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Peppa Pig, CoCoMelon, WishenPoof — the list goes on. Unless you are a parent who has been living under a rock these past few years, then you would most likely know these extended members of your family pretty well.
You would know that the highlight of your kids’ day might be when they get to meet these friends on the screen. And you probably might have ordered birthday cakes themed in the shapes of these characters as well.
It is also not unlikely then that you might have inadvertently been pulled into sitting with your little one to watch an episode. What is even more — ahem!—embarrassing is that you might have ended up enjoying it more than you admit. Well, yeah that’s what happened at least to me!
What I didn’t expect was being pleasantly surprised at how intelligently these shows are designed. Not only are they visually engaging, but are also themed to teach something to the little ones — almost like modern-day parables.
(And well before you ask, no I am not an affiliate of any of these shows. I am just a mum whose toddler loves watching them!).
So here are my (I mean our — ahem!) most favorite shows and what they taught us about life.
Kindness is overwhelming but under-rated
One of the most favorite videos for my toddler (and I) is Christmas-themed by CocoMelon. Set against a peppy song, it shows how the big bad wolf is struggling out in the cold and wants to enter the house to be with all its friends. When about to knock, he realizes how he had pranked each of them through the years and anticipates that they might not welcome him. But his friends see him through the window, rush out to welcome him with hugs and then they drink warm cocoa by the fire together.
Even without me pointing out anything, my daughter picked up on the kindness they show towards the big bad wolf. It made me reflect too that perhaps it is really not that hard to show kindness when someone is in need — even though they might have been hurtful in the past.
Perhaps in order to be truly happy, it is important to forgive and let go of things in the past, try mending them in the present, and be open to possibilities of reimagining relationships in the future.
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Assumptions never lead to anything good
Another favorite is this episode from WishenPoof where the fairy Bianca’s teddy Bob falls ill. She loves him very much and wants to help him. But instead of just asking him what he needs, she ends up assuming what he might need. She does everything from throwing a party to baking a cake when all Bob needs is a warm bed and a cuddly song.
This one made me reflect that every day, every moment we assume so much about each other. We assume what our friends need, what our family members need, what our colleagues need. And then we try to provide support based on our limited understanding and underlying assumptions. No wonder we end up feeling underappreciated for our well-intentioned efforts. Sometimes all people need is a hug and not shouting out support from rooftops. Sometimes, we need to just put ourselves out there and ask directly what someone might need, instead of assuming. Equally importantly, we should open up and also share what we need instead of expecting people to take a guess.
Keep. It. Simple. Stupid.
Well, the best one for the last! No surprise that Peppa Pig is my daughter’s all-time favorite. There is one episode where Daddy Pig gets a Playgroup Star for a drawing he had made in his childhood. Peppa is surprised that her Daddy Pig had never ever received an appreciation star when in school. And the joy in the room when Madame Gazelle does end up giving one to him in the end. And then there’s all the jumping up and down in muddy puddles in pretty much every episode.
In the chase for bigger dreams and better days, we end up not seeing the beautiful parts of life we have right now.
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It just makes me realize that there are so many small joys in life that I overlook. Each day I might not have a star handed to me and life can get pretty rough. But there is always time to take a few seconds and jump in hypothetical muddy puddles with the people we love.
Parting Thoughts
- We can learn from everything around us if only we look carefully. Yes, even from cartoons!
- Kindness can take us a long way in helping others as well as ourselves feel better.
- Assumptions can lead to heartbreak, it is much easier to ask for what people need and then extend support.
- Despite all the curveballs life throws at us, we can try to find simple joys around us.
Do you watch these shows with your kids as well? Is there anything they learn from the shows? Please leave a comment!
This article was previously published in the publication A-Parent-Is-Born.
About Me
Hello – I am Roselin. I have been working in sustainable development for the last decade plus more, and I absolutely love it. I also love being a mom to an adorable three-year-old. When I am not juggling PowerPoints and parenting, I enjoy being a librocubicularist and moonlight as a writer. I also believe in the power of chocolates and Harry Potter!
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