Strollerderby : PBS

PBS Launching Dinosaur Train for Science Kids

JeanneSager — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:01:00 GMT

For parents who have fallen in love with Sid the Science Kid (who hasn't?), good news! PBS is going prehistoric this fall with a new show aimed at expanding their offerings for our little scientists.

Dinosaur Train will let our kids hop onboard with Buddy, a young T-Rex adopted by a family of Pterandons

I haven't seen the show yet, but I'm A. loving that there's a show out there for all those dinosaur fans - and we all know there are many and B. digging the fact that there's an adopted kid on TV for adopted kids to relate to . . . even if it is a kid with two giant feet and two teeny hands!

Produced by The Jim Henson Company, the show will feature two eleven-minute segments daily with live-action interestitials featuring paleontologist Scott Sampson (you've seen him on Discovery Channel's Dinosaur Planet) dishing out dino nuggets (with no extra calories). The train alluded to in the name will take Buddy and his family and friends on adventures through time, chugga-chugga-ing to the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Can't wait? Set your Tivo for Sept. 7.

Normal 0

Slip Into Something Comfy With Franny's Feet

JeanneSager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:01:00 GMT

Her feet were made for walking right out of the TV screen and into kid's hearts. Now Franny's Feet's on DVD, a celebration of the first season of the PBS Kids show here in America.

Babble gives you a look-see at which episodes made the Franny's Feet DVD cut and why it's worth walking over to the store to pick them up for your kids:

Taking the phrase "take a walk in his shoes" literally, Franny's Feet sends chubby-cheeked Franny on an adventure around the globe every time she slips her tootsies in the latest pair of shoes dropped at her grandfather's cobbler shop. Suspend the ick factor of actually wearing someone else's shoes (which, not surprisingly, doesn't seem to bother kids on iota), and you've got the makings of an imagination generator for off-screen too.

The show itself is short - episodes are broken into eleven-minute-long segments to contend with the attention span of the four-to-seven-year-old target range. Creators make up for it with content. On the new Princess Franny! DVD, six episodes from the season integrate learning about a new part of the world with lessons on shapes, manners and other kid necessities. In that sense, it's your basic PBS fare - heavy on the values and ultra kid-friendly. Franny has an inordinately large head and strange body, but if that's the worst of her faults, I can take it.

The question is - where are your kids' feet going to take them today?

Image: Amazon

Will Toy Tie-Ins Destroy Sid the Science Kid?

JeanneSager — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:03:00 GMT

I'm not sure how to take the announcement that HASBRO has gotten the contract to start filling the shelves with Sid the Science Kid toys.

Happy my little scientist can cuddle her own bouncing blue-haired, sweet snub-nosed kid? Or sad that I have to be that much more careful opening the Sunday paper, lest she get hold of the circulars and find an advertisement for the latest Sid the Science Kid toy?

It would be hypocritical to say I'm above the toy tie-in tug. Heavens knows how many Sesame Street balls, cars and stuffed friends are bouncing around this house. Not to mention the Dora pajamas the Yertle the Turtle puzzle, the Bob the Builder coloring books. The latter two are even inherently educational - giving me a bit of moral high ground on the issue - but I'm still not going to claim to have stood my ground on the commercialization of childhood.

Still, I groan everytime my daughter learns there's a toy tie-in to one of her favorite shows. She'd been watching Handy Manny for two solid years without every requesting anything Manny . . . until someone (my brother maybe?) gave her the toy book from the Thanksgiving paper. She literally ran from family member to family member as fast as three year old legs could carry her, shouting, "Handy Manny, what I always wanted. Handy Manny!" She didn't care WHAT Handy Manny toy she got, as long as she found Handy Manny under the Christmas tree. Bless my in-laws, they found one packed with all his tools so we could at least put her through her paces on learning the difference between a wrench, a hammer and a saw.

We don't buy every toy that hits the market, and we wouldn't even if we could afford to. But so many of those that infiltrate our house - gifts usually - come in because of that tie-in to a beloved character, and they sorely disappoint. What's the use of celebrating Dora if the doll speaks only English?

That's where the toy tie-in announcements bum me out as a parent. Are we going to be stuck with another hunk of junk that someone ends up gifting our kid's way, just because it has Sid/Dora/Pooh Bear/Uniqua/Cookie Monster. . . on it? Come on toy makers, do you have to do this to us?

With the promise that Sid the Science Kid has shown in getting my little scientist to think up big answers for his big question, I hold out hope that when they get the toys rolling, at least they respect the promise the show has made to parents. Their plucky little kindergarten provides entertainment that keeps kids thinking, and it's not half bad for parents either. It's not mind-numbing nonsense, so the toys should be more of the same.

Keep crossing your fingers - the first array of games and toys from HASBRO is expected to hit shelves this fall. The big question? Will we be stocking them under the tree come winter?

Image: PBS

They Say: Educational TV? Not So Much

Amy Kuras — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:02:00 GMT

Here’s a news flash –“educational” TV for kids might not actually be all that educational!

This should shock, well, no one who has ever moved the dial off PBS. I always kind of snicker at Noggin, which introduces all its programs with a little clip telling us what sort of educational skills they are supposed to enhance. While most sound about right, if you can tell me what’s remotely educational about, say, Wow Wow Wubbzy I’ll give you a bajillion dollars.

Nonprofit group Children Now, in partnership with researchers from the University of Arizona and the University of Illinois, looked at 40 different kids’ shows. Each was evaluated on several criteria associated with the ways children learn from television.

Researchers found most programs labeled as educational or instructional had limited educational value for child viewers. Only one of every eight shows, or 13 percent, qualified as highly educational. Almost one quarter of them were classified as minimally educational, and the rest, 63 percent, were judged to be moderately educational.

Eight shows earned an exemplary rating: Sesame Street, Beakman's World, Between the Lions, 3-2-1 Penguins, Cyberchase, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman, and Teen Kids News. Half of those are PBS shows, which overall ranked much higher for its educational offerings than commercial TV. Commercial shows mostly emphasized social and emotional lessons, while PBS shows included cognitive and intellectual lessons.

This matters because educational children’s programming is supposed to be part of the “payback” commercial broadcasters give the American people in exchange for free use of the airwaves. Most do only the minimum of three hours per week, and the vast majority of the programming is only offered on weekends.

"Commercial broadcasters are clearly falling short in meeting their obligation to the nation's children," said Dale Kunkel, communications professor at University of Arizona and one of the study’s lead researchers.

Seame Street's Gordon: Precursor to Obama?

Amy Kuras — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:19:00 GMT

How does an actor stay fresh in a role that he’s been playing for more than 30 years?
It probably helps when the show’s target audience refreshes itself every few years. That’s the case with Sesame Street, and one of the few grownup characters who have stayed with the show for most of its run, Gordon, played by Roscoe Orman.

This profile of Orman reveals a few interesting facts: He was actually the third actor to play the role, and didn’t think he’d stick around for long. Previous to taking the Sesame Street gig, he was best known for playing a pimp in the blaxploitation film “Willie Dynamite.” And Gordon and Susan (who we don’t see much anymore, because the actress who plays her has a PhD and is a noted educational expert) have the longest African-American marriage on TV.

This isn’t mentioned in the article, but many years ago when the show followed Gordon and Susan adopting their son, Miles, he was played by (and named after) Orman’s real-life son. Orman’s the father of four and grandfather of five.

I don’t know about you, but I was awfully excited when I started watching the show with my daughter and discovered that many of the grownups I’d known and loved as a little kid were still there. The show has become much more Muppet-centric (yes it IS a word) and focuses less on the human characters, but I love that the adults are still there showing kids the way grownups should treat them – with respect, kindness and caring.

One person quoted in the article says the strong, kind, warm persona of Gordon may have primed the pump for the ascendancy of Barack Obama, because it gave us such a positive image of black men. Interesting – and probably true.

Political Nanny: Breaking News -- McCain Wants to Cancel Friday's Debate

Madeline Holler — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:40:00 GMT

Can you do this? Cancel Friday's debate? Sen. John McCain has asked his staff to work with Barack Obama and the people in charge of Friday's first debate between the two presidential candidates and reschedule the whole thing. McCain said he wants to focus efforts on the financial crisis.

Here's the problem, he's still making time to campaign, shoot commercials and appear on Rachael Ray's talk show.

Yet Americans, who have but, what?, 40-some days to decide who they want to eventually lead this nation out of the financial crisis and a host of other dire, dire situations, have some gaps in our understanding of the two candidates' policies. The debate isn't a cooking show. It's the next four years.

Look, cut back on debate prep. Wing it! Whatever it takes. But Sen. McCain, you and Barack Obama need to show up Friday night and let us have a peek at you both without teleprompters and video editors and -- in your case, McCain, the distraction of a highly unusual running-mate and her canned speeches. Move that Straight Talk Express bus and get your campaign out of hiding!

Some think the timing is suspicious.

In another report, this was apparently Barack Obama's idea.

Photo: connietalk.com

Fall TV Preview: Sid the Science Kid on PBS

Adrienne Martini — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

My oldest kid – she’s six – has the makings of a scientist, if only because she can’t stop asking “why?” every 30 blessed seconds. One of her all-time favorite shows (and mine, if the truth is to be told) is Fetch with Ruff Ruffman, which is a PBS Kids’ program that features an animated dog and kids who are sent out to solve problems. It’s all very silly while remaining smart.

The youngest – he’s three – enjoys Fetch, too, but only because his sister won’t let him change the channel. He has to watch it, unless he wants to go play. And, seriously, who wants to do that when there’s a TV with a talking dog on it?

I doubt he’s getting more than simple enjoyment out of Fetch, which is fine. The concepts are a little to abstract for him to really get a grasp on. Enjoyment has value, sure, but it’d be nice to learn a little, too.

Enter Sid the Science Kid, PBS’ co-production with The Jim Henson Company, which debuts on Sept. 1. Pitched at the pre-school set, Sid explores all of those “why” questions that my older kid can’t stop asking, like ‘why do bananas get mushy” and “why are my shoes shrinking” and “why did mommy ask me to stop talking?”

OK, maybe not that last one.

Still, the Boy loves him some Sid and remained glued to the telly for the entire 25 minutes. His sister, who declared it “lame” when I first popped the disc in, asked to see it again later that night. And again that morning. And again after school. And went to the show’s website to poke around and watch the music clips. Which means we might have different definitions of what “lame” means.

From an adult’s perspective, the jokes are kinda lame, by the standard definition. And Sid’s friends are a little stereotypical, from Gabriela, the tomboy who likes pink, and Gerald, the boy who thinks he’s an airplane. But my perspective is irrelevant because my kids like Sid so much. Which is great because they (and all of their “whys”) are the show's target and it hits that mark well.

Mr. Rogers Talking Keychain

Brett Singer — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:00 GMT

Fred Rogers may be gone from PBS' airwaves but that doesn't mean you can't hear his soothing voice anytime you want to.

For only $10, 80stees.com will sell you a Mr. Rogers Talking Keychain. Press a button and hear Fred ask you to (please) be his neighbor, tell you that it is, in fact, a beautiful day in the neighborhood (and a neighborly day for a beauty), and also that he likes you just the way you are. There are a total of six sounds and you can hear them all on the site. If you want to really have some fun, you can press all six buttons at once and pretend you're having an acid flashback.

They also have a selection of Rogers-themed t-shirts, but they don't talk. (Unless you really are having an acid flashback.) I haven't actually seen one of these in person so I don't know about the quality but at least the price isn't too steep.

Image/source: 80stees.com

Read more:

For a good marriage, women need to stay home

PBS Dropping Mister Rogers??!!

Children opposed to healthcare (Onion Video)

Michael Phelps father in Baltimore, not Beijing

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

33 year old mom wins silver medal, saves son from leukemia

Readin', writin' and Dianetics?

Baby Penis Album only five bucks

Family Movie Night – Happy Feet

Egyptian woman gives birth to septuplets because she wanted a boy

Bored games

Hunka hunka burnin Barbie

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Fall TV Preview: Martha Speaks on PBS

Madeline Holler — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Oh, Martha. She talks too much. She's something of a budinsky. She gossips. She complains. But like any other dog -- and, yes, Martha's a dog -- all she really wants is to love and be loved. And for Martha, this can take some work.

See, unlike other cartoon talking dogs, Martha breaks the species barrier by actually being able to form words! Sentences! Whole, unending paragraphs! All of which are understandable to humans. This means that while she can express herself clearly, she's not always taken seriously (not altogether unlike a kid), which can be frustrating for Martha (and a kid, of course) and backfire on those who are doing the underestimating.

I sat down with my two daughters -- Beatrice, 7, and Frances, 3 -- to preview the first episode of "Martha Speaks," which premieres on PBS this fall.

The two are well familiar with the book "Martha Speaks," which is the first in a series by Susan Meddaugh featuring Martha the talking dog. It's one of the few kids books that their grandmother owns which doesn't smell like 30 years of musty basement and we've read it together maybe a million times. Watching it on TV, I could now learn the truth: was it a lack of mold spores or a good story that had made Martha such a central part of our literary lives?

Background:

One day, Martha was accidentally given a bowl of alphabet soup instead of regular ol' dog chow. Rather than filling up her stomach, the letters traveled to her brain. An articulate, quippy, verrrrry chatty dog is formed. To keep up her speech, Martha needs periodic doses of alphabet soup. Her people know this and keep her in the letters, despite their growing agony over Martha sharing their secrets, Martha talking over their favorite TV shows, Martha ordering up steaks and ribs from the local carry out, among other abuses of the tongue.

Then, Martha overhears her person wishing she never had a dog who could speak. Naturally, this shuts Martha up. She cuts the soup cold turkey. She goes silent. And then the burglars arrive.

I won't give away the ending of this first episode, except to say the underdog wins! So do the young viewers. The producers of the show are sneaky and part of their goal, according to the press packet, is to broaden kids' vocabularies by introducing big words in context. Also, unlike the books, they've mixed up character ethnicities a bit and sprinkled some Spanish throughout. There's also a Web site where all the learning is reinforced.

The show is aimed at children from 4 to 7 years old, so my girls are brain development bookends in terms of viewership. We followed up the premiere with this discussion:

The Review

Me: Close call with the burglars, huh? Why did Martha stop talking?

Frances: She didn't eat soup!

Me: Why not?

Beatrice: She was sad because the little girl said she didn't want Martha to talk anymore. Why did you watch the show with us? You never watch TV with us?

Me: I love Martha! I wanted to watch. Hey, could you ever do what Martha did? Stop talking on purpose?

Beatrice: Noooooo.

Me: Who'd you guys like in the show?

Frances: I liked the girl with the orange hair and skirt.

Me: She was fun! Why did you like her?

Frances: She's cute. I liked her pink shirt.

Me: What about Martha?

Frances: Yes. She got sad because she couldn't speak.

Me: Why couldn't she speak?

Frances: [shrugs shoulders]

Beatrice: Are you always going to watch Martha with us?

Me: Maybe? Hey, you know how we've read those other Martha books, which ones do you want to see on TV?

Beatrice and Frances: Sir Lancelot! [Sir Lancelot's a pushover pug that gets caught up in a fraudulent dog-training ring.]

Me: Oooooh, Sir Lancelot. I'll definitely watch that one with you.

Beatrice: Can we watch it again now?

Me: Sure.

Frances: Can we have a snack?

Image: Martha Speaks

Upcoming Sesame Street Guests

Brett Singer — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

If you can't stand to watch one more episode of 'Sesame Street' that you've already seen 250 times, help is on the way!

PBS might be killing off Fred Rogers, but at least the new season of 'Street' started yesterday, with special guests Jack Black and Feist. The Feist video has already racked up 750,000 views on YouTube since being posted about a month ago. Here are some of the other celebrities who will do time with Elmo and the rest:

* Neil Patrick Harris (8.12): I'm guessing more 'Doogie Howser' than 'Harold and Kumar', but who knows.
UPDATE: Here's a video preview of Neil as - hang on - the Fairy Shoe Person. No. Really.

* Heidi Klum (8.14): According to New York Magazine, Klum's exchange with Elmo is "Sexually charged," with the E man telling Seal's wife, "Ms. Heidi is very pretty." As far as we know, Seal did not whup his little monster butt.

* Jenny McCarthy (8.15): I have a question, and don't take this the wrong way. But if Jenny hadn't become an ambassador for autism, would she be appearing on 'Sesame Street'? I'm not saying that this is part of some master plan, just wondering. I also wonder if this is the first time a former Playboy centerfold has visited the Street. (Vanessa Williams doesn't count since she didn't plan on being in Playboy. Jenny was Playmate of the Year.)

* Will Arnett (8.18): 'Arrested Development' fans rejoice! According to Mike, 'AD' even had a character named Franklin in honor of the dearly departed Roosevelt Franklin, making this an above average booking.

* Jason Taylor (8.20): After 'Dancing with the Stars', this guy is really going places.

* David Beckham (8.22): This guy, who is he again? Maybe this will be what he needs to really break through to the big time.

* LL Cool J (9.22): I hope this is old-school 'I can't live without my RADIO!' LL. I would also accept 'Elmo said knock you out!'

* Chandra Wilson (9.30): I had to look her up, but that's probably because I don't watch 'Grey's Anatomy'. Since much of the rest of the country does, I'm guessing she was a good choice.

Other future guests include new mama Jessica Alba (OH YEAH!), Molly Shannon (amusing), Patrick Warburton ('The Tick' is the greatest fake-superhero-live-action-sitcom in the history of the small screen), Feijoo Sisters (Cuban ballet dancers I'd never heard of), Jonah Hill (wearing a moustache – this seems like an odd choice but I guess he's a big deal now; I would've preferred Seth Rogen), Brian Williams (who's actually fairly amusing), Gilbert Gottfried (who's f**king hilarious but will likely not be his usually filthy self), Megan Mullally (should be fun), Randy Jackson (Gee, you think he'll say "dawg?" - yawn) and Sandra Oh (who I like, despite the fact that everyone seems to think she's ugly). New sketches too, such as "30 Rocks," "Pre-School Musical" and "Are You Smarter Than an Egg Layer."

Here's a little video to whet your appetite.

It all started when Mary needed a laxative

Kid climbs into claw game to get prizes

James Blunt loves triangles

Old Jonas Brothers CD priceless

Family Movie Night – Hairspray

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

More stuff YUPPIE parents like

Stuff White Parents Like

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

Baby Penis Album only five bucks

PBS Dropping Mister Rogers??!!

Cole Gamble — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:45:00 GMT

The bible tells us there are a number of clear and distinct signs the apocalypse is coming. Plague, pestilence, famine and the cancelation of Mister Rogers Neighborhood.

How could this happen? PBS has announced its plans to pull the venerable 40 year old show from their weekday schedule. While not a full on cancelation, MRN (that’s what we “Neighborheads” in the know call it) will be relegated to a single episode on the weekends.But there’s something you can do to save it.

It’s is hard, no, impossible to imagine the landscape of children’s educational television without looking at Mister Roger’s Neighborhood as the forbearer of all that has come since. In its time it was revolutionary, though revolutionary might seem an odd term for a snail’s pace TV program featuring the world’s most soft-spoken, cardigan loving gentleman. What Mister Rogers cared about most was healthy child development and giving kids the tools to look with hope and confidence upon a world that often inspires neither. That’s still a foreign concept to some.

But don’t strap on that black armband for just yet Mister Roger’s devotee Brian Linder has stared SaveMisterRogers.com an effort to reverse PBS’s decision. Go there now to find out how you can help keep MRN on. Need a little more motivation? Here’s Mister Rogers to tell you how proud he is of you.

More by this author:

They Like Big Butts, and They Can Not Lie: Survey Finds Men Prefer Bigger Body Sizes

Baby Cages: The 5 Baby Products that Should be Illegal

The 9 Most Racist Disney Characters

The 6 Creepiest Marketing Campaigns Aimed at Children

**The Sh*t List: 10 Bizarre (or Terrific?) Potty Gadgets**

Satan and 9 other bad (but real) baby names

Nipple Jewelry: 5 Products Moms DON’T Need

10 Naughty Things We Do to Our Kids (but keep doing anyway)

18 Kids From One Vagina: Woman Births 18th Child

The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever

5 Ways to Keep the Kids from Growing Fat this Summer

5 Ways to Not Go Broke (with Kids)

What's Next, Shock Collars For Your Kids?!

7 Ways to Make Your Baby to Sleep Tonight

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Brett Singer — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Here's some more stuff that makes my kids say, "Daa-aad!"

1. Old Sesame Street episodes: I detect a theme here. These don't show up on television anymore, but there was a series called "Sesame Street: Unpaved" that ran when my oldest son was born and I taped them. The older Sesame Street episodes have a much more improvised feel than the current version. Big Bird looks thinner and sometimes rambles like he's been imbibing something much stronger than a birdseed milkshake. Hey, it was the 70's, and they were still finding their way. You also get Roosevelt Franklin (eventually cut from the show because people thought he was a racist character) and no Elmo (see below).

2. Grover and Cookie Monster: OK, more Sesame Street, I know. But Elmo and Zoe are just not as much fun as Grover and Cookie Monster. Thing 2 actually finds Cookie Monster to be a little bit "scary", although he seems to be willing to tolerate him for my sake. And there's nothing better than a good Grover sketch.

3. Transformers – The Movie: I rented this 1986 animated big-screen version of the Robots In Disguise and we didn't even get through half an hour before Thing 1 got bored. After seeing the 2007 live action Michael Bay 'bots in theaters, he consented to give it another try and we made it all the way through, somewhat under protest. I was a fan of the cartoon, but had never seen the 1986 film, which is great. Voice talents include Leonard Nimoy (!), Casey Kasem, Scatman Crothers (!!), Judd Nelson (!!!), Eric Idle and even Orson Welles (!!!!!!) as evil and enormous Unicron (um, typecasting? Never mind). It also has the song "Dare to be Stupid" by Weird Al Yankovic, and the original 80's hair metal version of the title song, which is roughly 12 billion times better than the lame-o remake played over the ending credits in the new movie.

image: Amazon.com

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Babble Talk: Top 50 Sesame Street Vids ... Ever

How to be an annoying camp parent

Jobs you don't want – Camp Parent Liaison

Mister Frickin' Rogers

More stuff YUPPIE parents like

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

Stuff White Parents Like

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever

Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Brett Singer — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

One little discussed element of the entertainment industry making kiddie stuff that parents can enjoy as well is the idea that, on some occasions, the parents will like the kid stuff more than the kids. Here are a few things that are technically for my children, but I dig them more than they do.

1. Sesame Street Fever/Disco: these were both brilliant records – and they were records, the vinyl kind; as far as I know neither one has been released on CD. The first, Sesame Street Fever, featured Grover in a white John Travolta jacket on the cover, and included Bee Gee-ized versions of "C is for Cookie" (including a brief rap between Cookie Monster and Robin Gibb, who, according to the liner notes, "appears courtesy of his children - Melissa and Spencer Gibb"), and "Rubber Duckie". This was followed by the even more brilliant Sesame Disco!, which includes "Me Lost Me Cookie at the Disco" sung by "Cookie Monster and the Girls": "Me lost me cookie at the disco / Me lost me cookie in the BOO-GIE MU-SIC…" It's out of print, but you can listen to some of the tunes here, and also check out this video.

2. Born To Add: this one has had a slightly longer stay in our rotation than the Fever/Disco tunes, but I still get a "daaad" when I try to put it on in the car. Includes the Cookie Monster-as-Barry White "Me Going to Munch You, Munch You, Munch You", "(I Can't Get No) Co-Operation" by Mick Swagger and The Sesame Street Cobblestones, and the brilliant title track: "There's a lot of adders on the Jersey shore / I hear its the thing to be." (See below for video). This one is not out of print and you can buy it here.

3. Mister Rogers Neighborhood: I admit I didn't try that hard, but neither of my boys ever got into watching good ol' Fred change his shoes and venture into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to chat with Lady Aberlin. Maybe it's just too quiet for them, but I still find it soothing.

Here are a few more.

Any kids' stuff that you like more than your children? Go ahead, leave a comment. Come on, I won't tell anyone.

image: Muppet Wiki

More Kids Stuff I like that my kids don't care about

Return of the son of stuff YUPPIE parents like

Stuff White Parents Like

Mister Frickin' Rogers

When playgrounds attack, the sequel

The Dark Knight -- parents strongly cautioned (to go see it)

Here's to the laddies who lunch

Babble Talk: Top 50 Sesame Street Vids ... Ever

The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever

Baby Penis Album only five bucks

S&M Barbie

Hulk want puny blogger to review Hulk movie

Would You Let a Midwife Perform Your C-Section?

Madeline Holler — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:14:00 GMT

Well, would you? What if she had trained for four years as a midwife and performed more than 100 c-sections under the eye of an actual surgeon? Still no?

Well, maybe me too. I don't know. But! I have the good fortune of not ...

being desperately poor and living in rural Mozambique, where there are but 18 OBs for the entire country (yes, the entire country and its 19 million inhabitants!). Because in that case, I'd say I'm allllll for it.

Last night, PBS's Wide Angle (the summer version of Frontline) aired a documentary about one woman who trained in this innovative program and, OK, sure, I'd let her have a whack at me. She was kind, totally cool under pressure and knew her stuff. You can watch a preview here and also a short take on midwives in the U.S. Or read more about Mozambique and its tragically high maternal and infant mortality numbers.

Of course, midwifery supporters such as myself have to approach the topic if midwives performing surgery with some caution. Having had a midwife-attended home birth in a state that had yet to legalize professional midwives, I know that doctors and lawmakers opposed to midwifery often scare people away from the idea of legalizing the profession by saying "they'll start performing c-sections!" or "now they'll do abortions!" So it bears pointing out that in Mozambique, training low-level healthcare workers in surgery (not just the midwives are picking up the scalpel) is a response to a severe shortage of doctors in the country. It's the best they can do for now.

Oh, and it's working!

Czech Law Forces Pregnant Teens Out of School

Newborn Son Brings Dead Dad Back to Life

My Big Fat American Pregnancy

Photo: PBS.org/Wide Angle

It's a neighborly day here on the 'Derby

Brett Singer — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Mr. Rogers was a huge part of my childhood. To this day I can sing the theme song, and the basic lessons he taught about being kind to people and staying forever intrigued by the world around you are absolutely ingrained in my psyche. (Yes, I still get annoyed from time to time. We're none of us perfect, as Mr. Rogers taught us. So be tolerant, dammit!)

Mental Floss has a list titled "15 Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever." Some things I knew ("He got into TV because he hated TV", "He composed all the songs on the show"), some I didn't ("Michael Keaton got his start on the show" as a puppeteer). Some I had forgotten about, like the fact that he testified before Congress about the VCR, which was in danger of being banned by paranoid Hollywood lobbyists.

Then there's this tidbit: "Mr. Rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life." He liked weighing that number, because "the number 143 means ‘I love you.’ It takes one letter to say ‘I’ and four letters to say ‘love’ and three letters to say ‘you.’ One hundred and forty-three." If anyone else on the planet said that you would have them committed, and you certainly wouldn't want them hanging around your children. But since Mr. Rogers said it, it's fine. He really meant all of that stuff, and it was great.

Some of his advice, which was always delivered in a kind, caring way, applies to everyone. "You can't make it work by sitting and thinking about it. You have to do it." I mean, what's wrong with that? I'm including three videos below, all of which really brought me back to my childhood, in a good way.

Does the show still hold up today? To me it does, but the lack of new episodes (for the obvious reason that Fred isn't around to make them anymore) definitely hurts in terms of kids catching on to the show. Sesame Street still works, but neither of my kids ever got into Mr. Rogers, although I tried both times. I'll throw this out to the group – do your kids watch ol' Fred change his shoes, zip up his sweater and sing about what a neighborly day for a beauty it is?

image: Wikipedia

Mr. Rogers Videos

Mr. Rogers Goodbye: I'd never seen this. It's sad but in a nice way.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, "You Did It" Song

Mr. Rogers sings "It's You I Like"

PBS Kids Launches Pay Service

Brett Singer — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:00:00 GMT

PBS has figured out one way to combat their shrinking government funding.

The New York Times reports that PBS is launching a new service called PBS KIDS PLAY! (all in caps, with the exclamation point, as in "What is PBS KIDS PLAY!"), that will offer various learning games, and also video clips of shows such as "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" and "Curious George." The cost will be $10/month or $79/year.

The extremely friendly FAQ page on the site has lots of helpful info, including a list of local member stations that offer discounts on the service to donors (only a few are listed but they suggest checking back later to see if your station gets added). The "elevator pitch" (their words) refers to the enterprise as a "personalized learning service" where "your child will learn a comprehensive preschool and kindergarten curriculum, based on national educational standards, by playing with PBS KIDS characters." The "personalized" part means that you can track your child's progress; in fact, you can have four separate "learning profiles" per account, meaning siblings can play (or PLAY!) at no extra cost.

This isn't the only "virtual preschool" (my term) on the market: Disney offers Preschool Time Online ($9.95/month or $49.95/year), and Nickelodeon has MyNoggin ($9.95/month, $7.95/month if you commit to 6 months, $5.95/month if you commit to a year). Both require a credit card for the free trial, whereas PBS KIDS PLAY! does not. The sites also look like they were created by a large media company, which of course they were. One synergistic benefit of signing up with the bigger companies is that you get a free subscription to their magazines (My Noggin or Family Fun) included with your fee.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, if anyone is getting money for a service such as this one, I'd prefer it to be PBS. On the other hand, are these services meant to replace preschool? Is this some bizarro method of homeschooling, and/or of giving your kid a leg up once they start kindergarten? And since it costs money, has anyone studied its effectiveness? Should a three year old be spending this much time in front of a computer? What happened to flash cards, or just plain ol' having fun? How many questions can I ask in a single paragraph before my head starts to hurt?

Personally, I'm a fan of preschool. Thing 1 benefited greatly from it, socially and educationally. Thing 2 is there now and we love it. Of course, this is in Manhattan, where preschool is the only daycare option for working parents, so our reasons for sending the kids there were practical as well as educational.

After a quick review of the three sites, it seems that PBS KIDS PLAY! is the least commercial and, at least in their "pitch," the most educationally minded. If any of you use these services or is considering it, let us know in the comments.

Old, Dorky, Great

Madeline Holler — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:37:00 GMT

Mr. Rogers is a dork and even my kids, on some level, get this. But I like him because of his dorkiness, and they like him in spite of it. So here's to another 40 years of his dorky goodness.

The series "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" premiered Feb. 19, 1968. It's 40th birthday is being feted around Pittsburgh and includes a re-assembled Neighborhood of Make Believe set at its home, WQED. A Mr. Rogers Sweater Drive has also been planned.

Fred Rogers would have turned 80 this year, something fans will also be celebrating. He died in 2003.

The Neighborhood of Make Believe was never my favorite. I liked Chef Brocket and that guy with the music store. My favorite now is watching those video tapes of how everyday things were made in what was once a very industrial Pittsburgh.

What do you think of Fred?

Growing Up Online

Madeline Holler — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:09:00 GMT

I tend to play down the effect of computers on kids, probably because my oldest is only 6. But she likes to do stuff on the computer -- take care of her Webkinz, check out PBS websites. I'm fooling myself if I think that's where it all begins and ends. Sooner than I know it, she'll be all over IMing, and Facebook and whatever else will no doubt come along to grab her attention, ask for her personal details, dumb down her education, etc.

Tonight, a PBS Frontline airs the documentary Growing Up Online, which looks at all the different angles of kids and the Internet and their parents who are often in the background feeling (as I do) fully in control but actually are not.

They tell the story of Jessica Hunter, a shy 14-year-old who reinvented herself online as "Autumn Edows": ... an alternative goth artist and model who posted provocative photos of herself on the Web, and fast developed a cult following. “I just became this whole different person,” Jessica tells FRONTLINE. “I didn’t feel like myself, but I liked the fact that I didn’t feel like myself. I felt like someone completely different. I felt like I was famous.”

The program also covers what parents fear most online: sexual predators. Also cyberbullying, and online communities that might not be in the best interest of your vulnerable child -- tips for staying thin from anorexics or ways to commit suicide for depressed teens. They film also hits more banal seeming stuff (incomparison to all the nakedness and injury and covert seduction), like how much easier it is to cheat on homework, how computer use might interrupt real learning, that kind of thing.

These are the kinds of things I'd much rather bury my head in the sand over, since the options for dealing with it seems so few: get rid of the computer, raise kid on remote island. Here's how a law expert sees it.

“You have a generation faced with a society with fundamentally different properties thanks to the Internet,” says Danah Boyd, a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. “We can turn our backs and say, ‘This is bad,’ or, ‘We don’t want a world like this.’ It’s not going away. So instead of saying that this is terrible, instead of saying, ‘Stop MySpace; stop Facebook; stop the Internet,’ it’s a question for us of how we teach ourselves and our children to live in a society where these properties are fundamentally a way of life. This is public life today.”

I think I'll watch the program. On PBS tonight, check local listings. And remember, many Frontline episodes can be watched online at the PBS website.

Babble Talk: Just Say No to Lithium for Toddlers

editors — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:01:00 GMT

If you didn’t catch the Front Line documentary, The Medicated Child last night on PBS you can also watch it online, and I highly recommend that every parent make a date with this frighteningly informative documentary. Gwynne Watkins interviewed filmmaker Marcela Gaviria in Babble’s 5-Minute Time Out, who explores this new phenomenon that has put six million American children on psychiatric drugs; most of which have never been tested on children.

For all of our children’s sake, I wish this doc could be shown at the hospital along with the lessons on breast-feeding and burping. My husband and I struggled through the show last night, sickened by the destruction of a seemingly happy and energetic kindergartener who is now a young man besieged with too many physical tics and emotional problems to keep track of in an hour-long special, all of them the result of experimental drug cocktails. While there are certainly children who fall into the extremes, and Gaviria shows them as well, the restructuring of the bipolar diagnoses to include children previously diagnosed with ADHD has resulted in drugs such as lithium being pumped into two-year-olds. If that doesn’t make your stomach turn in the abstract, one look at the evolution of Jacob Solomon in The Medicated Child will make you vehemently question this recent phenomenon to drug-up our spirited kids. And in turn question your teachers, doctors and caregivers who advise you to seek medical attention and drug intervention for our little ones. - April Peveteaux

Things Fall Apart: It's a Lead, Lead World

Karen Murphy — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:18:00 GMT

My three-year old has taken to watching "It's a Big, Big World." It comes on right after Teletubbies, which means I have an hour of uninterrupted blogging time if I can stand an hour of existentialist/acid trippy/environmentalist children's public television. Which I can, because, after all, an hour of uninterrupted blogging time? Punctuated by the occasional procurement of snacks? I can live with that.

However, I'm pretty sure that Snook the sloth would be aghast to find out that the Fisher-Price 6-in-1 Bongo Band with his likeness on it is covered with toxic lead paint. Lead paint that's rather anathema to the message of the show, as far as I can tell (not having actually watched more than a couple of minutes at a time, though the songs, the songs kill me and I always cry, what a wuss), which seems to preach a bit on the oneness of the universe and blah-di-blah. Which I rather like.

But. We're taking lead paint and toxicity here, so let's get down to it: the recalled set has product number K9343 inside the orange drum, and a date code between 139-7SH and 232-7SH is printed on the drum’s orange ring surface. The recall only extends to the sets that have both product number and date code. Affected sets were sold at a variety of stores in July and August 2007 for about $20.

If you own this, and 8900 of you do, contact Fisher-Price (a division of Mattel; I have to point that out) or phone them at(888) 496-8330.

Preschool Rock Launches BlogTalk Radio

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 15 May 2007 17:32:00 GMT

Preschool Rock, the website for parents and teachers of preschoolers, is launching a new radio show for preschool rock moms. Preschool rock moms? While it sounds promising, if the first shows are any indication ( “The Family Bed”, “How to Get Your Preschooler into Showbiz”, “Autism and Immunizations”) this show will be less "rock" and more "mom," which is frankly kind of disappointing, given how much we know the mamas love to rock.

Podcasting has given every mama the mike and so much the better. Some other fabulous podcast options include Motherhood Uncensored, True Mom Confessions, and (if you're so inclined) CrankMama Radio.

PBS Kids Sprout Launches New Afternoon Show

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Wed, 09 May 2007 22:06:00 GMT

PBS Kids Sprout, one of cable tv's most popular preschool channels is launching a new, original afternoon block of programming on June 25. Thank god, because when my kids see the Goodnight Show come on at 3 o'clock, they freak out thinking it's time for bed.

Airing every afternoon from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. eastern, the new Let's Go Show is designed to "encourage preschoolers to ask questions, be curious about the world around them and participate in a daily musical adventure."

Host Miles (played by actor Milton Barnes) and his puppy friend Banjo, an adorable and spirited puppet who loves to play her homemade banjo, will embark each afternoon on a musical journey in their cardboard car, Carla. Miles loves to sing, discover new things and connect with viewers to help them learn through humor, music and interactive play. Always ready for adventure, Banjo represents the wonder, energy and curiosity of a preschooler.

PBS (just the regular ol' TV channel) is a favorite in my house because it's what I grew up on. I love their gentle-albeit-sometimes-annoying programming. PBS Kids Sprout is unique because it follows a preschooler's normal day from morning until night (the sinister motives behind this I'll save for another post), and watching a few minutes of the Good Night show is how we usually end our day. We look forward to the new afternoon programming, especially on rainy days or when "Mamma needs to work."

Mizrahi to Design Limited-Edition Teletubbies Handbags

Patti — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:34:00 GMT

If you heard a loud and kind of squishy sound just now, that was my head exploding. My love for fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi collided with my loathing of the chubby plushies known as the Teletubbies when I learned that Mizrahi will be designing five Tubbie-themed purses in celebration of their tenth anniversary (has it been that long? It seems longer).

Mizrahi is only one of the big guns that Ragdoll Entertainment is packing in anticipation of a huge relaunch of the Teletubbies brand: they've also got apparel lines in the works to be aimed at tweens, teens, and young adults (dear God in heaven, please tell me this doesn't mean that people are going to start throwing raves again).

The Mizrahi bags will be auctioned off to benefit Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go curl up with my Isaac For Target cashmere sweater and my clearance-rack-at-Saks Isaac driving shoes and watch Unzipped until my head feels better.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Rogers

Patti — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:51:00 GMT

The Reverend Frederick McFeeley Rogers would have been 79 years old today. A scholar of child development, Rogers changed the course of his career when he decided that network programming was too commercial and violent for children. He tirelessly advocated better and more effective programming for kids, and his long-running public television series "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" was a deceptively simple vehicle for quite sophisticated ideas about what children need. Rogers hid innovative and progressive ideas behind those hand-knit cardigans and moth-eaten puppets, and not just with regard to children--his support of home recording helped make the world safe for video recorders (of course, he just thought families should be able to live their lives according to their own schedule, not the networks').

In 1969, Mr. Rogers testified before a Senate subcommittee in the pursuit of funding for PBS. He wasn't yet the icon he would become, but his honest and passionate explanation of his work to a room full of crotchety old men is worthy of a Frank Capra film, and his successful melting of the senators' hearts secured the future of children's public television.

Big Bird AND Cokie Roberts on the Chopping Block

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:11:00 GMT

MomsRising is urging voters to sign a petition to stop proposed funding cuts to PBS, home to fabulous kids' shows like Sesame Street and Electric Company. Also on the chopping block is National Public Radio (NPR). The Bush Administration's 2008 budget, released this week, cuts $110 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's budget, about 25% of the CPB's 2006 budget. Some argue that the continued proposal to cut CPB's funding (similar cuts were proposed in 2005) is retribution for past treatment of the Bush Administration's Ready to Learn program.

Whatever the case, one can certainly understand the pressures on budget writers these days, what with the federal deficit and the cost of the war (projected to be $378 billion by the end of next month). By comparison, a measly $110 million seems like chump change.

And while the quiet creativity of Sesame Street and Electric Company seem quaint in today's zoom-zoom-bang-bang world of kid's television, they are fun to watch, much like I enjoyed watching "My Three Sons" in the late 70s. And how will I properly brainwash my children without the aid of National Public Radio?