Playhouse Disney, Nick Jr., Or PBS Kids?

Children's' shows on channels such as Disney, PBS, and Nickelodeon are not only entertaining and stimulating for children, but offer educational and informative lessons as well. Some may dispute the educational benefits television offers, but unlike shows in the past, these programs are created with the child's development in mind. These shows also offer parents a few moments to tidy up the house, make phone calls, or even sit and relax while enjoying the show with their child. With all of these programs available it can be difficult to determine which one is most valuable for children to watch.

Playhouse Disney is very attractive for young children and publicized as one would expect Disney to be. Some of the shows use traditional Disney icons, such as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, and have made them into more modern day characters with a better developed educational purpose. Another show offered on Playhouse Disney is Handy Manny. Manny is a "handy man" who, with the help of his tools, fixes things that are broken around town. Each show offers life lessons such as working hard to achieve goals, and some characters in the show speak Spanish which allows children to learn simple words in another language. Little Einsteins is a very informative show that incorporates classical pieces of art into a learning adventure with four imaginative children as the main characters. There are several other shows on Playhouse Disney such as: Imagination Movers, Bunny Town, The Doodlebops, and Johnny and the Sprites.

PBS Kids is a channel with long lasting shows that are sure to spark a child's imagination. With the channel being known for its overall purpose of educating the public, these shows may be said to be superb in the young children's field of television. Shows, such as Sesame Street, have been on the air for generations. In fact, the world famous characters on Sesame Street made their debut almost 40 years ago in 1969. Parents are able to watch this show with their children while remembering their youth and watching the same program. This show offers lessons in spelling, counting, friendship, and many more. PBS has a long line up of classic television shows such as Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Barney and Friends, Reading Rainbow, The Bernstein Bears, and Arthur. Other newer shows include: Word World, Sid the Science Kid, Super Why, Word Girl, and Dragon Tales. Parents can rest as ease when their children are watching these shows which have proven over time their effectiveness in child development.

Mornings on Nickelodeon are just for young children and preschoolers. Nick Jr. has not had quite the long history as PBS, but some parent find that the shows they offer are equally educational. On Nick Jr. you can find the popular series, Dora the Explorer. Dora, the main character in this show, is a young girl who spends each show taking children on an adventure. She uses a backpack to carry the items needed on the adventure, and takes along her trusty map to find the way. Dora also speaks Spanish and teaches children how to pronounce common words in Spanish. Other shows offered by Nickelodeon are: Blues Clues, the Backyardigans, Yo Gabba Gabba, Wonder Pets, and Max and Ruby.

With so many options available, how do parents know which shows to allow their children to watch?

Parents need to be active in choosing the programs that are watched by young children. It is the parent who knows which milestones the child is nearing and what learning level they are at. Each channel that offers these shows has a web site with information for parents about their programs. These programs should be analyzed by the parent and then decided upon. Each program offers different learning, and though most are geared to pre-schoolers, there are some shows that are developed just for toddlers. Then there are some shows which some feel would send children several steps back in their development. For instance, some parents argue that the show Wonder Pets on Nick Jr. encourages children to use words incorrectly because one of the characters does not speak well. Others argue that other shows, such as Sesame Street on PBS Kids, offer false concepts because of their "over-the-top" characters.

What should parents look for in a child's program?

While searching for the right television shows for a child to watch parents need to look for certain aspects of the show that are consistent. The show may be good one day, and bad the next. This is why monitoring what your child is watching is very important. The show should offer stimulating content, upbeat music, and unbiased curriculum.

By visiting the web sites of each channel that offers programs that may interest your child you can find the answers to many questions. Some sites also allow interaction between parents, and contact information to a representative for the channel. Take advantage of these features offered to you, and enjoy the show!