Great TV for Young Kids

UPDATE:
I received an email newsletter this morning with info about movies and shows perfect for preschoolers and common sense guidelines about limiting TV time. Take a look here, here, and here.

Anyone who knows me is at this moment, based on the title of this post alone, likely thinking I've gone off the deep end. In case you aren't aware, I've been given the dubious distinction amongst friends of being one of those whacky "anti-TV" people. But that, my dears, is for another post (and one that's coming soon, don't you fret!).

In the mean time, I wanted to talk about a handful of really great programs I've come across for kids*. They are all available on DVD (which is where I found them) and low on the parental annoyance scale (PAS for short. If you're wondering, Barney and Elmo are at the top of the PAS scale with Mr. Rogers somewhere near the bottom). And if you're not too keen on the idea of your kid glomming onto Dora and Thomas and Friends, then these are perfect.

Oswald
I heard about Oswald via several reviews on Amazon.com. I was trying to find some mellow but fun kid shows we could bring with us on a flight overseas. Something to keep M occupied without over stimulating her. Enter Oswald.

This series, which originally aired on Nick Jr. several years ago, features a loveable blue octopus, his dog, his two best pals: Henry (a slightly phobic penguin) and Daisy (a devil-may-care walking, talking flower), and a number of the denizens of Big City--the playful yet funky little town where Oswald and his friends reside. Each episode is filled with gentle humor and subtle lessons about helping others, sharing, being flexible, not hurting feelings, and more. As an added bonus, Oswald is voiced by none other than Fred Savage (a la The Wonder Years and, as I just discovered via IMDB, now a relatively successful director in his own right. Who knew?).

Oswald is perfect for the youngest TV viewers. M was almost two when we whipped out the Oswald DVDs during a trans-Atlantic flight and she could easily follow the story lines. Warning though: Kids older than three or four may well find the show a tad slow-moving and uneventful.

Peep and the Big Wide World
Peep is a recent discovery for me. Peep and the Big Wide World currently airs on Discovery Kids. But I stumbled across the show on a DVD at the local library and checked it out on a whim. Friday night at our house is "Movie Night." So after dinner and bath, M gets to settle in with some popcorn and a short film. Peep premiered at our house a few weeks ago and garnered HUGE kudos from Miss M. The truth is, I've never heard her laugh so hard at a cartoon as she did at this one. And ever since, she has requested more Peep.

Peep is a little chick, recently hatched. He has two friends, Quack (a duck) and Chirp (a baby red robin). Each episode features the three friends exploring the natural world around them. At the end of each episode, there is a brief live sequence during which several young children explore the various themes of the show. Peep is incredibly charming and sweet....and very funny. It's definitely geared towards kids ages three and up. Younger kids might not get the gist of the dialogue or humor.

The narrator of each episode is none other than the fabulous Joan Cusack. And the catchy theme song is by Taj Mahal. What's not to like? Oh, and if you visit the Peep website (link above) you can, for free, view a new episode a day.

Didou/Louie/Sam (Honorable Mention)
This little fellow has more aliases than Jason Bourne. He's originally of French origin (where he's known as Didou). Then I discovered him in the UK (Louie). And most recently, while searching for a gift on Amazon, he popped up in several children's books under the name of Sam. I first knew him as Didou thanks to some DVDs we received from our French-American friends. I love the show but sadly, I have yet to find any DVDs in the U.S. Hence the honorable mention. I keep looking, though.

*A quick note about TV viewing for the little ones. Most of you have probably heard, in some form or other (unless, of course, you are not from the States), a version of this report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In a nutshell, it states parents should--as much as possible--avoid exposing kids aged two and under to TV. Developmental delays as well as attention deficit issues and weight gain have been linked to TV viewing (even passive TV viewing) for kids younger than two.

Some more recent studies have backed up this statement even further but have also conceded that TV viewing (in reasonable doses and minus commercials and violence) doesn't have any major negative influences on kids three and up.

Because I personally prefer to sit down with my laptop or a book, limiting TV viewing hasn't been all that challenging for my family. Now that M is three, I tend to use TV to keep her occupied when a) she's sick b) I briefly need to focus on her sister (especially when I need to put Z down for a nap) c) the weather is inclement out and I have run out of all other entertainment options or d) as a special treat.

Unless you leave the TV on all day in the background or allow your kid to watch for hours on end, I seriously doubt it's going to do any developmental damage.