Children & TV characters

I was struggling for what to blog about this week & a friend of mine in Australia jokingly suggested I talk about the global love for Peppa Pig.  I laughed then I stopped & thought about it. I thought about how as a parent you are pretty much forced into watching the worst possible TV programmes.  Literally forced.  And literally the worst programmes!

Before I had my daughter I had heard of certain ones through friends who had kids & then when my niece came along a year before my daughter arrived.  But you never really take much interest.  Until you have a child of your own.

I have talked previously about how I feel there is nothing wrong with children watching TV.  My personal view is that as long as it isn't hours & hours of it continously then I don't see a problem with it.  Some people disagree I know, but that's my opinion. When you suffer from chronic illness, such as M.E, it almost becomes a necessity sometimes too.  If you do not have the energy to do anything else you can at least be with your child & know they are safe while they watch tv or a film & you lie on the sofa!

However, what I hadn't anticipated was how annoying certain programmes would be.  Or how much I couldn't stand certain characters.   For anyone who is familar with In the Night Garden, please tell me I am not the only person who wanted to throw a stone at Makka Pakka?  Talk about weird.  And what on earth was that programme all about anyway!?!  So pleased she grew out of it & also pleased her favourite character from it was Upsy Daisy as oppose to the other strange beings.

I find certain childrens' programmes also have a lot of double entendre in, which may not be deliberate.  Perhaps it is just my dirty mind.  But if you watch Ben & Holly I'm pretty sure you may get a glimpse of what I mean!  Gaston the ladybird is a very naughty little creature.

The other thing about kids' tv is the obsession with certain characters.  They really do become completely & utterly obsessed.  Peppa Pig is the one they all go mad for.  She is a pig who talks, snorts & has various animal friends.  She lives with Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig & her little brother George.  Her favourite hobby is jumping up & down in muddy puddles. What can there possibly be that is so endearing about her? But she must have something as they all love her.  She does have a sweet voice I admit!

My daughter would sit & watch, almost hypnotised by it.  From a very early age too. Of course it isn't just the programme, you get all the merchandise in the shops.. toys, toothbrushes, bedding, clothes which cost more because Peppa is on them! You name it & it is available to buy.  We probably encourage their habit by buying it but what can we do?

On her 2nd birthday she got a Peppa dressing up outfit & wore it when we took her bowling as she wouldn't take it off!

We have now moved on, after years of it, to the Princess obsession.  However I will never be able to forget that little piggy. Why? You may ask. Because guess what my daughter's first word was??......

PEPPA!!