The Channel formerly known as Noggin

I watch a lot of TV. I mean, A LOT. The Bachelor...Grey's Anatomy...Modern Family...Project Runway...Real Housewives of Anywhere...you name it--I'll watch it. Again, this is one of those things about myself that I'm willing to admit/live with...but that I'm slightly afraid that I will pass on to my child. If you've had kids or are pregnant, you know the feeling of being bombarded by books and experts telling you a million different things: don't use a pacifier, breastfeed until they go to college, don't drink during the pregnancy...DON'T let your child watch too much TV!! All very valid points/opinions. But I'm not sure that these so-called experts tuned in to channel 134 on Brighthouse in the Central Florida area before casting their ruling.

Noggin. Nick Jr. Whatever you want to call it--I call it the best tool a parent can have in his/her arsenal. Throw in a DVR and you've pretty much hit the jackpot.

As I'm typing this, I am home with Ben who is sick and he is watching Oswald. That's right--that giant blue octopus who is friends with a penguin and a giant daisy and has a daschund named Weenie. Here's the kicker--Oswald is brought to life by the voice of Fred Savage. That's right, folks. He's come a long way since The Wonder Years. And he's not the only star who enjoys lending his/her voice to animated creatures--Kristin Davis (SATC's Charlotte) is the voice of Miss Spider--a giant spider with 8 buggy kids who live in a tree in Sunny Patch.

But the Nick Jr. show that pulls in the biggest names has to be Yo Gabba Gabba. Wow. This show is really...interesting. I've never tripped on acid, but after watching about 5 minutes of this show, I think I get a general idea of what it would be like. Having said that, they really get some big names on there--Andy Samberg, The Roots, Rachel Dratch, Jack Black...they've all been on there. And they are there to promote good messages to the kiddies out there--don't bite your friends, love your family, try new foods...it's all good.

Of course, as Ben's gotten older, he's progressed from Blue's Clues and Wonder Pets--although, he still enjoys watching Lenny the Guinea Pig (who, by the way, is surprisingly a girl), Tuck the turtle and Ming Ming the duckling...(I am pretty sure that he likes this show so much because they sing a lot--what can I say? The kid is pretty much destined to like musicals.)

So, yes--he watches a lot of TV. My justification is this--he doesn't watch any during the day when he's at school, and really--it's educational and entertaining at the same time...and it's not like Ben's addicted to it...yet...