Let me start by saying that I watch a LOT of television. Always have. Always will. I was never much of a reader. Reading for fun never worked for me. I didn’t start reading books that I wasn’t going to be tested on until midway thru college. How I got into college is anyone’s guess. Instead of reading I watched TV. I wouldn’t start homework until my afternoon/evening shows were done. I watched pretty much everything. Growing Pains, Facts of Life, Full House. Heck, I even watched Small Wonder if it meant I could put off math homework by 30 mins.

Now that I am home most of the day, I’m getting exposed to a type of television that I never really watched. Daytime TV. In my former life I worked in a newsroom. We had something like 200 TVs on at all times. But those were tuned to CNN, FOX News, MSNBC and CNBC. I could get away with watching ESPN or NFL Network under the guise of being a “sports guy,” which was a perk I suppose. I’m trying to actually parent Cameron, and not let the TV do all of the work. And he isn’t really paying attention to the TV just yet anyway.

Let’s start with what I watch. I haven’t been seduced by soap operas. My mom stayed at home with me as a kid. I don’t know who was paying attention to me everyday at 1:00 when All My Children came on, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t her! When I have the TV to myself (nap time) I mostly catch up on my DVR. Or watch Netflix. Every few years I plow through all seven seasons of The West Wing. I recently completed that again. I’m not necessarily proud of this habit, but there it is. I check on The Today Show from time to time. I accidentally watch the first few minutes of LIVE with Kelly and Michael every once in a while as a result. I swing by The Price is Right just to remind me of the days that I stayed home sick from school. Otherwise, my viewing is pretty predictable. Sports networks, DVR and sometimes HGTV. HGTV is addictive. I barely own tools. I have no business watching this channel, but I can’t help it. I went thru an Extreme Couponing phase when we were in Rhode Island last year. I don’t really like to talk about that.

In short, not much has changed in my personal viewing since we had Cam. We do have a couple of shows that we “watch” when we’re home, and that’s what I want to discuss. Cam is nine months old. He doesn’t speak yet. He doesn’t really even know what he likes and doesn’t like. (That’s not really true; he likes putting everything in his mouth;  he hates everything else). So luckily I’m not dealing with having to be told to  watch Caillou or Dora. Not yet. Our morning routine includes watching PBS Kids. We haven’t gotten to Nickelodeon or really even Disney. Three shows tend to be on all the time, and they have, for better or worse, become part of our day.

*I won’t include Sesame Street here. It’s an old standby. And hasn’t really changed all that much in the 30 years since I stopped watching. Elmo gets it done. Incredible.

Curious George: I grew up reading these books (yes, I read those books!). I don’t recall a cartoon on TV of the book until well after I was of the appropriate age. As a TV show this is pretty ok. If you overlook why a grown man owns a monkey in the first place. And you just have to roll with it when George causes all this trouble and never faces any consequences. All in the name of curiosity I suppose. So much for learning lessons. They just roll a disclaimer of a little girl saying George is a monkey so he can do this but you can’t. It’s a disclaimer for 3 year olds! I have started judging things on how many seconds/minutes something can hold Cam’s attention. He seems to like George enough that it allows me to send a couple of emails, so this is probably my favorite show!

Dinosaur Train: I have five nieces and nephews. I was a little familiar with children’s television. Dora the Explorer, Barkyardigans, Caillou and others. I had never heard of Dinosaur Train until recently. And it’s not bad. I could see him really liking it when he becomes obsessed with Dinosaurs in a year or two. This show is very true to its title. It is 30 mins of Dinosaurs on a train. The main characters are siblings, who seem to always be on a train for whatever reason. The train is the (literal) vehicle to the show’s adventure. Lessons are learned. Friends are made. The theme song is fantastic. On the days when I catch a full episode, I’ve been known to randomly sing DINOSAUR TRAIN….DINOSAUR TRAIN from time to time. Good show. I look forward to Cam getting more into this one.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Let me be clear, I was raised on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Sesame Street and Fred Rogers played a big role in any person raised over the last four decades. I recognize that the Fred Rogers company is involved in this production. That said, this is horrible television. I’m a little offended by the idea that you would try and do a remake of a classic show, with a cartoon Tiger. Daniel is a our main character. He’s the son of the Tiger from the original show, many of the characters are second generation of the original. That’s nice. But this show doesn’t really work like the original show did. For one, it’s all animated. The theme song is the SAME! Complete with that brat Daniel changing his shoes, ala Fred. I’m offended by this. Parents of kids everywhere should find this offensive. And a little lazy. My main beef with this show is that they find a theme lesson. A one sentence piece of guidance that is the lesson for the entire show. And about every 2-3 minutes, they SING that sentence. That’s like 15 times a show. I realize that old Fred would sing some off-key tunes to help us learn. But Daniel Tiger is no Fred Rogers! Not even close. I’m hoping we can skip this program entirely as Cam and I both discover better options!

I won’t let television raise my kids. But as any parent who stays at home knows, it is a useful tool to allow yourself the freedom to do just about anything else! What shows out there should I looking for? Something educational, entertaining and won’t make my head explode? Open to suggestions!