Toddler Television

Friday:
   While I am babysitting my youngest charge, Nick Jr. is on TV. I understand that it is educational, and some of the programs I have no problems with. But Wow Wow Wubbsy is not one of them. Within ten minutes of this show starting, I am fully prepared to slit my wrists. With a butter knife if necessary. It is the worst kind of silly.

   There are some very amazing things happening in between the shows, however. One day I witnessed a sign language lesson, about feelings. Fascinating! And I have seen lessons about art as well. One day it was about that artist who painted with dots. I can't remember his name. The moose on Nick Jr was in a museum, and pointed out his paintings. Then he explained about how they were made. And that this style of art was called pointillism. "Can you say pointillism, boys and girls?" It blew my mind.

   There is a little cartoon Chinese girl teaching Chinese words for common things like a ball, hat, and circle. I have seen on Blues Clues, both Steve and Joe using sign language as they speak. This is amazing, and I am impressed by most I have seen.

   When the little princess is napping, however, it's my TV time. I can watch my cooking shows or whatever else I want to. I also get to knit at nap time. Today, she didn't nap until twenty minutes before her daddy came to get her. Poor little thing didn't wake up when he came in, not even when he took her out of my arms. She was really dead asleep.

   What is disturbing to me is that I am learning the songs of these shows. Malia is impressed that I can sing the songs on Blues Clues. It is currently high seas month, and all the in-between-shows stuff is about the sea, and sometimes pirates. I have even learned the Pirate song. Someone help me, before I lose my mind!


Monday:
   Today, I was there early, so I got to see some shows I don't usually catch. I caught the end of Bubble Guppies, I think it's called? It was pretty good. I got to see two episodes each of Go, Diego, Go, and The Backyardigans. They were interesting. It was good to learn about different animals with Diego. Today we saw jaguars and llamas. I was only there for two hours today, so that was all I got to see.


   What I like best is that there are no commercials for products on Nick Jr. It's all about the educational shows. I like that. When my kids were little, especially the oldest one, all there was was Sesame Street, and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. There were a few others, but these were all she watched. The rest of the time, she watched regular TV with me. And Saturday morning cartoons, of course. It doesn't seem to have done her any harm! Only time will tell how well the current crop of little ones will grow up. I hope I get to see it.