Word of the Day

Sesame Street is gold, although I can't watch it for as long as I used to. I usually check out the word of the day and then leave the room. Yesterday, Sesame Street's word of the day was 'stupendous'.

"I can use stupendous in a sentence," I told the kids. "I am stupendous!"

"That's like stupid, only on a bigger scale," Tracey muttered as she breezed past. 

Not all kids programs are as good though. Recently I caught a segment of the cartoon Little Princess. What on Earth is that cartoon trying to tell kids? They can whinge and get whatever they want? Thanks ABC2, but like my kids need the encouragement.

Growing up, we had the best cartoons: Scooby-Doo, Gadget, Daffy, Darkwing and Roadrunner. Even when Master20 was growing up we could sit on the couch together and watch Bart and Pikachu. Cartoons were funny and adventurous and full of good life lessons - like rabbits are crafty, clowns aren't always happy and haunted houses are usually built over gold or diamond mines.

It's not just cartoons where I think we were better served as youngsters - have you sat down and watched In The Night Garden or Yo Gabba Gabba? What the...? But my kids love them.

As a young sprog I was always riveted to the screen with quality shows like Sesame Street, the Muppets, Playschool and, if I could sneak in behind the couch while my parents thought I was asleep in bed, I Dream of Jeanie. I still dream of Jeanie.

I also rediscovered Playschool when Master20 was born. Depending on the hosts it can be a great laugh. For example, have you ever noticed how whenever John Hamblin gets involved in a dress up he ferrets away in the box until he finds a dress or a skirt? He was cross dressing before it became cool. The man was fantastic value for both kids and adults. Classic John was the time Benita set up a play picnic with a plate and a knife and John said, "I suppose a fork's out of the question?" Playschool is a lot more bland these days without his double entendres. I like reruns.

Granted, amongst the chaff these days there are some fantastic kids' programs. I'm thinking primarily of  Shaun the Sheep, Jakers and the Super Hero Squad (love those funny little guys). Whichever way you look at it they are positively stupendous.

Like me :)