We Wonder Why Our Kids Can't Sit Still

I have read many blogs disparaging Dora. Believe me I am not in love with the tyke too much either but for an entirely different reason. Now when I was a kid, (uh oh, did I just say that, am I becoming my mom?) we had Sesame Street, Electric Company, 3,2,1 Contact for the learning crowd, Tom & Jerry and at the end of my toon years the Disney afternoon Ducktales etc. None of these shows encourages me to yell at my television as loud as I could or to get out of my sit and wiggle. I was supposed to sit and learn or sit and watch and laugh. I wasn't called a couch potato for nothing. After I was done watching my afternoon tv, I was supposed to go outside to play and then come in, have dinner and do my homework. Sound familiar?

Ok, now. My son watched Barney (cringe) and Blues Clues, Dora, Diego, The Wiggles. I am pretty sure there is one or two I forgot. Thankfully Thomas was a stationary show as that was his favorite and on permanent repeat (ha ha ha STATIONary show get it) I know I am hysterical. Anyway... these shows tell our children to stand up and yell at the TV. "Have you seen my dog Blue?" "When you see a rock coming say 'Salta!'" "No LOUDER!" Come on, why do our children call out in class? If someone asks a question they have been yelling it back since they could answer the TV? We've been teaching them to do it. DOH! I think somebody made a mistake somewhere.

Also, the Wiggles and Barney, and Lazy Town, all that moving, jumping and dancing, no one EVER sits still. How can we expect a child to sit still when they have never sat still through a TV program.

I am not saying this shows don't serve a purpose. Somewhere someone's Spanish teacher asked their class, "Does anyone know the the Spanish word for jump?" And a student leaped out of their seat and shouted SALTA!!! Thanks Dora!