Pets and Peeves of Children's Programming

Mothering my daughter into toddlerhood has me getting into cartoons and Disney movies again.  Some are better and some are worse than they used to be.

My Pets (no pun intended)

1. The Wonder Pets!  

I LOVE the song.  It was my ringtone before I got my new phone.  These 3 came on Nick Jr. when Trixie was a baby.  We would watch this as I rocked her to sleep.  (Some would say this is bad mothering, but it worked for us.)  I think I like this one more than her.

     2.  Max and Ruby

           Ruby and Max

I love Max!  He is one sharp bunny.  Ruby is always underestimating him.  I have a big question though- Do they have parents?????  Ruby mothers Max, feeds him, helps him bathe.  Their Grandma drops in frequently, but do they have parents?????

  3.  Sofia the First

                                       
My daughter and I are both quite taken with Disney's newest princess.    This taps into the fairy tale from a couple different levels.  There's Sofia, the little girl who becomes a princess and Miranda, the single mother who marries the king.  Little girls get to become a princess and single mommies get the kings.  I love Cinderella's appearance and her regrets about her step sisters.  I really liked Miranda's first meeting with her step children and the way she acknowledged the reputation step mothers have and her plan to be different.  I can't wait for the series to begin!

My Peeves

1.  Olivia is kinda cute, but I find her to be a brat most of the time.  Complaining about her "little bothers."  She goes through a phase in an episode where she thinks everyone should be named Olivia.  I really don't want Trixie to turn into a self-centered brat like Olivia. 

2.  The new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Whatever happened to M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E???  And where did we get meeska mooska, Mickey Mouse????  And toodles?  I find the new Mickey to be highly annoying.

3.  Dora and Diego are getting on my nerves.  If you've seen 1, you've seen them all.  The same format gets old after a dozen episodes.  (Or even more with Amazon Prime.)  But I do see a benefit from the Spanish language and culture kids are exposed to.

That Which Disturbs Me 

1. Yo Gabba Gabba.  A grown man in a tight jump suit with a weird hat who plays with strange toys.  Strange toys that come to life.  I just really don't get this show.  At all.  I'm 30 years old and DJ Lance scares me.


What are your favorite shows for kids?  Do you find yourself getting more into shows than the little ones?  Are there any that freak you out?