Review and giveaway! My Baby A to Z
William and Nick love TV. There. I've said it, I admit, I own it. Since Dave and I both work from home, they watch more TV than I'd like, but it is what it is and I've stopped feeling guilty about it. So there. After breakfast they ask if they can "WAT SHOWWW? PWEASE MAMA? WHERED MOTE GO?" and most times my answer is yes. But there are only so many episodes of Sesame Street I can watch without wanting to go on a homicidal rage against anything brightly colored and furry. So new shows are a plus.
We do have some rules though. Any TV they watch on a regular basis has to be educational. This helps lessen my guilt. It doesn't have to be drilling letters and numbers into their head (though the love letters and numbers), but it does have to teach some sort of lesson. Also non-violent. And age appropriate. The only exception to the educational rule is movies, which are a rare treat and usually reserved for if they are sick.
The boys were more than willing testers for the My Baby A to Z DVD. I was happy to have quiet for 23 minutes. Except they weren't quiet because it's pretty engaging and they were yelling out shapes to the TV. DERE! DERE A STAR! At first I didn't think they were that into it, but the more they watched, the more they seemed to like it.
There are your puppets, also music, animation, and kids. They review shapes, circles, triangles, squares, stars, and rectangles. Nick was disappointed OTTADONS (octagons) weren't included. What I liked was that it was easy for parents to get involved and ask kids questions, etc. After it was over we looked for various shapes around the room and they were really into that. It also engages them instead of just passively presenting information. William especially liked it and got very excited about shapes.
But don't take my word for it! Thanks to the good people at Grimix and The Parent Bloggers Network, I have a copy to give away. Leave a comment and tell me your favorite children's show, movie, DVD, whatever, either current or from your own childhood, and I'll pick a winner at random for a copy of the DVD. The Parent Blogger Network also has 20 copies to give away, check out their post for details on entering the contest there.
I really like for my preschool students to watch shows like Dora or Kai Lan but I can't stand watching them, I think it's their pace.
Posted by: Amy | October 20, 2008 at 10:26
I've got 3 words for ya: Yo Gabba Gabba... I've been watching this with my son, who is now 2, since it came on last season. It is so much fun (for me as well) especially the "Dancy Dance" section. And its educational to boot! Check it out on Nick Jr around 11ish...:)
Posted by: r. | October 20, 2008 at 11:16
Our new favorite show around here for Isaac is "Sid the Science Kid" on PBS. Ally really likes her "Praise Baby" dvd's.
Posted by: laura | October 20, 2008 at 11:56
My 3 1/2 year old who is starting to sound out words and the such loves both Word World and SuperWhy.
Posted by: heather | October 20, 2008 at 12:13
I'm home with 2 sick kiddos today. Needless to say, I turned on the TV. Praise be, Sesame Street!!
And they like watching our Muppet Show Season 1 and 2 DVDs - but who wouldn't love watching Elton John sing Crocodile Rock in all his flamboyant glory?
Posted by: Lori | October 20, 2008 at 13:24
It's sad to say, but I have old 3-2-1 Contact episodes on VHS that my nieces and nephews LOVE. Even the one year old is intrigued. I don't know why I still have them, but it was my absolute favorite back when I was little.
Posted by: Jenn | October 20, 2008 at 17:31
We don't have TV, so we rely on YouTube for the occasional Pippi snippets. I liked Anne of Green Gables as a girl and I showed her some a bit and she liked the cows.
Posted by: Eva | October 20, 2008 at 17:41
We DVRed a ton of shows from a Dish Network free weekened of BabyFirst TV. My 7-year-old loves "Clay World" and "Picture Pad" and my 18-month-old loves "Fred and Fiona" and "Find The Acorn." I love the shows because they are all educational and appeal to children from all age groups. When the big kid isn't around, we rock out to Backyardigans!
Posted by: Kelly | October 20, 2008 at 21:03
Oh, I miss The Electric Company. I used to beg my mom to watch that when i was little. And Romper Room too. My kids all like Jack's Big Music Show now. And sometimes some Veggietales. They like to sing the songs and dance.
Posted by: Shannon | October 20, 2008 at 22:24
Here from ICLW ;)
My children also watch too much telly, but like you I'm fairly strict about what I allow them to watch.
My 3.5 year olds favourite at the moment is Little Einsteins - she adores it and would happily watch it all day if she could :)
x
Yvonne
Posted by: Yvonne | October 21, 2008 at 06:26
LOL - very cute and where can I get one ?
my twins never sit still long enough to watch toddler TV but they did like a primary school show on percussion and kids using drum sticks on garbage cans.
We watch sesame street for 2 mins sometimes and ABC playschool.
In the car they love the Wiggles ...
Here from IComLeavWe... (adoption,pregnancy loss, IVF twins)
My Little Drummer Boys
Posted by: Trish | October 21, 2008 at 23:39
My girls have a full-fledged addiction to Wow Wow Wubbzy, although recently they've branched out to Finding Nemo (SHISHIES MAMA SHISHIES PEEZ!) and Jack's Big Music Show. They really developed a TV problem during all the months of pregnancy evil, so we're trying to cut back at the moment. I can't imagine how bad it would be if we both worked from home with no child care, and I don't blame you a bit -- I've always had someone come in to watch them, since my work isn't conducive to interruptions.
Posted by: Emma B | October 22, 2008 at 16:16
We've been trying to limit the kids' TV time - a lot. They love Blue's Clues, which was the first show I found that had a pace I thought was tolerable. We also sometimes watch Super Why. I've previewed a couple of other shows that haven't met my criteria (semi-educational, not going to drive mommy insane, moderate pacing) so I'm interested in what other people are watching. Especially Yo Gabba Gabba, which I watched for about 30 seconds and could not get the attraction -- what's the deal with that show???
Posted by: cass | October 23, 2008 at 01:36
My twin boys love Blue Clues, Jack Big Magic Show, and on the weekends, Pooh and Friends (think think think) and Mickey's Clubhouse. We try to limit the amount as well, but there are days when I just say... have at it, as long as it teaches them something and is non-violent. DH had them watching Tom and Jerry in bed with him one morning..... not a happy mamma! :)
Posted by: Paula | October 23, 2008 at 10:58
I think the faves around here are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Scooby Doo. I know Scooby is totally not educational, but when he looks at you with his big blue eyes and that awesome smile you just can't say no!
Posted by: Kahla | October 23, 2008 at 21:44