I meant to add that this video is currently Juniper's favorite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p...h?v=p8Z-
DIAthbM
It's like Busby Berkeley directing a hundred Wiggles, but I would so much rather watch Leslie Feist in a sequined body suit than those rich australian assholes.
caillou has cancer????? it's been 2.5 years since we stopped paying for cable. back then, he didn't have cancer as far as i could see, and he still was a horrible whiner.
You had me cracking up with your description of Caillou.
although stale by now for the rest of us, the okgo video in the back yard (million ways). my 3 year old can't be more pleased with anything else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R...h?
v=RbdbVhBGETQ
I'll just go ahead and say it: I hate Calliou. Sorry, Quebec.
Our dog says "I love you."
There. I went ahead and shared.
The only time he makes a noise is when he hears a siren. Or my husband playing the harmonica. We were kidding around while Alro the dog was howling. Jim said in a howly voice, "I love you..." Arlo repeated. No effort, and just for fun. There is no documentation, and while he's done it a few more times, we don't make him do it.
It's our dirty little secret. I'm blushing a little about my talking dog.
My son adores Calliou. I don't know what it is with all the whining, but I say, "Do boys who whine get what they want?" and Henry responds, "No." Then he'll use a big boy voice.
We spent a two hour drive to Sea World this weekend letting Edan watch Hello Kitty videos via a portable DVD player we borrowed from her mom. She's only around one or two mornings a week, so we don't watch much TV by default, and I could't be happier. I swear they hired the actress who played Quinn on Daria to do every single one of those Kitty voices -- and when you're driving down the highway, and can't make out what they're saying, it just sounds like chirping, valley girl insanity.
Thank goodness for YouTube.
yo gabba gabba is going to be on the noggin channel soon! that and the upsidedown show are going to be tops, worth cable if you ask me.
it looks so low budget, but I love it. The robot is the best. and the dj of course. just the little promos for it have my son singing all day long.
do the carrots want to join the party in my tummy?
I know what you mean about not wanting to get hammered for sharing "elitist attitudes" or whatever, but this IS Your Own Personal Blog, right? I mean, i know if you go down that path, someone will try to get into it with you, but still.
And why is that, BTW? If someone says something I hate or think is wrong, I just read something else. I don't think comment boxes should only contain fist-pumping messages of the "you go, girl" variety, but sheesh--
D is a HUGE fan of old sesame streets, especially the c is for cookie one and the one where Grover sings with Stevie Wonder. God, children's TV used to be AWESOME.
Electric Company DVD's. Plus David Hasslehoff singing Hooked on a Feeling- found through You Tube- puts my son to bed every night. We are sick and depraved.
anything and everything Bollywood-derived.
(although the Indian Beatles clip eventually sent my toddler over the edge)
I'm more interested in how you manage to pleasantly watch YouTube with her than your tv philosophy. My daughter gets all obsessive and weird about YouTube in a way we haven't seen with tv, and it's a lot easier to distract her away from the tv than the computer.
Or maybe I don't want to know. If you reveal that she does not insist on poking at every dog that appears in the suggested viewing, has never thrown a tantrum because a video takes too long to load, or that she doesn't regularly sneak away to climb up to the desk and bang away at the keyboard in attempts to watch by herself, then I would hate you far more than if you posted some elistist attitudes about tv.
I love that Juniper wants Wendell to talk! I could gladly loan you my two pups, its getting them to shut up that's the neat trick. They're great dogs, but they feel the need to let me know when there is something, anything outside.
I am just getting into the You Tube thing, so I have no suggestions. I told my husband Baby Einstein was baby crack and he didn't believe me. He sent me a picture of our then 3 month old completely zoned out on an episode he downloaded like an hour later. I think I'm going to have to develop an elitist attitude because seeing her transfixed was some scary shit!
Another fabulous post! I'm totally your newest biggest fan!
I wish I had a nickel for every time my kids watched the numa numa dance.
My oldest son is now obsessed with a very silly Japanese comedy show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n...h?
v=nFklk_BjLoQ
Coincidentally, Japanese networks/production companies are now complaining to YouTube, a la Disney, about copyright violations. I can understand why.
I don't have kids but my boyfriend and I watch this whenever we need a good laugh-through-cringing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p...h?v=pgX-
hiQdfFw
It shouldn't corrupt Juniper too much and you have to admit it's mesmerizing.
Crap--Is it possible to avoid the sanctimony while still being all natural childbirth, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, tv-free loving? Because I'm due in October and that's what we're planning. Granted, the tv-free part is more for me than Cletus the Fetus--when I had a tv I'd sit for days on end watching Real World marathons.
Our just turned 2 year old daughter LOVES the Honda Rube Goldberg Ad ... we can litterally watch the darn thing 7 or 8 times in a row, and she'll keep asking for more ... we cheer for the rolling muffler, go "plink, plink, plink" when the bolts roll around, and dance when the music starts. There are about a billion copies on youtube, so just search for "rube honda" to find one ...
Also, though it may be too mainstream for you since it was one of the recently 'featured' videos , "Voodoo Trumbones" is also on the play it 8 times in a row list: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G...h?v=Gy4SrV-
aHxg (animated dancing birds, people and a robot set to cool jazzy music). The other clips from that source don't seem to catch MsMiss' eye, but she loves this one ...
Enjoy ...
"...wondering about these women who have taught their dogs to say, " I wuv woo!" or "I want my momma!"
I think it's only fair to add that this sort of projective neediness is not limited to the female segment of the population. My male cousins were pretty obsessed with their beagle's professions of "love."
Caillou is the biggest whiner out there - I never can get through a reading without smart-ass commentary. I sometimes wish I was more disciplined but he just pushes all my buttons.
We manage without TV, due to the library, YouTube, and have a very heavily used Netflix account. I'm not anti-tv, I'm just cheap.
For stuff on youtube for the 2-5 range I highly recommend the CBeebies bedtime story segments. CBeebies is a Brit channel for kids and they get celebrities to read stories. Some of our favorites are the Winnie the Witch stories by read by Richard Armitage and John Bowman, Dinosaur Cafe also read by RA. You can find them by searching Cbeebies, Bedtime, on Youtube.
I remember having read one of your earlier posts on the Mommy Wars about the inevitable yet unintended "war" one wages in making various parental decisions. I wish it wasn't so but it is true. I applaud you for trying to keep the peace or maybe, fairly so, you just don't want to hear it from the okay-with-TV kind of parents, of which I am one. I appreciate your different view points though and think you do a pretty good job of speaking without sanctimony. Still, sanctimony or not, the argumentative side of me wants to try to convince you and your readers that epidurals are okay and so is formula. I don't want to be in a Mommy War, but just can't help it.
Carolyn Parkhurst's "The Dogs of Babel" is a twisted *but sentimental* tale about teaching dogs to talk...
Did I ever pass on Ivor the Engine? An animated Welsh show from the 60s..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f...related&
search=
There are about 8-9 episodes, each about 5 minutes. Evan loves them all, and the voices are capital, capital.
Oh, and the best thing about Ivor: the guy who makes the
PSSSSSH-TEKOFF
PSSSSSH-TEKOFF
PSSSSSH-TEKOFF
sound effect whenever Ivor steams down the track. I hear that in my sleep, and not only because it sounds like a breast pump.
My boys love watching Signing Time.
http://www.youtube.com/results?
s...ery=signingtime
They also like Laurie Berkner:
http://www.youtube.com/results?
s...=laurie+berkner
My 11 month old can't get enough of Schnappi. Turning it on instantly stops tantrums!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i...h?
v=izibSMAQhEY
You might like these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a...h?
v=aycGHdfHhHg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M...h?
v=MHNAFRg6jYA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D...h?
v=DzEgf1RdCI8
Laurie Berkner for us as well, I believe it is on Jack's Big Music Show, but we don't get it, we do have the DVD. Great music and energetic for dancing! Also anything YouTube finds about kittens falling asleep, cats talking, falling down, meowing, sitting still, etc etc.
It's not youtube, but my 2-year-old really enjoys the animal videos in National Geographic Kids
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
They're all about 1-2 minutes long. The platypus and the owls are particular favorites.
You are right there with my husband regarding that chemo patient from Canada. He can't even watch for an instant without rolling his eyes. And I'm right there with you trying to close the bathroom door again. If it isn't Ellen barging in, it is the dog looking in on me.
Glad to see that though I go it alone, I am not the only one!
what an idiot i was to ever show pnut that my laptop had entertainment value. she was obsessed- OBSESSED with the simpsons movie clip for 'spiderpig' on the commercial, so like an idiot i youtubed it so i could be the most awesome mom ever. after we watched it 20 times i'd had enough, and then all friggin day she screamed to watch it whenever she saw my computer. i can't handle that shit.
she pretty much watches what we watch, and i can get her to sit still for curious george on pbs, sometimes barney (i said it!) and part of sesame street. i have banned the comfy couch and calliou for my own sanity. and i'm with you on the please for the love of god give me 5 minutes in the bathroom, already. sheesh. i'm kinda glad in a way that she gets bored with stuff on tv, but i wouldn't mind a little peace and quiet once in a while.
and carol? right on.
Yeah, we don't have a television set. Not because of an elitist attitude, but just because television generally annoys and depresses me. Okay I guess that statement is basically the definition of an elitist attitude... Anyway, my 3 year old is mesmerized by pretty much any YouTube clip of any Studio Ghibli movie. Her all time favorite (a classic):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k...h?
v=k7rxKLn40j4
My four year old LOVES Matt, the dancing traveler:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b...&page=1&t=t&
f=b
and anything with whales.
I don't think the comment I just typed published. This is one of my daughter Annie's (just turned two) favorites on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x...h?
v=xlyN0L4IMck
We also don't do much TV. I have to admit we do let her watch Flight of the Conchords which she seems to like as much as we do.
I love that mb thought Caillou actually had cancer.
For months I have been feeling guilty that my daughter constantly says, "Elmo, Elmo, Elmo..." Then, I saw your YouTube vido of Juniper doing the same thing that popped up after that ridiculous cat thing (oh my god). And she (Juniper) doesn't even watch Sesame Street each day like my daughter. Oh what relief. Chanting "Elmo..." ad nauseum is normal. You wouldn't believe the evil looks of "I can't believe that you've let your daughter be corrupted by evil consumerism and Elmo obsession" that I get. Thanks for clearing my conscience.
My daughter has loved the Food Network since birth! She especially likes to watch Sandra Lee, (so does my husband)
we dont have a tv and it's great. I'm glad you have the laughing babies. My 2 year old Cedar cries with laughter at that and, strangely, anything to do with giraffes...
London Juniper (8 months) loves anything with music and bright colours. Thanks for your selection. We will investigate it futher tomorrow after nursery.
hugs from our Juni to yours.
Nicky & co.
I just wanted to say (again) that that list is genius. I not only refer to it consistently, but I've forwarded it to the grandparents so that they've got two minutes for a bathroom break during weekend-long sitting stints.
I like the videos on Noggin too. Thalia digs the animated moose.
Had to come back and see what everybody came up with...
the first one I clicked goes to pirated installments of an animated feature. I'm not sure how fuzzy video ripped off somebody's tv screen, is taking the moral or asthetic high ground over the telly--
--lesser of 2 evils, maybe? 
btw, back when I was just starting to sell out on the tv thing, before we had two more kids and 500 more channels, my then-toddler was utterly enthralled with the Lawrence Welk show reruns on PBS Friday nights. We called it the shiny happy people hour. Teletubbies were never as trippy as the Welksters.
Yeah, we did the you tube thing. It led to many hours of watching Freddy Mercury sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" over and over and over and over and over and over and over. With youtube, it's kind of: How did this happen? Why did we find this? How did we find it? And WHY?
She woke up once in the middle of the night screaming "I don't want to die!" The poor kid's only three. I think we shoulda stuck with PBS.
Once about a year and a half ago, the girl who I nanny came home announcing that she wanted to hit Caillou. Neither her mom nor I could figure out why she would want to hit a cartoon character.
Then I watched it with her, and I understood.
We don't have cable, either, but we watch movies and we play (too many)video games, so I've stopped with my holier-than-thou-because-I-have-no-TV thing. It was good for a while to be up on my high horse, but we got a Wii (I didn't pay for it, it was a gift) and it's all pretty much gone farther and farther downhill from there.
At two, all Ford wanted to watch was a Samurai Jack dvd that my brother-in-law introduced him to, one holiday weekend. Over and over we watched it, because the artwork deserves merit and because of the myth of it all, because he's such a noble dude.
Then we checked out a Bill Nye dvd from the library, and he fell in love with the show. We checked it out on his rock and mineral request.
We've had minimal success with YouTube because frankly, I hate to share my computer with them. After 4 or so repeats of the same skit, I get, I don't know, distracted, and the minute I look away is when I hear the sound of keys popping off the powerbook.
..and i mentioned that because the keys are being popped off, at those times, by my 2 year-old. Doesn't Juniper ever get curious like that? Those keys can really fly across the room, you know.
My 2-year-old loves this video of Davy Jones singing the words to a Sandra Boynton book called Your Personal Penguin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l...h?
v=lhKTuLigH9Q
"At this age I wouldn't mind if Juniper took some interest in watching TV. Apparently it is great for occupying a child so you can take a shit without a wingman, get some housework done, or even spend some time on the internet."
Hahahahahaha! No shit!
Although being a home-birth, breastfeeding, family bed, vegetarian, organic, recycling, composting, homeopathic and herbal hippie-wanna be mom back in the '80's, I would have LOVED for our girls to zone out in front of our TV for hours occasionally. Like I saw all our friends' kids doing.
But nope. The only thing they would watch was Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. By 9 am, it was all-mommy, all-the-time. I couldn't even pee without an audience of 3.
BTW, Dutch ... which high school did you go to in Kzo? Hubby and I graduated from Vicksburg HS in 1970. My sister graduated from Central in 1974. My dad graduated from Central in 1941.
Caillou is the only thing my children will sit still and watch and I am not sure why. PBS rocks though.
oh my god--REALLY ROSIE! i was so excited to see the links to those clips but i guess those are some of the clips that have been taken down. i absolutely adored that album when i was a kid. i can still picture the cover. i used to insist that we check it out of the library over & over.
Yes, yes, yes!!!!!
My 23 month old son is obsessed with this video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pk_eR-Af8pA
He demands it at least three times a day. I wouldn't mind so much but, come on, the baha men????
here's the spiderpig clip that pnut would trade a pint of blood for:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_2uZkae8ra8
and this spider pig/man made her dad and i laugh right out loud:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5OdUo_JUfzw
we are taking her to see the movie next week. god help us.
Dutch, I'm so happy that you have the animated Where the Wild Things Are on top of your list! We have the DVD and my daughter loves it! Do you have the DVD? If not, you must get it. It contains other Maurice Sendak's stories set to music and sung by Carole King.
Petunia loves old Spiderman clips, and they seem to satisfy her desire to know something about the Superhero that invaded every shelf of the grocery store a few months ago:
http://video.google.com/videopla...earch&
plindex=7
http://video.google.com/videopla...earch&
plindex=0
She also loves this clip from Family Guy, and whenever Petunia starts to bother us incessantly we just look at her and say, 'Lois! Lois! Lois! Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mommy! Mama!...'
http://video.google.com/videopla...earch&
plindex=0
Petunia also really likes to see Judy Garland sing 'Over the Rainbow'
http://video.google.com/videopla...earch&
plindex=1
as well as the Wizard of Oz trailer (though we haven't let her watch the movie yet).
http://video.google.com/videopla...earch&
plindex=5
Sorry that Juney won't watch more TV. Petunia has a frightening capacity to sit through even something as long as Mary Poppins or the Sound of Music, which comes in awfully handy sometimes.
She also loves the Spongebob FUN Song, though I can't seem to find the link for that one right now.
Pythagoras Switch is my daughter's favorite, it doesn't allow me any time to do any house cleaning though because i have to read her the subtitles, but it's a fun show. she's 19 mo, and this is the only show she will sit still for.
http://youtube.com/results?searc...h&
search=Search
This is so great - the talking dogs piece had me in pieces. I am not big into YouTube, but I dig some of the clips. I can't wait to see your compilation .
I don't get why explaining on your blog why you do or don't do something with your kids makes you elitist.
Now, if you said that you were withholding TV from Juniper because you didn't want her to grow up to be either a beer-swilling truck-driving proletariat savage, or a materialistic bourgeois capitalist, but rather an intellectual and artistic freethinker...then you'd be elitist.
Construction equiptment in action is my son's favorite YouTube, real life, and video thing to watch.
Caillou is such a whiny little bitch. Our son loves him too. Oy.
This one will make your brain melt, especially after the 800th time you watch it, but my 6 year old can't get enough of the hamster dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H...h?
v=HvtN0YJk5Yk
Caillou is evil. You're allowed to say it. We all think it, so we won't take it as American imperialistic disdain.
Anyhoo. This is better Canadiana - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i...h?
v=iMV_zDQaq9o
This is even better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U...h?
v=UtQAqb03md8
i like the guns post. i like the comparison btwn then and now, it kind of reminds me of a del amitri song (surface of the moon).
http://gilliver.net/music/del_am...ics/
change.html
i like the sudden twist at the end with the memory of your father protecting you. thanks for writing, it's nice to read another's memories of their own journey. these will be so great for J to read one day.
It may not be elitist enough for you (Winking! Winking at you!), but my kid loves The Elephant Song. And well, I think it's pretty cute. Especially how the kid says "roosters."
We wore this one out, and sadly won't get to see the show actually air because we don't have cable:
http://www.yogabbagabba.com/olds...te/
samples.html
Also, www.uptoten.com has tons of short little songs sung by a koala and a blue dog with french accents.
http://www.uptoten.com/kids/
boow...gamesindex.html
We've also checked out Sesame Street's "Sing Yourself Silly" DVD (all songs)from the library and eventually had to own it. Lots of old clips you'll remember, like Ladybug Picnic, etc.
If Juniper ever does take an interest in regular TV programming, my best advice to you is to never, EVER introduce her to the Big Comfy Couch. It will make your brain parts leak from your ears.
Holden and his dad search on various instruments like "banjo" or "flute" and watch people play.
I'm a fan of the classic sesame street "rubber ducky" song.
And he loves to watch videos of himself... but I doubt that would entertain the masses.
I should confess... we have that anthology post bookmarked. My kids regularly ask to see various links and we come straight to your blog all the time.
Hey, Leslie Feist in that video you posted looks a lot like Wood. Maybe that's why Juniper likes it so much!
All of these links being posted are FUN!
And one more thing (for some reason I couldn't get onto the comments for this post): I absolutely LOVED the analysis of "Blueberries for Sal" referred to in an earlier post of yours. That was brilliantly funny! B.F.S. has been a favorite in our house for years, and this was an obviously affectionate yet hilarious examination of what is really going on in this story!
Like Juniper, MZ has no interest in TV. However, she thinks youtube is for watching Lion Dancers. There's a suprising number of lion dancer footage on youtube and we've watched it all. She prefers the wedding-type videos where they're dancing and blinking on the floor to the pole-jumping street fair variety. Oh yea, I know all the variations now.
On the other hand, most searches for specific animals on youtube result in XXX shots from someone's trip to the zoo.
Thanks for the heads up on YouTube. My kids have been having a ball watching I Love Lucy clips all afternoon.
Charlie is obsessed with the damn dancing banana! Peannnut butter jelly time! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s...h?
v=s8MDNFaGfT4
Both my boys (14 and 28 months old) are obsessed with this robot dancing to Spoon. It is sort of mesmerizing. Congrats on your new addition!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3g-yrjh58ms
My Stella loves Ok Go's here it goes again video, and all of Mr. T's rap videos. And puppies. The Mr. T videos are really good, because I loved the A team, and he never cusses or says anything disrespectful, but the colors are bright and he's so shiny.
This one holds our attention, as well as our 4 year old's. We all have our favorite parts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q...h?
v=Q5nmspVOz_Y
If anyone can read Japanese, I'd love to know what the little phrase is that is repeated over and over.
This one is great too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y...h?
v=ymnLpQNyI6g
"Once in awhile I will turn on PBS, but the only thing she'll sit still for is this show about a whiny 4-year-old French-Canadian cancer patient."
Oh. My. God. WHY is that? My kid is the SAME WAY. I now seriously hate that cartoon! my kid's "tv watching" is essentially relegated to bass fishing shows with her dad, but sometimes she asks for "dadu" and I'll hear her yelling "mommy, mommy" over and over again just like the cartoon and I swear her tantrums started right around the time she got interested in the little jerk.
I'm embarrassed to say that I have started her on The Wiggles and Curious George and even Boobah, just to make it stop! I sooo despise a bratty little cartoon bald boy and his ridiculous whining and his annoying parentals that I will go out of my way to find other TV programs. Mein gott. We had to tell her Caillou was broken.
Wood. Thank you so much for compiling the list! Can't wait to show it to my girl tonite when I get home.
My cousins are obsessed with the dramatic chipmunk: http://youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
and hippo and dog:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=m75i68Ob8ko
I didn't watch much TV as a kid, though my parents did record Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show (and they tell me that they also did Fraggle Rock when I was really little,) to play for me when I had to do breathing treatments (fie upon growing up with Asthma.) It wasn't until some time in middle school, when the Co-op (I'm in Nicolet) got the current Comcast package, that I started watching TV that wasn't a newscast.
It used to be a special thing, when I would go over to my Grandparents' house, to watch Nickelodeon, or something like that.
I think it was a good thing that I had a childhood that was roughly free of television, especially free of a lot of the Power Rangers/etc. crap that my classmates watched. I remember watching Sesame Street, and maybe Barney, with my mom. But, I also read a lot, and was pretty out of the loop on the Television scene.
6 Visitors Online
Commenting by HaloScan
