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lls_mutantWell, I've officially broken down.
The American Pediatric Academy recommends absolutely no TV- not even Seseme Street- for kids before two. But darn it, a day is really long, and I have officially broken down and allowed Sesame Street. Toby is already SO into Elmo, and he loves watching it, and I sit down and cuddle with him as we watch, and damn it- it's Seseme Street. I watched it when I was under 2 and I turned out fine :P In fact, I very rarely watch TV. (Well, I didn't too much. We watch more now. But it's much more couply than reading books.)
Anyway. I always remembered the Muppets as being very "grown up", but I'd forgotten that Sesame Street was as well. Cookie Monster cracked me up today, saying that he was going to draw the cookie on the paper so "I can eat cookie, and you can have educational information. It's a win-win situation." Cookie Monster using corporate jargon made me nearly keel over laughing.
But what I've always liked about Sesame Street is that it doesn't talk down to kids. I'm all for preaching that peoples is peoples (to quote Pete from Muppets Take Manhattan), and that race/physical ability/economic level/whatever else doesn't affect the worth or validity of a person. But I don't like the "we're all okay!" message. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe a child builds self-esteem by accomplishing things, not just by being "okay". (I don't believe in the extreme, mind you, where a child must be only accomplishments. But I do believe in hard work.) Anyway, yesterday Ernie actually said he was contemplating his toes. Not thinking about- contemplating. And they didn't define it- the kid had to figure it out from context (or ask someone). I think that's great. It challenges kids instead of patronizing them.
Wow. My entire f-list is probably talking about Heroes or Supernatural or BSG, and me? I'm talking about Sesame Street.
I so need a life.
The American Pediatric Academy recommends absolutely no TV- not even Seseme Street- for kids before two. But darn it, a day is really long, and I have officially broken down and allowed Sesame Street. Toby is already SO into Elmo, and he loves watching it, and I sit down and cuddle with him as we watch, and damn it- it's Seseme Street. I watched it when I was under 2 and I turned out fine :P In fact, I very rarely watch TV. (Well, I didn't too much. We watch more now. But it's much more couply than reading books.)
Anyway. I always remembered the Muppets as being very "grown up", but I'd forgotten that Sesame Street was as well. Cookie Monster cracked me up today, saying that he was going to draw the cookie on the paper so "I can eat cookie, and you can have educational information. It's a win-win situation." Cookie Monster using corporate jargon made me nearly keel over laughing.
But what I've always liked about Sesame Street is that it doesn't talk down to kids. I'm all for preaching that peoples is peoples (to quote Pete from Muppets Take Manhattan), and that race/physical ability/economic level/whatever else doesn't affect the worth or validity of a person. But I don't like the "we're all okay!" message. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe a child builds self-esteem by accomplishing things, not just by being "okay". (I don't believe in the extreme, mind you, where a child must be only accomplishments. But I do believe in hard work.) Anyway, yesterday Ernie actually said he was contemplating his toes. Not thinking about- contemplating. And they didn't define it- the kid had to figure it out from context (or ask someone). I think that's great. It challenges kids instead of patronizing them.
Wow. My entire f-list is probably talking about Heroes or Supernatural or BSG, and me? I'm talking about Sesame Street.
I so need a life.
