with siblings? Why? What do you
do then? Do you think you would be closer to your family if you
all shared a secret like the young wizards in the show do?
To casual observers, Justin (David Henrie), Alex (Selena Gomez), and Max Russo (Jake T. Austin) are typical siblings, living in Manhattan with their parents, Jerry (David DeLuise) and Theresa (Maria Canals Barrera). In truth, the siblings are anything but ordinary: They inherited powers from their dad's side of the family and are actually wizards in training, learning the ins and outs of their magical craft. But despite Jerry's best intentions, their focus often strays from his careful instruction when they realize their powers can be used for more entertaining endeavors. As their magical powers strengthen, Justin, Alex, and Max must learn to control them -- and identify appropriate times for their use -- or run the risk of losing them altogether.
WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE is full of standard Disney TV fare: a nuclear family headed by two devoted (if often outwitted) parents, tweens and teens with woes that young viewers will easily relate to (a snobby rival who lives to embarrass a teen girl, for example), and squeaky-clean content. There's little here to worry parents of the show's target tween audience; while there's often some mild misbehaving of some sort going on, in the end, important lessons are learned and consequences are faced.
If you're looking for a worry-free series to transition your young tween into the next stage of entertainment, Wizards of Waverly Place might be right up your alley. But don't be surprised if older tweens -- who will easily see through the predictable storylines -- find the package a bit hokey.
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Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
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