# What cartoons do you let your toddler watch?



## Eli's_mommy (Mar 1, 2006)

I'm curious what you guys enjoy. I have JUST let Eli start watching a small amount of cartoons in the morning (I'm on bed rest and need some of the calm time







)

He really likes the Wiggles (I've heard of them- I think it's a bit weird but kids seem to love it). I think the Higgly (sp?) Town Heros is cute too









Anyway- please no flaming as to why children shouldn't watch tv. Franks bean.


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## veggiemomma (Oct 21, 2004)

PBS only, here. Because we don't have any other options.

THere is a show called "Super why" and a show called "word world" that my 2.5 and 3.5 yo kiddos adore. I also have let them watch Curious George every now and then.


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## mighty-mama (Sep 27, 2005)

Curious George, Go Diego Go, Dora the Explorer.


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## user_name (Jun 8, 2005)

For a few weeks when I was on bedrest, we stayed with my grandmother who almost lives on baseball. DS loved it! I just made sure the remote was in my hands on the ready for a quick change to the 'homes for sale' channel during the commercials.
As far as cartoons go, though, for a toddler new to tv, you can't go wrong with the Peanuts/Charlie Brown! They are simply illustrated and go at a bit slower pace than a lot of the newer shows; they didn't even overwhelm our sensitive DS when he was about 18 mo and staying at the in-laws' house.
Regular programming is tough -- for my kiddo, Peep and Curious George were okay for the most part. (Though I was not too fond of the attitude of that blue duck on Peep sometimes...) It was neat that Curious George maintained the idea for DS that a monkey says "ooh ooh aah aah" (instead of talking like people do).

HTH & best wishes for you & your growing family!


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## ahdoula (Sep 5, 2006)

Blues Clues, some PBS (NO CAILU! sp?) But ok to Barney and Sesame Street and Word World. Sometimes Dora/Diego. And Veggie Tales with his older sister


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## Fyrestorm (Feb 14, 2006)

Big Big world on PBS...Blue's Clues...Lazytown and we LOVE The Backyardagans!!


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## spring978 (Aug 6, 2007)

Baby einstein


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## Oonah (Jul 28, 2004)

only Thomas


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## mazajo (Nov 3, 2004)

Little Einsteins is my 2yo DS's favorite, but he also likes Higglytown Heroes, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Curious George, and Diego.

He did like Little Bear for a while, until we saw an episode when they took a detour in the woods and there were gobins and laughing trees and stuff and it SCARED DS soo bad


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## LuckyMommaToo (Aug 14, 2003)

Little Bear and Kipper. Both slow and gentle. Not that she doesn't see her big brother's picks, though! (Luckily that's mostly SuperWhy and Word World.)
-Erin


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## jkg (May 28, 2005)

DS1 likes SuperWhy, Blue's Clues, Little Bill, and Little Bear.


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

my little girl loves Dora and Diego

Little Bear is the BEST

Super Why rocks! (My 4 year old LOVES it too)

Mickey Mouse

Mr. Magoo

Miss Spiders Sunny Patch

We kinda do alot of TV around here.









I would say Little Bear is my perrsonal favorite for them.


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## mean_jeannie (Mar 3, 2007)

Every weekday at 530pm ds watches at least 10 minutes of the Backyardigans. He cannot get enough of the theme song, it makes him dance and twirl around and the entire spectacle is rediculously cute.

On Saturday mornings we tune into the last few minutes of the Mickey Mouse Club for the same reason - the "hot dog" song is a real crackup!


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## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

My son likes 'The Wheels on the Bus' show - its computer animated and full of nursery rhymes along with a short story!

And his other fav show is 'In the Night Garden'!

Those are the two he watches the most - but we also enjoy 'Something Special' which teaches you sign language! and 'Boogie Beebies' which is all about getting up and dancing! hehe


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## Mihelinka (Nov 2, 2004)

Sesame street, barney, mama mirabell, super why, arthur, busters adventures, reading rainbow, mister rogers all pbs shows and not every day of course but this is the selection


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## imahappymama (Feb 17, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ahdoula* 
Blues Clues, some PBS (NO CAILU! sp?) But ok to Barney and Sesame Street and Word World. Sometimes Dora/Diego. And Veggie Tales with his older sister

No Caillou? Why?


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *imahappymama* 
No Caillou? Why?

i <3 CALLIOU







:


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## alllyssa (Sep 1, 2004)

Oh I hate Calliou too! He's such a brat







:

My little one loves Little Einsteins on Disney Channel (NOT Baby Einstein) and occasionally Little Bear on Noggin (which I still tape everyday because my 6 year old still enjoys it and Klara will watch if it's on). There was a scary episode when father bear was paying bills ("working on the budget" is how I think they explained it) and he turned into a monster bear - which scared my DD, but I thought it was kind of funny because that's how my DH gets when the credit card bill comes









Both of those channels don't have commercials, like PBS, during their "preschool time" which I think is great. My 6 year old occasionally watches "regular" TV and she drives me CRAZY with the "I want that" to every commercial.

We have a Dora book that makes noise and just yesterday I was flipping channels and we came across Dora and my little one said, "Backpack" - she remembered it from the book and made the correlation. I thought that was really neat!


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alllyssa* 
she drives me CRAZY with the "I want that" to every commercial.

!

My ds does this! I am not exagerating with EVERY commerical either.

He has actually started saying "I want that I want that I want that.....for Ana!"







(baby sis.)

He still REALLY REALLY REALLY wants Ponyville.









The thing is, he doesnt play with or even like toys.

I guess he sees the kids on tv having fun with them or something.


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## ahdoula (Sep 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alllyssa* 
Oh I hate Calliou too! He's such a brat







:

yup! SO whinny!


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## jauncourt (Mar 15, 2007)

We opted to get a sattelite service with a DVR just so we could record the commercial-free, gentle and nurturing, three hour daily young children's programming broadcast on TLC between 3-6 am (varies depending on where you are). Because we record it, I can be incharge of how much they get to watch, when, for how long









It's got several shows, which change periodically (when we didn't have a DVR and my DS1 was purely nocturnal, I discovered it, and it had a few other shows I really miss, like Brum, about a little car that went around helping people). It's called Ready Set Learn.

It's got a "frame show" that is Paz the Penguin (from the Mary Murphy books, our favorite being "I Like it When..."), interspersed with Magic Schoolbus, Hip Hop Harry (kind of loud, but gets DS1 up and dancing, and teaches about self-esteem), Hi-5 (loud, but energetic, more dancing, lots of songs), Wilbur (teaches reading and socialization through undrstanding the messages in stories), Meteor the Monster Truck (odd, but very attractive to little boys - talking trucks, good life lessons), and Peep (I dont' have to tell you about peep, I'm sure). Throughout, there are long puppet sequences and animated sequences of Paz, which is ideal for young children. I like that it's mixed, age-content wise, because that means my children can watch together.

Sometimes, we watch broadcast, local PBS, but I am very careful about the shows I record for them from PBS - I, too dislike the negative behavior and jealousy, combined with sort-of afterthought lessons about it, demonstrated in that show. I've seen the negativity attach itself to DS1 when my mom let him watch Caillou at her house. We do not get Sprout, though I wish we did.
I like Kipper and Little Bear, too









Maura


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## emma_goldman (May 18, 2005)

I don't want him to watch any cartoons but my DH puts Sesame Street on sometimes and some random PBS cartoons. I don't like the stuff.


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

blues clues, the backyardigans, peep and the big wide world, veggietales, seseme st, hi 5, the wiggles, handy manny


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## Pam_and_Abigail (Dec 2, 2002)

We avoid commercials by borrowing dvd's from the library,, and our current favourite is Peep and the Big Wide World - they explore scientific concepts on a very base level. You can even watch a free episode on their website - new show each day.


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## noralou (Jul 19, 2007)

We get some cartoon DVDs from the library for sick days (DS is just recovering from a bad case of Hand Food and Mouth














. DS, 24m, likes Wonderpets, and we just watched an animated version of picture books by Scholastic, "I Know and Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." That was a good one. I was so anti-TV until this cold/flu/virus season started. Now I feel like I NEED it for a break, since we've been so cooped up. I hope I have the willpower to cut it out when DS is healthy again.


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *emma_goldman* 
I don't want him to watch any cartoons .


I go on and off with the "No TV" POV, but the truth is, for me, MY childhood wouldn't have been what it was _without_ cartoons. "Saturday Morning Cartoons," "Pee Wee's Playhouse," "The Smurfs,""Tiny Toons" and "The Muppet Babies,"

It is part of the fondness I remember as *childhood.*

(And it is part of our _culture_. Culture in itself isn't bad.)

Now that I am an adult, the cartoons annoy the crap out of me and I can't stand them!







But far be it from me to deny my kids a part of my *culture*.

So I cant help it but it makes me sad.







Not being snarky or disrespectful in any way here, I totally understand the no TV thing.


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

*


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## AppleCrisp (Aug 19, 2005)

We only have one tape (yes, tape...) I bought it at a yardsale for $1, a Baby Einstein. He LOVES it, much to my chagrin. But that's all we watch.

I agree, I watched and enjoyed TV as a kid, but also did a lot of outside playing and indoor creative things; but we didn't have cable for a long time, and we had one TV, so we all watched the same thing together usually and the choice was limited, so if nothing good was on, we did something else.


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## dantesmama (May 14, 2006)

Once in a while DS1 watches Little Bear. It's pretty sweet and gentle, doesn't pretend to be educational or moralistic, and Little Bear isn't licensed to death. He's on an Orajel toddler toothpaste tube, and that's it.


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## AEZMama (Jul 24, 2005)

Oh transformed...you touched me with your comments on Pee Wee and Smurfs! Those were my faves growing up! Mecca lecca hi mecca hiney ho....

We had "free" cable, and ds loved Little Einsteins, Handy Manny and Doodlebops. I was smart and made a tape one morning of them then not long after we lost it, so I have a tape for sick days, tantrums, etc. Now that we're on regular tv, he likes Super Why and Sesame Street in the morning and Barney in the evening. They took Big, Big World off of PBS here







: which ds love love loved (me too). He loved the song at the end.

It's nice because he could care less about it, but I have him watch Super Why because he LOVES letters and it's on at the time I am trying to get dh ready for work with breakfast & ironing, etc.


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AEZMama* 
Mecca lecca hi mecca hiney ho....

.

I am letting my ds watch pee wee as they have re-aired on my "On Demand" channels. 

He loves pee wee too!


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## LindyLou (May 4, 2004)

Calliou, Sesame Street, Dora, Diego, SuperWhy, Big Big World, Backyardigans, Wonder Pets, Max and Ruby.

They only watch the Wonder Pets on Tuesday when my dad watches them. The Wonder Pets make me want to jump off the nearest bridge.







:


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## redhen (Mar 30, 2005)

LMAO to those who said "no Caillou"!

He is SO awful. I used to let my daughter watch it and I actually noticed that she started acting differently. I took a few weeks for me to realize it was because of Caillou that she was saying things like "no, thats too hard" and "no fair!" My husband and I sat down and watched an episode together and there has been no Caillou since. Caillous parents are pretty unbelievable too.









Around here (not all in one day) she's allowed to watch Curious George and Word World (those two are my highest approved), sesame street, Super Why, Word Girl, Clifford, Arthur. We don't have cable, but if we did I'm OK with Blues Clues too. I try to limit TV to one hour per day, but she also usually watches a movie with me in the late afternoon or evening. We get DVDs from Netflix and right now she is REALLY into Scooby Doo.


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

i stopped letting ds watch caillou when he got vaccinated


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## BookGoddess (Nov 6, 2005)

I let DD watch Barney, Teletubbies, Big Big World, Sesame Street and Clifford the Big Red Dog (all PBS programs). She doesn't watch all these programs every day but these are the shows she's allowed to watch.

I don't let her watch Calliou but apparently my mom does. I was surprised when DD asked me today to watch Calliou ("Cayoo please..Cayoo!!").

DD doesn't like the Einstein DVDs. We rented a few but she was bored. The only DVD she likes is a Teletubby exercise DVD. It's so mind numbingly boring to me but she gets such a kick out of it.


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## tribalmax (Oct 10, 2004)

ANyone ever watch Pinky Dinky Doo?

DD (3) loves it -- and I think it is pretty cool -- lots of problem solving and good vocabulary!


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tribalmax* 
ANyone ever watch Pinky Dinky Doo?

DD (3) loves it -- and I think it is pretty cool -- lots of problem solving and good vocabulary!

I like Pinky Dinky Doo.


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## tribalmax (Oct 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wonderwahine* 
i stopped letting ds watch caillou when he got vaccinated











Umm...can you explain this more? I don't get it...


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tribalmax* 









Umm...can you explain this more? I don't get it...









:


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## tribalmax (Oct 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tribalmax* 









Umm...can you explain this more? I don't get it...

Wait, I think I get it -- are you talking about when Caliou got vaccinated??










At first read I thought you stopped letting your son watch it when your son got vaccinated...

(I have pregnancy brain big time)


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## treqi (Dec 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wonderwahine* 
blues clues, the backyardigans, peep and the big wide world, veggietales, seseme st, hi 5, the wiggles, handy manny

this minus veggietales and plus dora and a baby einsten


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## lucky_mia (Mar 13, 2007)

Sesame Street mostly, a few other shows here and there because DH liked them but mostly Sesame Street. DS is a bit obsessed with Elmo I'm afraid to say.


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## veggiemomma (Oct 21, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *redhen* 
LMAO to those who said "no Caillou"!

He is SO awful. I used to let my daughter watch it and I actually noticed that she started acting differently. I took a few weeks for me to realize it was because of Caillou that she was saying things like "no, thats too hard" and "no fair!" My husband and I sat down and watched an episode together and there has been no Caillou since. Caillous parents are pretty unbelievable too.









Yeah, ds started saying "But, Mommmyyy..." in that really annoying voice. I couldn't take it.

Oh, and I love how Caillou's parents are ALWAYS home, except for one I saw of him at daycare, and they always let him do whatever he wants anytime he wants. It's always "of course you can, Caillou" when he asks insane questions like "can I have breakfast food' after his mom has already cooked his whole dinner and has it sitting on the table.







:


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## veggiemomma (Oct 21, 2004)

I like Big Big World on PBS, and so does dd...but ds doesn't like it at all. The only part he likes is the song at the end. Neither of mine are particularly crazy about Sesame Street. They WOULD watch Barney, but I just can't stomach it.


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## ahdoula (Sep 5, 2006)

With all the anti Caillou folks it's time we write to PBS!


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## ctdoula (Dec 26, 2002)

LOVE the DVR...... that way we can record shows and if there are commercials (i.e. shows not on Noggin or PBS) can just buzz right through them.

Some of our favorites are:
Magic School Bus (esp my 5yr old)
Word World
Little Einstiens
Backyardigans
Higglytown Heros


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## samanthasmom (Jun 18, 2006)

has anyone seen nanalan? i record it with my dvr because its only on once a week sat at 630am. a sweet show...


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## BurgundyElephant (Feb 17, 2006)

SpongeBob Squarepants
The Family Guy
Simpsons
King of the Hill

Ok, just kidding. They get to watch Backyardigans and Kim Possible (on DVR, so no commercials) and that's about it. The rest of TV time is shows like How it's Made or The Universe.


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## katheek77 (Mar 13, 2007)

I don't turn the tv on for DD unless I'm sick/headache, so, she's only watched a few times in her life (that *I've* turned it on...Da-da is a completely different story), but she LOVES Wonderpets. She squeals everytime the duck is on the screen and dances to the music. And they're cute enough w/o being annoying, so, I don't need to throw anything at the screen.

We have OnDemand free with our cheap-o 15 channel programming...so, I can just turn it on no matter what time of the day.


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## DiannaK (Jul 12, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alllyssa* 
My little one loves Little Einsteins on Disney Channel (NOT Baby Einstein) and occasionally Little Bear on Noggin (which I still tape everyday because my 6 year old still enjoys it and Klara will watch if it's on). There was a scary episode when father bear was paying bills ("working on the budget" is how I think they explained it) and he turned into a monster bear - which scared my DD, but I thought it was kind of funny because that's how my DH gets when the credit card bill comes










I remember this episode .... I saw it years ago, when DD#1 was small ... we loved Little Bear!
DD#2 watches Barney, Dora, and the Wonderpets. She also loves Toy Story, and Finding Nemo


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tribalmax* 
Wait, I think I get it -- are you talking about when Caliou got vaccinated??










At first read I thought you stopped letting your son watch it when your son got vaccinated...

(I have pregnancy brain big time)

Speaking od cartoons getting vaxxed, how do you guys explain it to your kids who arent?

My ds isnt vaxxed and yet, because he saw it on a cartoon, he plays doctor with shots.


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

well..... because ds was just sick, when he was in the ER and having trouble breathing, they gave him a steroid shot in his thighs, so i now tell him 'just like you, *eg blue* was sick and needed a shot" because he picked up a book of blues clues that was a drs check up, and he saw the needle and isntantly made an owchy hiss sound showing he remembered getting his steroid ones.

But otherwise, i erase those episodes if we record them, or change the channel/put a dvd on


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Someone tell me what channel Magic Schoolbus is on?

I have been trying to DVR that show for months but I cant find it!


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## alllyssa (Sep 1, 2004)

"Speaking od cartoons getting vaxxed, how do you guys explain it to your kids who arent?"

My big kids are the envy of all their friends







but I haven't even thought of explaining it to my 6YO yet.


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

I know, I dont want it to seem like "They are wrong, and we are right" but thats what goes on in my head and I know its a bad bad bad idea but its there.









I try and tell them that some parents choose to have their children immunized.

If he asks me why, I really dont have a good answer for that.









Because I dont belive it makes them any safer than the unvaxxed kids from getting sick.


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## JulieK (Aug 25, 2004)

We also just do tapes:

Blue's Clues
Barney
Bob the Builder
Franklin
Little Bear

We don't have cable, but once a month or so, I'll visit my best friend who does and we want to sit and talk, so I've had her TiVO Diego and the Backyardigans (which ds calls "penguins") so he will be occupied for an hour or so and that way we can catch up.


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## Ms.QsMama (Nov 2, 2006)

We're PBS enthusiasts I guess:

-Caillou (love him!















-Curious George
-Clifford
-Jakers (cutest show ever!)
-Mr.Rogers
-Sesame Street
-It's a Big, Big World

Not all in one sitting of course!


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## WannabeaFarmer (Jul 7, 2006)

We now only watch Baby First TV on Dish Network. I am not sure if its available with any other cable providers. Its a great educational channel and there are NO commercials. Each show is only about 3-5 minutes long. We tried other cartoons before this station came out and she just had a short attention span when it came to others. She would only watch the musical parts then wander off.
Plus she gest to watch her Disney DVDs every once in awhile.


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## AlwaysByMySide (May 4, 2007)

No JoJo's Circus fans? Really? My 2yo LOVES JoJo's Circus!

She also likes Little Einsteins, Dora, and has been watching Sesame Street a little bit lately.


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## butterflykisses4 (Oct 16, 2007)

My daughter LOVES dora and Little Einsteins. My boys are older now and they like the fighting pokemon and stuff. UGH!


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## Upside (Jun 27, 2007)

DD's favorite is The Backyardigans. One day I left the TV on after Diego and that show came on and I discovered I find it much less annoying than Diego or Dora. So now Dora is usually out and she can watch Backyardigans, Wonder pets or Sesame Street.

What I hate about Noggin is that even though they have no commercials, they always announce 10 minutes early which show is coming up next. So even though DD has never seen WA wa Wubsy, when they say "Stick Around for Wa wa wubsy, she'll want to watch wa wa wubsy







:.


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## jauncourt (Mar 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *transformed* 
Someone tell me what channel Magic Schoolbus is on?

I have been trying to DVR that show for months but I cant find it!

TLC or Discovery. It's on really early in the am, between 3 and 6 am, Monday-friday and it may be listed as something else, because it's part of the "Ready Set Learn" programming slot. It may be listed as Paz the Penguin, Ready Set Learn, or something else (it's pretty arbitrary).

Maura


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jauncourt* 
TLC or Discovery. It's on really early in the am, between 3 and 6 am, Monday-friday and it may be listed as something else, because it's part of the "Ready Set Learn" programming slot. It may be listed as Paz the Penguin, Ready Set Learn, or something else (it's pretty arbitrary).

Maura

http://tlc.discovery.com/guides/fami...-schedule.html


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## jauncourt (Mar 15, 2007)

I was referring to the way it displays on the program guide programmed by the cable/dish provider. Their staff usually do the program guides, not the content provider









For instance, the whole program block starts at 6am ET, but Magic schoolbus actually doens't start until 10 or so minutes after that. Paz fills in the spots where commercials would be.

Maura


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## ahdoula (Sep 5, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jauncourt* 
TLC or Discovery. It's on really early in the am, between 3 and 6 am, Monday-friday and it may be listed as something else, because it's part of the "Ready Set Learn" programming slot. It may be listed as Paz the Penguin, Ready Set Learn, or something else (it's pretty arbitrary).

Maura

We get magic school bus on DVD from the library


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## transformed (Jan 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ahdoula* 
We get magic school bus on DVD from the library

I love the library. What I dont like is that I have to return stuff. LOL

And the books I check out are good for like 3 weeks but the movies are only 4 day rentals.


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *transformed* 
I love the library. What I dont like is that I have to return stuff. LOL

And the books I check out are good for like 3 weeks but the movies are only 4 day rentals.










ds doesnt like the returning part







but we use the library to gauge if hes interested enough to buy it.


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LindyLou* 
Calliou, Sesame Street, Dora, Diego, SuperWhy, Big Big World, Backyardigans, Wonder Pets, Max and Ruby.

They only watch the Wonder Pets on Tuesday when my dad watches them. The Wonder Pets make me want to jump off the nearest bridge.







:


DH has banned Wonder Pets here. They sing hideously out of tune and that is not a good influence on a young child's ear and musical development. I think they're weird anyway. We like Baby Einstein, Backyardigans, and recently Pokemon ( thanks DH for leaving that on- now they love it







: )


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## Eli's_mommy (Mar 1, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mama Poot* 
DH has banned Wonder Pets here. They sing hideously out of tune and that is not a good influence on a young child's ear and musical development. I think they're weird anyway. We like Baby Einstein, Backyardigans, and recently Pokemon ( thanks DH for leaving that on- now they love it







: )

























Well, we're still new to watching tv, but I'll keep you all posted with what he likes. What I think is hilarious is when they have a rap type song on a disney cartoon (it's happened a few times believe it or not!







) he completely stops what he's doing to dance around and it's adorable!







:


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

me and dh hate the wonderpets to! they constantly repeat everything, and the high pitched off key singing is annoying.


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## suziraye (Sep 2, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AlwaysByMySide* 
No JoJo's Circus fans? Really? My 2yo LOVES JoJo's Circus!

She also likes Little Einsteins, Dora, and has been watching Sesame Street a little bit lately.

JOJO is ALL my DD watches!!! If I let her she would watch it all day long. i dont know what I would do with the DVR.
She doesnt care about anything else. She brings me her Jojo doll and points to the tv or holds the doll up to the tv. Jojo Jojo Jojo.............


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## mendocino (Oct 7, 2005)

We only just started TV and that's because Grandma bought DS (26m) a "There Goes A Firetruck" video. He LOVES it.

He still won't watch any cartoons and I'm pretty grateful. It's too hard for me to monitor the messages he might get. This Caillou-thing is exactly what I'm talking about.

But the firetruck video is all grown people talking about and describing firetrucks- with lots of firetruck footage.

Although I can't recommend ANY of the other videos ('garbage truck', 'semi-trucks' - haven't seen 'train' and 'plane' yet) in the series because the host seems to have lost his mind. He gets a female co-host, berates her (jokingly, I guess, but often enough that it feels mean), acts goofy and shows more and more of them and less and less of the actual trucks.

Anyway, back on topic - we do teletubbies and boobah on the computer sometimes!


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## menomena (Jun 14, 2007)

When DD1 was younger, we let her chose 1 show a day. She would chose between Signing Time, Teletubbies, Elmo (sesame street), and Boohbahs. She mainly chose ST or Elmo. Now that she's a bit older, she choses between Signing Time and Little Bear, with pretty equal frequency. And we don't do TV everyday anymore, because we've found in our experience that too much TV as a matter of course riles her up big time. But, you know, I've gotta shower and exercise, so she gets it about every other day.


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## karina5 (Apr 15, 2006)

Subbing


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## kyndmamaof4 (Jul 25, 2006)

We like Sprout and Nick Jr. Mostly anything on those channels are ok. I hate the commercials though. I LOVE the Sunnyside up show and the Goodnight Show. Such great ideas!


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## juju's mom (Mar 30, 2005)

Julia watches Sesame St, Curious George, Little Einsteins, Super Why, and sometimes Clifford.

She used to watch Caillou but when I started to hear her whine it came off. She also used to watch Diego but when she started to act like baby jaguar it drove my husband crazy so that no longer exists in our house.

J


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## ChelseaG (Oct 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Upside* 
What I hate about Noggin is that even though they have no commercials, they always announce 10 minutes early which show is coming up next. So even though DD has never seen WA wa Wubsy, when they say "Stick Around for Wa wa wubsy, she'll want to watch wa wa wubsy







:.









:

We started off with just allowing Sesame Street, expanded to include Dora, then Diego, then (mostly because of the above "coming up next" BS) we now have DVR'd episodes of Wilbur, Oswald, Maisy, Curious George, Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, Caillou and Super Why. That's enough and where I draw the line! We only let her watch 1-2 episodes a day - but I refuse to give in to her requests to watch additional shows. She has enough of a selection to choose from and it is taking up almost all the space on our DVR already...

And, I think Caillou bugs too - but DD's name is Rosie - so she likes it mostly because she hears her name a lot


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## Kothi (Feb 13, 2007)

We started with only Baby Einstein and some Sesame Street, but after my first trimester w/ #2, during which I read the ENTIRE Harry Potter series and got up only to slide mac/cheese at intervals at the wildthing, my son not only knows the entire PBS lineup but ran around the house saying "P _ B _ S KIDS, DOT ORG" in the same singsongy tvmercial! Yes, sad, sad, sad.

We've cut back again, and even allow him some sunshine now.

He's a big fan of Little Einstein (I prefer my classical music NOT set to goofy verse, but oh well) and I like the Sesame Street on DVD's - they're generally shorter, topic focused (abc's, potty, whatever) AND you can avoid ELMO's world (truly, are there an infinite number of songs that can be set to the tune of Jingle Bells? Amazing phenomenon you never thought possible pre-parenthood..)


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## zaner'smama (Dec 12, 2005)

We don't have the TV hooked up, but enjoy our videos. Elmo has been a total hit with my son, Sesame Street and Stanley (I love this cartoon too!).
MIL gave us a big bag of videos including the Wiggles. He didn't like that one at all and I was so relieved.







Oh, and I'll admit he watches Simpsons with Dad and the occasional Spongebob.







:


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## LaLaLaLa (Oct 29, 2007)

My kids are sick with a nasty runny nose, fever, coughing, wheezing thing, so we have had a lot of quality TV time this week. We used to only watch Dora, Diego, Wonder Pets, and Backyardigans, all on our DVR.

Last week we visited the kids' Nana in the hospital and there the kids were exposed to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny, which I like, and Bob the Builder, which I HATE. We've been watching those, but I think Bob might disappear when the kids are feeling better and I don't feel as sad for them.


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## MommyHawk (Aug 4, 2006)

NONE !







No TV until you are past 2yo in our house. There is just no need for it. My DC have had so much fun just playing with toys or going outside or cooking with me, reading books...just doesn't seem necessary until they are over the 2yo mark, and then very sporadically and not even everyday. My DS is 4yo now and so I let him watch learning to read stuff on PBS once in a while. But TV for my DC overstimulates them, so it doesn't give me any 'time off' if I were to use it as a 'babysitter'... a simple CD with headphones works so much better for me, and they can use their imagination rather than just being plugged into the TV


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## Stinkerbell (Aug 11, 2005)

Scooby Doo is a big hit lately

Pixar movies, always, except Monsters Inc which scares him

Pee Wee's Playhouse (we have dvds)

Little Bill (perhaps my fave)

Kipper (was my 14 year olds fave, then my 12 yo, now the 3 yo







: )


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## basmom (Jun 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *alllyssa* 
Oh I hate Calliou too! He's such a brat







:

Come on, he's 4! (I'm not that fond of him either, but DS loves "GUY-yoo")

Sesame Street and Jakers are favorites at our house. I love watching the older "skits"/songs on Sesame...It brings back memories.

DH likes Jakers...He likes to hear DS say, "jakers" too!


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## redpajama (Jan 22, 2007)

We stick to PBS or Noggin, too--for the commercial-free factor. His favorite (and we Tivo it) is Backyardigans. But he just discovered some PBS shows after we spent a week at his grandparents' house (no Noggin there, so he only had PBS) and then we spent 10 days in California while my husband was doing some training for work out there, so it was more PBS. Now his favorite is "Super Why"--he always asks me to sing the theme song (and I only know one line, but he wants me to sing it over and over).

The ones I canNOT handle are Barney, Teletubbies, Wonderpets, Wubzy (sp?)...I'm pretty sure there are others that I have to turn off.


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## jackaroosmom (May 12, 2006)

The Backyardigans! I limit his tv, but will allow a little. He always asks for this show. I think it's pretty good. It's not exactly educational, but centers on their imaginative role playing and there is singing and dancing. It doesn't make me want to vomit. which is a plus!







We watch it on Noggin and there are no commercials which is a must for us!


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## alysonb (Mar 15, 2006)

My DS refuses to watch anything other than Little Bear, Franklin, Blues Clues and Bear in the Big Blue House. We either watch them on Noggin, on Noggin on Demand, or on video. Every once in a while he will watch some of the BBC Kids on Demand shows like Andy Pandy or Rosie and Jim, and on a rare occasion has actually asked for Teletubbies (which he calls Baby because of the baby in the sun).


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## guestmama9944 (Jun 3, 2007)

My girls are absolutely head-over-heels in love with Barney. DH and I have very different views when it comes to TV and kids - he used to give in to every request of "B! [point to the TV] B! B!" until I lovingly redirected him (okay threatened) and now they ask for it a little less, but they still ask for it frequently. They used to really enjoy the theme song from The Backyardigans but that's all. Now for some reason it's ALL about Barney.....







:


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## mandalamama (Sep 1, 2004)

PBS only here as well. as well as whatever educational videos i can find that are entertaining. it occurred to me to put the captions on, from her very first tv show, i told her the words match what they're saying, so she's already sight-reading a bit.







oh, we also watch a lot of arts and crafts shows together, from DIY network, it's fun to watch people make things!

i really thought i was going to go with the no-TV thing, when she was just a babe. turns out i have a child of the modern world, she deals easily with TV, videos, DVDs, CDs and even her own computer programs - easy for her as breathing. i tested it out so carefully!! watching her every response to PBS shows, or certain videos. once i tried some Nicktoons, she seemed slightly more hyper, and i noticed the immediate change in her when a commercial would come on! she seems particularly sensitive to commercials, so, we just don't watch anything with them - or i use the DVR to skip over them. (now she'll say, "it's a commercial! skip it! *lol*)

IMO as long as you watch your child for their unique responses to the TV, and act accordingly, i think tv can be a good teaching tool. especially if you watch with them, or at least pop in and pick up the basic topic, then discuss the show afterwards. i'm a WAHM and grateful for all the short little breaks i get to work.

p.s. i can't stand Caillou either! why is a 4 yr old still bald when his baby sister has a head full of hair? and what do his parents do for work that they can take off skiing and kayaking and all the stuff they do constantly? ahhhhh!!!!! *laughs*


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## tuppence (Feb 18, 2005)

I'm firmly in the Caillou hating camp. But now that we don't have a tv, it's not an issue.







I downloaded some episodes of a few of the shows the kid likes onto the laptop, and he watches them in the am during breakfast while I lay down a bit longer and sometimes in the afternoon--he's transitioning out of a daily nap, and a bit of a video calms him down, usually.

He loves Backyardigans, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Teletubbies, Save'ums, Blue's Clues and Little Einsteins. When we had a tv, he also loved Sprout and Noggin, particularly Jack's Big Music Show and Kipper.


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## bhawkins (Jun 5, 2005)

DS has just now started to like TV at all (and believe me, I started trying a few months back when I was big and pregnant







). The only thing he really watches is the Backyardigans. I actually enjoy the show myself. It's full of singing and music. I Tivo it and let him watch one episode in the morning and one in the afternoon after his nap. I've offered variances such as Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, and Diego, but he doesn't seem interested in those. I think a little TV (but not overkill) fits well in our life.


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## basmom (Jun 4, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *samanthasmom* 
has anyone seen nanalan? i record it with my dvr because its only on once a week sat at 630am. a sweet show...

Is that the one with the little girl and her grammie? If so then, YES, I have seen it...that little girl puppet is soo cute!


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## ilikethedesert (Feb 4, 2004)

Other than an occasional Thomas the Thank Engine Video- my kids love to watch a couple movies we have...
The Sound of Music is a Favorite, and the Secret Garden. Not cartoons, but entertaining!


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## Nora'sMama (Apr 8, 2005)

DD's faves are Zoboomafoo (sp??), Barney and Super Why.

*DH* also looooooves Super Why...he cracks me up. I like it too.









I have criticisms to make about almost every show on the PBS Kids lineup, which is all DD watches since we don't have cable/DVR and I refuse to let her watch commercial programming. Either the gender roles are nauseatingly rigid, there are actually no female characters on the whole show (Curious George), the kids are whiny (Caillou), or all the babies featured on the show have bottles and all the toddlers have loveys to which they are more attached than their parents.

I read somewhere that toddlers' brains are stimulated more than older kids' brains by TV and that the images/"realities" they see on TV are sometimes perceived as even more real than real life.

That scares me.

But I still haven't figured out an alternative way to cope with my dd's 5:30 wake-ups. "Sleeping in" for her is 6:30. No matter how early I force myself to go to bed, I am not ready to face the day until at least 7...which means

TV Happens.

I guess it's not so bad...only the one thing for which I carry the most parenting guilt...







:


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## Romana (Mar 3, 2006)

We occasionally let dd watch the original Winnie the Pooh on dvd. I love that the old cartoon is slow, calm, and the cuts aren't fast and choppy. More like reading a book.

We skip the scary part, though (when Pooh has the dream and all the weird trippy stuff happens).


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

We let our little one watch Signing Time and recently started letting her watch some Sesame Street (commercial free). We had planned to be totally anti-TV until after age two, but the ST helped soooo much with her learning ASL (she's not very verbal yet) -- she uses signs for over 100 words now! It became obvious that it really was an educational and helpful thing for us all, so we're okay with it.

My concerns about TV are/were:

- replacing human interaction (so we always watch with her and interact with her during the watching)
- commercials (so none of that)
- lack of control over content (so we always watch it first without her)
- potential ADHD issues (so we minimize the amount of time she has watching the DVDs, etc.)
- mindless entertainment vs. truly educational (thus she's only allowed to watch the two things, both of which have proven in our case to be truly educational)

We also try very hard to offer alternatives to the TV in terms of her learning the same things, so we practice ASL all the time with her, everywhere we go, with whatever we're doing. We also have puzzles and books and such for numbers, letters, animals, etc. We try to spend more time with those forms of learning than sitting in front of the TV and absorbing, if that makes sense.


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## MotheringMum (Dec 6, 2007)

My 22-month old daughter Lola loves Charlie & Lola, a Brit cartoon which we Tivo. I don't know how much of it she can follow, but I love the graphics and it's so sweetly done, with real children's voices.

I also play the Teletubbies for her sometimes, although it bores her by now.

She is still crazy about Spot, which her Dutch grandpa brought her on DVD for her first birthday.

Another DVD she loves is Miffy and Friends, also from Europe.


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## Chic_Mama (Jun 26, 2007)

We are disney fans here! DS loves The Doodlebops and Little Einsteins. He also usually enjoys Handy Manny and Bunnytown occasionally on a Saturday.

If I could choose anything though it would be Veggie Tales. I even enjoy them and I love their messages! I can't wait for the movie to come out!


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## JenMidwife (Oct 4, 2005)

We have Classical Baby dvds w/ REAL music... dd loves them & so do we!









We obviously limit the amount of time she watches tv, so other than that, our highest priority right now is commercial free.

I've just started having 24/7 morning sickness, so something tells me dd might get to indulge in a little more tv over the next few weeks


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## marieangela (Apr 15, 2003)

Ds2 turned two in Aug and has since gotten to watch shows with ds1 every once in a while. These include Zoboomafoo, Blue's Clues, Diego and Bob the Builder-I use ondemand.
Someone mentioned the "There goes a Firetruck" video. Ds1 has "There goes a Bulldozer" and one other one. They both like those. We borrowed a Magic Schoolbus book once and ds1 really liked it. I should look into checking out a video to see if he likes it.


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## Wolfcat (Jan 10, 2006)

I admit it. I'm a TV fanatic







. I have to watch my shows in prime time (while I do my time on the treadmill







). But DS doesn't hardly watch TV. He's usually asleep by the time the TV comes on, 'cuz he doesn't take naps well at daycare.

I've been noticing that he is all of a sudden actually noticing the TV when it's on. Not just a thing with knobs and stuff to play with (yes, I say "no!"). He actually pays attention to the stuff on the TV... for a minute or so at least.

A couple months ago, there was a car commercial with the "wheels on the bus" song. Man, that caught his attention!!


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