Hooray for Dora
In the past 6 months or so, since we started becoming more relaxed in our restrictions on Annika's TV-watching schedule, I've probably sat through more than a hundred hours of Dora the Explorer episodes. Though I like the absence of violence and inappropriate language, I haven't seen any real educational value in the adventures of Dora, Boots, and their friends. In fact the show seems to teach that you can just use any boat or submarine you find (if the owner's not around, no need to ask for permission!) and has the scary concept of a stalker following a little girl around (Swiper's obviously not in it for the loot because he throws it all away so he's probably just trying to get Dora's attention).
Until we went to Paris, that is. We've been extremely spoiled with Stockholm public transport which is very
accessible for parents with strollers or even disabled people on wheelchairs. Damn the absence of elevators, escalators or even ramps on the Paris Metro. Anyway Annika freaked out about being taken out of the stroller, carried down the stairs, then after a few seconds being made to sit in it again - naturally she thought she would be allowed to run inside the busy station, and was beginning to throw a tantrum - so I gave her a pack of Dora stickers and boom, instance silence. And on the plane, she did not want to put on her seat belt and kept yelling, "Tanggan (tanggal) seat belt! Tanggan seat belt!!!!!" until I said, "di ba sabi ni Dora we should wear seatbelts, so we can be safe?" and she calmed down right away. Thank God because the other passengers would have gone deaf if they had to sit through her screaming through the whole take-off and landing.
So those hours spent watching Dora and singing the Backpack and Map songs? Not a waste after all, because if your toddler won't believe what you say about the importance of putting on seat belts during the most dangerous parts of an airplane ride, she will believe Dora.
And I have to admit, that Backpack song is pretty catchy.
Until we went to Paris, that is. We've been extremely spoiled with Stockholm public transport which is very
accessible for parents with strollers or even disabled people on wheelchairs. Damn the absence of elevators, escalators or even ramps on the Paris Metro. Anyway Annika freaked out about being taken out of the stroller, carried down the stairs, then after a few seconds being made to sit in it again - naturally she thought she would be allowed to run inside the busy station, and was beginning to throw a tantrum - so I gave her a pack of Dora stickers and boom, instance silence. And on the plane, she did not want to put on her seat belt and kept yelling, "Tanggan (tanggal) seat belt! Tanggan seat belt!!!!!" until I said, "di ba sabi ni Dora we should wear seatbelts, so we can be safe?" and she calmed down right away. Thank God because the other passengers would have gone deaf if they had to sit through her screaming through the whole take-off and landing.
So those hours spent watching Dora and singing the Backpack and Map songs? Not a waste after all, because if your toddler won't believe what you say about the importance of putting on seat belts during the most dangerous parts of an airplane ride, she will believe Dora.
And I have to admit, that Backpack song is pretty catchy.