Lessons from Watching the Little Bear Show

Ever since he was two years old, my son has enjoyed watching Little Bear (created by Maurice Sendak) on Noggin. He liked it so much that I went on to ebay and ordered him several hour-long Little Bear DVD's from Canada. In case you are unfamiliar with this wonderful preschooler's cartoon, Little Bear focuses (obviously) on the life of Little Bear. He lives in a cute little house in the woods with his Mother Bear and Father Bear. Little Bear also has several friends who participate in adventures with him: Cat, Duck, Owl, Hen, and Emily (a little girl).

The nice thing about Little Bear is that it is a peaceful and gentle children's show. This is not a show that you have to monitor for language or violence. Some people argue that Little Bear is not an "educational" show, meaning that it does not teach numbers or the alphabet or a foreign language. While they are right in a way, Little Bear does teach preschoolers valuable lessons that even an adult can profit from:

1. Little Bear teaches the value of a loving family. Mother Bear and Father Bear obviously love each other, and on one show they review their "wedding album" and dance together. Mother Bear is seen as an extremely patient and at times firm parent. Father Bear is shown as sometimes away fishing (his job); but when he is at home, he always has time to spend with Little Bear and Mother Bear. The Little Bear show is full of hugs and kisses and love between family members.

2. Little Bear teaches the value of hard work. Sometimes Little Bear accompanies Father Bear on his fishing boat, or helps his mother with chores around the house. Work is seen as fun and exciting, and Little Bear looks forward to helping his parents with their jobs.

3. Little Bear teaches the value of good friends. Cat, Duck, Owl, Hen, and Emily never run out of imaginative games to play. Sometimes they have little disagreements, but they are always able to work them out between themselves-good conflict resolution. They are very loyal to each other. Little Bear continues to write Emily letters even when she goes away to school.

4. Little Bear teaches respect for Grandparents. Little Bear adores his Grandmother and Grandfather Bear. They also love him greatly, and teach him lessons through telling stories and playing with him. Sometimes he goes to their house and brings them little presents. Emily lives with her Grandmother and also has a great deal of admiration for her. On Little Bear, Grandparents are respected the way they ought to be.

There are many other lessons to be learned from Little Bear. It is one of those timeless, beautiful cartoons that children will want to watch again and again.