My Favorite Children’s Television Shows

Photo Credit to Viva Portraits
Photo Credit to Viva Portraits

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I’m that naïve sanctimommy that once said my children wouldn’t watch a second of television before they were four years-old.  Couple a harsh Northern New York Winter with a busy toddler and you have cabin fever with a side of Netflix.

Should we use TV as a babysitter?  No, but also sometimes yes.  What about when you have to catch up on laundry, make lunch, clean the house, or write a blog post?  Yes, I send him outside if it’s warm enough, but he’s only two and I still have to keep an eye out.  On any given day he’ll play with cars for 30 minutes or 30 seconds.  Painting/play dough is more of a mess than a distraction, so I save activities for when I can play along.  So when those fail I have two options: accomplish nothing or turn to Netflix.

We have rules at our house and certain approved shows.  Be warned – there are definitely a few shows that can lead to more violent or otherwise annoying behaviors.  Here are four shows we have found that are the only options if our son is to watch the boob tube.

Little Einsteins

We found Little Einsteins after the little showed an interest in classical music (thanks to his dad).  I knew someone had to have created something so I went to the Google machine and lo and behold found these four little friends.  Leo, Annie, Quincey, June, and their friend Rocket cover classical tunes along with art, geography, and some science here and there.  Our little dude will watch them for hours on end and we don’t feel bad about sick days on the sofa or catching up on chores when he’s hanging out with the Einsteins.

Mouk

Our family travels as often as possible and we love raising our son with an understanding of different cultures.  We found Mouk and his friend Chavapa by accident one day and were instantly smitten!  We’ve watched the friends travel from Greece to Madagascar and just about everywhere in between.  I love how the cover culture and tradition, and my two year-old recalls the journeys with excitement!

Word World

The little and I are currently working on the alphabet, and this show is helping us right along.  Our friends Duck, Sheep, Pig, Frog, and Dog show us around Word World – where words come alive!  Though the show can at times get on my nerves, I love all the thought that is put into it.  The friends are actually made of the letters of their name, as are their homes and everything else.  Spelling words is their specialty making it great for older kids, but my little loves recognizing the letters and gets involved in the storyline.

 LeapFrog

My son is all about puppies, so when he first saw LeapFrog’s Scout and Violet he was sold.  These friends cover everything from numbers, to shapes, to the alphabet and words.  They also have their moments of making adults in the room want to slam their head into the wall, but I have to say, the people writing these shows know what they are doing.  They have taught my child prompts and cues to recognize whatever it is they’re learning and it is paying off.

While television can easily become an enabler to couch potatory, I prefer to think of it as a tool that can help us all accomplish more if used properly.  So next time you are behind on laundry and are flipping through the ‘Flix for a little help, try one of these educational shows.  You may be surprised at what you’ll learn!

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Brittany Branyon
Brittany Branyon calls Auburn home, but has lived abroad and across the US - totaling 10 moves in 7 years. She lives with her son Jude, fiance Rick, dog Patton, and cat Oona. In a perfect world Brittany would spend her days gardening, whipping up happiness in the kitchen, and perusing farmers markets. Besides her family, the things Brittany loves most are international travel (she's up to 22 countries), experiencing unfamiliar cultures, and photography. If you want to be her best friend, simply make her a homemade gift or provide her with Ethiopian cuisine.