Toddler Television Woes

Little Scribe's third viewing of "Curious George" in the past two days (due to a nasty case of the stomach flu that incapacitated him for a while) has me wondering if now is the time to find a toddler television show that he can watch once a week.

My husband and I followed the "no T.V. until age two" rule pretty well, except for special occasions like if I was sick, we were in a hotel room trying to get ready to leave or pack, or just recently whenever he was sick. We even completely avoided anything starting with the word, "Baby" and ending with the name of a famous composer, writer, or scientist.

Now since he's past age two, it would certainly be convenient to let him watch an episode of "Blues Clues" once a week so I could do some research on the computer or check email (which takes up my writing time) or cook more in the kitchen (my New Year's resolution) or, shock of all shocks, maybe even fold some laundry.

But, is watching that much television at this age good for him? Will I ruin all that I set out to do when I limited his television viewing to once every couple of months or so? Will I hinder his love for "stories" and books?

I guess once a week isn't all that bad. (Of course, I was even thinking twice a week.) I need to do some research on it. The last thing I want to teach him is to "watch television" instead of the learning what the shows are trying to teach him.

Any ideas? Please email me!

And now, back to Miss Plushbottom in her bathtub. If you've watched the movie, "Curious George" as much as I have, you'll know what I'm talking about. (I love that character's name, by the way. Has anyone noticed the "Tiffany & Co." paint color along her apartment's trim and on her door? Nice touch by the animators. It really adds to her character.)

I guess if Little Scribe has to love a movie, "Curious George" is, in my opinion, the best one out there for his age group. Great dialogue, unique story idea, and animation that really plays off the book's original illustrations. And it is, of course, based on one of the most beloved children's books of all time.

Other friends' kids loved the movie, "Cars," but I was very disappointed with the story. It was way too similar to the Michael J. Fox classic, "Doc Hollywood" (a particular favorite of mine, however.) Pixar, once a great innovator in story for animation, let me down with "Cars." Plus, I felt that the movie itself was for an older childhood crowd, and not for toddlers. That crash scene in the beginning is loud and scary! Little Scribe can barely handle when George tumbles to the ground inside the brontosaurus skeleton scene in "Curious George", and he's watched it upteen times. So I'm waiting to let him watch "Cars" for an indefinite amount of time. (Not too big of a fan of the Nascar scene, to be quite honest, either.)

Little Scribe's other favorite films are "Mary Poppins" and the newly introduced "Bambi" (first watched yesterday and extremely edited due to mother's death scene and fire). The dancing penguins are a hit in "Mary Poppins" and so is the wise old owl and Thumper in "Bambi." After noticing the name, Felix Salten, as the writing credit for the original story of "Bambi," I looked the name up online and found out that Felix published the story, BAMBI: A Life in the Woods, in 1926 in Austria. According to Wikipedia (not exactly a professional journal or completely trustworthy site, but a start), the story was translated into English in 1928 and became a Book-of-the-Month club hit.

My analysis? Stick to movies based on children's books! (If done well, that is. Exception is Gail Carson Levine's ELLA ENCHANTED, an unhappily-ever-after remake that veers much too far away from the Newbery award-winning novel.)

I do want to show Little Scribe the Wallace and Gromit movies someday, though. Now those are clever stories not based on a book! Give me flying bunnies inside a vaccuum cleaner, a smart dog, and Wensleydale cheese anyday!