OT: Paw Patrol Michigan Edition
For all you young MGoDads out there you might be able to relate to this. I am watching the game with my 4 year old son on Saturday. Every time that Chase Winovich makes a play or a sack my son yells out "Chase is on the case!" (character from Paw Patrol) and then this Saturday he was introduced to a new "player" when Larwrence Marshall got his paw on the ball to help with the first interception he heard the name Marshall (another character from Paw Patrol) and was totally stoked to find out there was yet another paw patrol character on Michigan's team. Needless to say, Chase and Marshall are his favorite players and it makes watching the game with him quite fun and entertaining.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:09 AM ^
Lucky my daughter is 3 weeks old and doesn’t watch Paw Patrol yet. Hoping that she’ll like Spongebob when she gets older. I’m 25 and I’ll still watch that show if nothing else is on. I have no shame.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
You have a long time until SpongeBob. You have, in order:
Little Einsteins
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Handy Manny
Muppet Babies
Doc McStuffins
Vampirina
Sophia the First
Thomas the Train
PJ Masks
Puppy Dog Pals
Paw Patrol
Lion Guard
And then maybe, just maybe, you will be able to watch a glorious SpongeBob or two.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
isnt peppa pig a big deal? Im an uncle not a father.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:31 AM ^
That one may have got by my son, haven't heard of it.
Then again not much at all matters to him right now except for Lightning McQueen. He's got it BAD for Cars. Worst I've seen in all my years.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:39 AM ^
Peppa Pig is good (for preschool/kindergarten age). It's British and it helps teach kids to not be little bastards.
But then (like Thomas) your kid starts using British words, rubbish, loo, boot, lorrie, etc.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^
My kid is 2 years old and is obsessed with trains. He has seen something like maybe 3 or 4 episodes of Thomas. He now says "aren't you a cheeky one?" to his toy trains. Parents beware.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:29 AM ^
I'd like to also add that you should never, under any circumstances, turn on Caillou or Mutt & Stuff.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
Correct, Caillou is a piece of shit.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
Haha the "Caillou is a bitch" video is spot on. I actually gave away my oldest's Caillou books before his younger siblings found them.
September 24th, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
"Caillou is an aggressively bad show ruining the world's children ... and it's all Canada's fault".
September 24th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^
Back when my son was in the Calliou age range, unprompted he said "Caillou is a whiner." That was just another reinforcement that I love my kid!
September 24th, 2018 at 10:37 AM ^
You left out Team Umizoomi, Super Why, and Blaze and the Monster Machines.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:43 AM ^
to OP, that is cool.
to ijohnb (and other parents), there's another way to handle the issue though.
no TV. only the occasional, super special deal, or if one of them is sick, will they get a video. and then its, say, andy griffith, veggie tales, or maybe a john wayne movie, something along those lines.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^
Not everyone prefers to live like the Amish.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:55 AM ^
There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who live off the grid, and those who wish they lived off the grid.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
And option 3: People who don't understand either perspective.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:14 AM ^
we jokingly refer to ourselves as the electric amish. i do business with them, as they farm near us. very pleasant people. i do remember riding home one day from one of the farms and one of my boys whispered in the back seat to me: 'daddy, i saw something in the barn'. i thought he was going to tell me about the incredible draft horses they have, at least 20 hands high and about as wide as my truck. nope, not the topic.
he says, 'daddy, i saw an electric drill!'
September 24th, 2018 at 11:18 AM ^
That is awesome
September 24th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^
Oh yeah totally. That 4 year old should really be out getting a job. All those Michigan football players you cheer for sure seem irresponsible and not dependable as well. God forbid that different generations have different experiences based on what is and is not available to them based on the advancement (or not) of society.
September 24th, 2018 at 1:12 PM ^
i don't think his comment was anything to do with the players. that is a job in this day and age. it had to do with the wise use, or non-use, of available technology. i think his point is more along the lines of 'not all things available are helpful', and he cited some reasons why.
September 24th, 2018 at 3:00 PM ^
Actually fun fact, kids today are LESS likely to be snatched off the street now. There's also less sexual assault and less violent crime. I also dont know about you but I dont think a 4 year old is going to eschew playing outside because of a blog.
Sorry old man but your childhood only looks great because of nostalgia. Also I am so glad that your generation was responsible and dependable enough to fuck up our environment and lead the country into economic crisis. Boy you sure set nice example for all the millennials out there.
September 24th, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
Is this sarcastic parody of baby boomers and and acknowledgment about their ease of life? Yeah, back in the 1970s one didn’t have to have a bachelor’s degree in one’s field and could teach a college discipline they were not an expert in. Now PhDs are adjuncting and competing to teach at private high schools and community colleges—or asked to do unpaid internships just to have chances at interviews for low level jobs they are more technically qualified for in today’s world.
Stop with this denigration of the “youth,” unless you want to talk about how baby boomers are greedy, less educated as a generation, bad with money, MORE prejudiced against minorities of all swathes, and had a whole lot to do with the implosion of the economy circa 2008 due to buying more than they could afford and relying on the Millennials to bail them out so they can retire. And if we want to talk about obesity and social interactions (which are correlated by you to TV and internet)—it is the 60-plus crowd that carries the obesity ratios at high rates and likes to use guns to stand one’s ground because a neighbor parked in a handicap spot or put their trash in the wrong place. Talk about great communication skills!
Sure, let’s go back to the excuse-making generation, who is made up of “men” afraid of being called out on their assholery when they “grab women by the pussy” because they think they can get away with it.
All the while, it’s not safe for kids to be out on streets with more twisted old people abducting them from neighborhoods, with inconsiderate old drivers hitting more kids, and with more parents having to work in dual income houses just to make ends meet—but yeah, say something sarcastic about three entire generations of adults and younger because you think “anyone under 40” is, what?, not living the right way—like those over 40 are some kind of magical group of people because they didn’t watch much TV.
Shit, I learned more about how not too generalize an entire set of people from Sesame Street during the mornings than I did from “going outside.”
Lastly, it is ironic-funny how you espouse said opinion about going outside and staying off blogs...on a blog, about sitting on your ass on a couch and watching others exercise on a field while you complain about how they are or are not making you happy through their play.
September 24th, 2018 at 9:37 PM ^
I was born in 1965 and my take is that screens of all kinds have made it hard for some kids to learn social skills because they don't have the nearly 100% face-to-face relationships we had as kids. But, you're right, with progress come different experiences for the new generation. I am a screen person now. I love my laptop, my phone, Facebook, Twitter, surfing every night while I watch TV. I feel like I don't read as much anymore because of it, and that makes me sad. I think it's the instant gratification of having so much information in a click. I can go from the New York Times cooking section to MGoBlog to Twitter to Google to search for some completely random piece of information to watching videos on Youtube and it requires so little work.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
Not an "issue" though. TV is awesome. I love television and film. Fantastic medium for storytelling. I have always appreciated it and I hope they do too.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
I agree with the list but from my 2 year old to my 6 year old they love Teen Titans now so I will watch it with them.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:19 AM ^
Thomas the train toys nearly bankrupted me.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
I bought a huge set off of Craigslist. Probably $1,500+ in trains, tracks, and buildings. Paid 150.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^
Probably from some guy on the brink of bankruptcy.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
Ha! Now that you mention it they did look to be on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale. The kid (maybe 12?) had a huge collection and I think he wanted money instead of toy trains.
It's pretty common to find them second hand. They don't have much value once they've been opened and played with.
September 24th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
That's the scary part, hoping the used toys are pathogen free. Kids are nasty. And while I think it's a little weird for a grown up to play with trains, I hope you didn't get sick from playing with them.
September 24th, 2018 at 1:10 PM ^
Pretty sure Mrs. Hatter lysol'd the hell out of them (as she does any second hand item that enters our house). But I'm of the opinion that kids should be exposed to as much filth as possible to help build an effective immune system. I was never clean before middle school and I rarely get sick. The wife lived in a sterile environment (with insane parents) and she's sick all the time.
September 24th, 2018 at 2:15 PM ^
We're of the same mind there. My kids are definitely not sickly while some of their cousins are sick often. Their parents are always freaking out about hygiene (that said, you can't change a dirty diaper fast enough. Diaper rash sucks)
September 24th, 2018 at 8:47 PM ^
I could have retired by now but instead bought legos for my kids
September 24th, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
Good list, but leaving out Phineas & Ferb is almost a crime.
Phineas & Ferb has been known to be on long after the kids went to bed.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^
We had Phineas And Ferb set to record on our DVR in college. No shame.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^
Puppy Dog Pals is so underrated. My 1 year old kid loves Puppy Dog Pals. I just think it's funny that the hitchhiker (7 min abs guy) in 'Something About Mary' created Puppy Dog Pals.
He also just started really getting into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
Honestly, Puppy Dog Pals and Vamparina are the only unwatchable things from this list.
You Forgot:
Blaze
Mickey and the Roadster Racers
The Mickey Mouse Shorts (Which are actually super good)
If you are lucky, your kid will watch the new Trolls cartoon and the Magic School Bus on Netflix. Those aren't half bad.
September 24th, 2018 at 12:03 PM ^
Mr. Dressup?
Arthur?
Little Bear?
Doodlebops?
September 24th, 2018 at 4:15 PM ^
Does any station play old Mr. Rodgers episodes? I just watched a great new documentary on Mr. Rodgers (simply titled "Mr. Rodgers") and it is fascinating and worth a look. While his character was not an act, Fred Rodgers was a deeply intelligent person who incorporated very progressive child psychology into his message and helped children confront very difficult subjects like divorce, war, and death.
September 24th, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^
Don't forget Dora the Explorer. And Elena of Avalor probably goes somewhere after Lion Guard.
My daughter doesn't watch Spongebob (she never really got into it) but she loves My Little Pony.
September 24th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^
Don't forget the horror that is Sunny Day, Shimmer and Shine and maybe even Little Charmers
September 24th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
Wow...logged in only to comment on how phenomenally accurate that list is - I have 3 kids and that order is exactly how it goes down.
September 24th, 2018 at 2:44 PM ^
You missed Elena of Avalor, but otherwise spot on.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
Congrats! You have some time. Just try to implement an in advance moratorium on Peppa Pig before it's too late. She's the worst. (My 4yo has moved on to Curious George, thankfully.)
September 24th, 2018 at 10:35 AM ^
The snorting is overkill
September 24th, 2018 at 10:32 AM ^
I actually liked paw patrol when my son watched it. Totally harmless cute show. Spongebob has annoyed me since it’s inception, so thankful he isn’t a fan either.
September 24th, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
Agree to disagree about SpongeBob. I have to say I'm glad my oldest is on to Rick and Morty though.
September 24th, 2018 at 1:55 PM ^
No shame is correct. User name checks out.
September 24th, 2018 at 10:09 AM ^
Ah, this takes me back to the DOPS days. I had all those theme songs memorized. Paw Patrol was one of my favorites.