A while back, when my kids began enjoying toddler/young kid
programming, Dora and Diego both rose to the top of the list rapidly. Much to
my chagrin, I frequently found myself humming the Dora theme song while I made
dinner, unaware that I was doing it. It struck me as one of those “You know
you’re a mom when… “ moments. My husband jokingly commented that our kids were
going to develop a stutter (D-D-D-D-D- Dora) and that we should sue
Nickelodeon. It was pretty amusing.
I heard once that you should always watch what your kids are
watching, at least in the beginning. Watch the characters and ask yourself the
following question. “Am I content with my child emulating this character?”
Given how much children learn from everything they observe, this is definitely
wisdom.
And when I asked myself this very question, in regards to
Dora and Diego, the answer was a resounding YES.
Dora is sweet. She’s loving and honest. She is devoted to
her best friend, Boots, and she always speaks nicely to her parents. She loves
adventures and uses a map to be sure that she knows where to go. Oh, and she
ALWAYS wears a seatbelt for safety. Sure, she under supervised, but I can live
with that considering her biggest predator is Swiper the fox, and he’s easy to
scare off. Besides, her backpack is always prepped and ready.
Diego is slightly more adventurous, and significantly less
supervised than Dora, but he’s a pretty cool kid. He’s kind to animals and
always makes sure that mommy and babies are reunited safely. He’s never
aggressive and always respects the space of the animals and people around him.
His rescue pack is enviable in its ability to transform. I’d pay good money for
one like that.
The plot, while insanely formulaic, is productive and
positive. It’s always about helping or saving something, and all the characters
join together to facilitate the success of the character in need. That view on
life is not to be taken lightly. Many adults could use a few lessons.
My kids are not the most physically adventurous kids. This
is not shocking as they were late walkers who outnumbered their physically
cautious mom (as twins). We started playgrounds on the later side and I have a
hard time holding back from saying “be careful” at times when I should simply
keep my mouth closed.
Dora and Diego, however, have taught them to harbor less
fear. While they used to avoid the high points of swing set towers, they now
clamber as high as possible because it provides the best view for Diego (the
animal rescuer) to spot the animal in trouble. They slide down the slides to
catch said animal, even when that slide is faster than they anticipated the
first time.
Last week, we took the kids on a walk and my son found
himself in a position to clamber up a steep (by his standards) hill. My husband
was behind him and I was at the top of the hill, so I had a clear view of his
face. Or should I say his fear? I called out to him, and when he looked at me I
grinned and shouted “Go Diego Go!” The
fear fell from his face. Instantly. He called back to me, “Go Diego Go!” and
began to climb with confidence. He made it to the top with no problem and a
triumphant grin.
My daughter enjoys looking at maps, asking where they
go. I suspect that I, in part, have Dora
to thank for her increased interest.
My only slight hesitation with these shows is the nagging
worry of gender stereotypes. Dora is much softer while Diego is significantly more
rough and tumble. Part of me wonders if this is a wise idea, telling children
what “real girl” or “real boy” looks like and how they behave.
But that’s a battle for another day. And a much larger
societal issue. We’ll come back to that later.
