Dora the hero!

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.