Our Top Five Educational Television Shows

I love tv. We had to buy an extra hard drive to store all of the shows I have on the DVR. It's really quite nice to be able to watch a whole season of a show without having to wait for next week. So of course I let my daughter H watch tv, probably a lot more than I should. She learned the alphabet from Elmo.

The Cat in The Hat on PBS. To be honest, I really don't care for the Cat in the Hat. I like the original Cat, the one who was slightly naughty and made messes and didn't get along with the fish. Watching the show helps kids learn about things different animals can do. H used to like this show, but now that she's six she'd rather watch Word Girl, also on PBS.

Curious George on PBS. I hate Curious George, but my daughter loves him. We actually had to ban her from watching it until she stopped acting like Curious George, complete with pointing and grunting. And I wonder how the man in the yellow hat can afford an apartment right off Central Park and a house in the country. On the plus side, the show is inoffensive and George always seems to learn something. And Chef Pisghetti has a cat named Gnocchi.

Martha Speaks on PBS. H has learned a lot of new vocabulary words from watching Martha Speaks. I don't dislike this show, but I did make up new lyrics to the theme song that go "Martha Stinks, Martha Stinks, Martha Stinks and Stinks and Stinks and Stinks and Stinks."

Mythbusters on Discovery. My daughter loves watching Mythbusters with her daddy. It might not be a show especially geared for children, but it is educational. And fairly family friendly.

Modern Marvels on the History Channel. I know, again, it's not a kids show. But H loves watching it, and it's a show our whole family enjoys. And we learn how things work and the background behind them. And I think that's important for a kid to learn, especially one that has never known life before cellphones and Tivo.

When I asked H for her favorite shows, she said Curious George, Word Girl and Dance Moms. I guess I'm lucky she didn't say Toddlers and Tiaras, or Hoarders, which I'm sad to say that we watch together.