Zayne and his favorite TV programs

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Television has become such a part of our lives that it cannot be ignored as a teaching tool for kids at home. There's no doubt that kids learn a lot from TV programs, about how they speak and act towards people. 

There's no telling how the TV programs that are supposed to be for kids have evolved from casual entertainment to ones that actually teach a thing or two about character and knowledge. 

Many programs incorporated the values of being respectful, honest, team building and politeness. Today I am going to mention some of these TV programs watched by my ward Zayne Mojica which really stand for me for reasons I've mentioned.

Zayne watching TV with an Amazon Kindle tablet on the side

Even me as an adult is reminded of these values that we first learned from our parents and were reinforced in school. 

Max and Ruby: When Zayne was two, I think he loved watching the siblings Max and Ruby. The characters are actually bunny rabbits. 

Max is a toddler who like any other toddler would do mischievous things while Ruby is the adorable sister who always cares for Max first before herself.

It's so fun watching their adventures with bunny friends. I remember that series where Ruby was with her scout master and they had a problem with a boat and and it was Max who solved the problem and at the end of the show Ruby was pinned with the star award. 

It was a simple gesture of helping and at the end of the show both Max and Ruby would resolve their petty squabbles. In actual life any elder brother or sister would always attend to their younger siblings.

Sometimes the elder sister acts as a little mother and would teach her younger siblings what's best for them. I learned that this animated series is designed for pre-schoolers and is based on the best-selling children's books by Rosemary.

Zayne had outgrown Max and Ruby since then and I don't know  if it's still in the Nickelodeon channel or is moved to another time slot.

The Octonauts: Oh, how Zayne loved this series that he doesn't want to turn off the TV the whole day if I do give in to his wants every once in a while. Aside from “Daddy”, the words “explore, rescue and protect” were the other words Zayne first learned and spoke in his first year or so. 

Zayne watches entranched an episode of "The Octonauts."

The Octonauts are on a mission to rescue sea creatures at risk and I am amazed by the underground sea photography and what lies underneath it. It is beautiful and I see firsthand how people damage the sea with their carelessness.

Zayne likes the character of Captain Barnacles because he's a leader and Quincy as well. 

The program also teaches team work to achieve a goal as shown by the challenges the Octonauts always solve together. For me, it's the program's emphasis on caring for the environment that I love. 

Children and even jaded adults do learn a lot about TV at home. As I write this, I have to fetch Zayne in school at 12 pm and since it's a Friday, his class would be dismissed early today. More stories to follow. 

Not just for kids

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I became a child again by watching the TV cartoons Zayne watched on a daily basis. Zayne, in a way, became the adult when we watched his cartoons together. 

Life works in weird ways, doesn’t it? (a quote from Lauren Willig in her book The Passion of the Purple Plumera).

I'm not ashamed to tell you I have never watched a cartoon on TV while growing up. I was busy growing up and we don’t have TV that time. 

As a kid, I watched cartoon characters play in my mind through the books I read which was a lot. In the past four years here in the US, I've been watching kid TV programs five times a week.

I've memorized all the characters and the programs like Peter Rabbit and Mouse. I love the lessons they give during their stories. But this story isn't about me. It's still about my five-year-old ward Zayne Mojica. 

A year old and and Zayne knew which TV program he wants to watch. Usually he watches TV while eating. His favorite cartoons were Mickey Mouse and Little Einstein. 

Zayne's parents have this app on their TV which can record his favorite programs so if he's in the mood to watch some Disney it can play the episodes several times until he's tired and seeks to play a game with me or just rest.


Hot Dog Song
Good thing he's no TV coach potato. At most he watches 15 minutes of TV unless the TV program catches his fancy. He knows Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Chip and Dale, and the rest of the Disney studio gang depending on the episode. 

Who doesn't love Daisy Duck with her big shoes and the funny antics of Pluto and Goofy? Not to mention their colorful dresses or suits. These cartoon creators really know how to create visuals that attract kids. 

Zayne is familiar with the magic words "Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse"  and that's the cue for me to do some magic act.  

I have to watch it because there are times he would ask me to imitate a TV scene and he would be upset if I couldn't act along. 

The two of us would dance to the tune of the "The Hot Dog Song.” Sometimes the adult in me knows already what is next and I think that after a while Zayne just lost interest in the program.

Zayne also watches Little Einstein which is completely different because it features classical music. I was amazed and I completely fell in love with it. 

It just doesn't play classical music, it also tells who's the composer and the basics of  music like adagio, forte, diminuendo and crescendo in terms simple enough for kids like Zayne to understand.

Values
I love all the characters of Quincey, Annie, Leo and June (?). Zayne would say he would be Quincey or Leo if these two would lead a team to the rescue of some character.

He role plays either of the two characters and we pretend that we are in a plane and he was the pilot and I have to hop in. But I love the music in Little Einstein best. It was as if I was learning classical music again.

While the music is played, the featured kid characters are on an adventure that keeps Zayne's interest. One other thing I really like about this show is that it does not talk down to the children watching it

I like Little Einstein because it treats a child with respect and not as if they're stupid. It's one thing to talk simple to a child; it's another to talk down to them. Times have changed indeed that values can be learned in TV. 

It is imperative for the nanny and the parents to select and recommend which TV programs can best teach their children positive values.  There are still a lot of programs both Zayne and I like that I can tell you about. 

He still watches some programs that he patronized as a one-year-old and there are silly programs that I don’t want him to watch. Who says kids TV program is only for the kids?  What TV programs does your kid/s or ward/s watch? Tell me.

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis)

Zayne's tiny kingdom

Me with a perky Zayne Mojica, comfy in his seat

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I have to shelve the story of Peter Rabbit and Bubble guppies as I am excited to tell you about the crib/bed of my ward Zayne.

Yes, at the end of the day, Zayne's bed/crib is his kingdom just like our bed is our own refuge and haven where we rest our tired backs from the day's hard labor.

As you can see Zayne has a brown colored crib with a white, transparent mosquito net hanging over it that is zipped outside which allows me to see what he's doing inside.

Since he was one year old I have to put him to bed or crib at 2 p.m and take him out at 4 p.m. No fuss, no drama, just set him on his bed and he'd fall asleep.

I usually come to his house at 9 a.m and sometimes he's still sleep and I have to get him out when he slept more. He loves his crib; it is very soft and fluffy and his room is conducive to sleeping.

The music of Mozart or Tchavoischy often plays in the background. There are times he doesn't want to leave the crib which he considers his sanctuary from the world. I guess we all have that feeling when we were kids.

Even when I change the beddings and linings of the crib I have to ask his permission because he would mumble that it is his crib. I have to explain well that his bed needs to be cleaned.

Then the day came when he wouldn't fit in his tiny kingdom anymore as his legs got big. When he sleeps he has to curl up his feet to fit in. I can see he was uncomfortable already but still he clings to the crib.

Then finally it was decided that they have to get a new bed for him. I learned that the new bed, light brown colored with a blue cover/tent over it was made by IKEA.

The blue cover has stars and a moon on it. It has a stair when he climbs. At first I thought it was a toddler bed but it wasn't. It can also be used by an adult.

He was excited and the old crib was placed at the garage. But come night time he won't sleep on it unless there's someone there with him.

Zayne's fine with the bed at first but he won't sleep on it. The first week was hell as it was maddening for me to convince him to sleep during his regular period so he won't get cranky.

Then I finally got him to sleep on the bed one afternoon with minimal drama by sleeping with him in the room. Unknown to the family then he told me to bring back his old crib/bed.

An older and bigger Zayne during a school program

I explained to him he is already big and he has to sleep in a new bed that fits

his size. He would get cranky and his tantrums would get quite loud.

Right there, I thought that kids should be transitioned into sleeping in their new bed before letting them use it permanently. I guess Zayne missed his old bed badly.

Again as the Nanay (Mother) Nanny, I have to do research on this and found out that any sudden change would take the kid out of his or her comfort zone. It wasn't easy but thanks to his comfortable room which included venetian blinds, the transition wasn't too hard.

In fact in one of the readings I had I learned about this baby sound machine.

Transferring from one bed to another is a harder habit to break as time goes on.

But now that he is five he is okay sleeping with his own bed. I was told though that there are nights when he would just wake up early in the morning and join his daddy in bed.

Next time, I would tell you the story of how Zayne watches TV and how he changed his viewing preferences from Little Einstein to Team Umizoomi to Bubble Guppies and finally Benjamin in Peter Rabbit as his friend. Till then, have a good day.

(The blogger/author is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who works as a nanny in North Carolina. Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com) 

Zayne and his bodyguards

Bundle of energy, that's Zayne M

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

My six-year-old ward Zayne Mojica always plays with two dogs in their home. The dogs are Jersey, a Yorkshire terrier and Bella, a Maltipoo. Both are adorable pets of Madison, Zayne's little aunt.

The two dogs are Zayne's friends. When he was three years old, every time I put him on his high chair during mealtimes, the dogs position themselves nearby like bodyguards. The dogs look at Zayne on his high chair as he happily munches away. 

I’ve always reminded Zayne to eat or he can't play. He would three pieces of cookies, four pieces of turkey, and three slices of cheese and grapes or baby carrots. 

A Yorkshire terrier (Wikipedia photo)

At breakfast, he eats oatmeal but at six, he's outgrown his tolerance (?) of oatmeal. Besides, it takes too much talking or cajoling him about eating oatmeal.  

I want him to eat because when he's hungry he is cranky. Zayne is a picky eater. But my husband Ronnie told me not to force a baby because when he or she is hungry he or she asks for food. Ronnie is right. 

There are times Zayne doesn’t feel like eating at all.  Then I come with a plan and tell him “I race with you when you eat the food.” Many times he ate all the food and I was glad. Awesome. 

It went on like that for a while. The Nanay (mother) in me was so happy that at least he was eating already. Then I made an accidental discovery. 

Friends
When Zayne usually eats, that's the time when I am free to either use the potty, check my Amazon Kindle tablet or do some light housework. In short there are times I don’t see him actually eating.

One day I surprised him by just appearing on the living room and that's where I saw Zayne down at the side feeding his “bodyguards” Jersey and Bella. That's when he saw me looking at him.

A Maltipoo breed (Wikipedia photo)

I pretended I didn't see his busy hands. So that was why he didn't complain everytime I told him to eat. I waited for the right time to tell him about this and when I had it, I reminded Zayne never to feed his dogs because they have their own food.

But he answered “Bella and Jersey are friends, Nanay.” What can I say?  It is really a love and hate relationship between Zayne and the dogs. He plays with the dogs, running with them and hugging Bella. 

I usually get worried whenever he does that because Zayne would often grab Bella's neck and squeeze it, nearly choking the dog. 

There would also be times when he would throw things at Jersey and Bella and I would shout to the two dogs “Run for your lives, Jersey and Bella!.”

If he hits one of the dogs and it's usually Jersey, the dogs would respond by trying to scratch and bite him, which would scare Zayne away and make him scream “I don't like you anymore.”

Behavior
There was a time that I got scared because Zayne would imitate the behavior of the dogs. He would put milk on the floor or on the carpet and join the two dogs as they lick the milk on the floor. 

When the dogs bark, Zayne would mimic their barking. He gets frustrated when the dogs don’t respond and so tells them to sit or go away. I think the dogs know when Zayne is okay or not towards them, they simply leave.

I couldn't teach Zayne how to handle the dogs because I am no dog expert. I am scared of dogs. In fact through Zayne, I learned to like the dogs. 

Until now I am studying how to communicate with dogs for Zayne's sake so I can better handle him and them together. One thing I'm sure, Zayne loves the dogs.

Thanks to him, I also learned to overcome my fear and like the dogs. Next time I'll share with you how  Zayne loves Peter Rabbit and Team Omizumi. Before I end this, I want you to know he loves eating my cooked rice Filipino style.

HAVING A BALL. Zayne trying his hand at bowling.

Why do kids love big shoes?

Zayne with his drum set

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Those who've read my first blog post on Zayne know a little of him by now. My five-year-old ward officially turned five years old last Sunday and I think he was happy with the drum set given to him as a gift.

That would at least end his “patting” of pots or even my back that he does on a daily basis. I know that aside from running he likes to play drums based on the time I spent with him.

He would usually hit the table or big plastic basket and when I ask why, he would say “I pretend it’s a drum nanay (mother).” What can I say? But I’m not telling a story about his drums.

I would tell the story about his preference for big shoes. You see, his daddy Peter got a lot of shoes which gives Zayne many pairs to try on. Mind you, it’s not just wearing the shoes, he walks in them as well.

My first reaction would be to prevent him from doing this because he may lose his balance and fall. But oftentimes I fail to do it. At four years of age, he would wear his pa’s shoes, my shoes and any large shoes he can lay his hands on.

Child psychology
He parades around the living room with his big shoes and cowboy hats. At first I thought he likes the tic tac sounds caused by the shoes he wore and dragged with him as he saw me looking at him.

But lately, Zayne also experimented with his father’s shaving kit. He would place shaving cream on a wall and use the razor on them, which worried me a bit.

I would tell him” Baby,  that is daddy’s things.”  He would answer “but my daddy says that I use this.” I would turn frantic whenever Zayne places the shaving kit just anywhere in the house so I talked to him about it. 

I told him that when he gets old he can shave because he would have a lot of hair in his body by that time. “Do you see hair on your face?,” I asked him and he would answer “nope”  so I told him “you don’t need it then.”

After that experience, me as the “nanay” went to Google and researched about child psychology, a subject I studied so many years ago in college.

Behavior
From what I gathered, there is nothing to be alarmed about with Zayne’s behavior. Psychologists always point out that children emulate the behavior of their parents or the adults surrounding them. 

MADE FOR WALKING. Zayne with his big daddy shoes.

One passage I read goes: “As you might expect, kids can learn a great deal simply from watching their parents, peers and siblings. Even the behaviors they observe on TV, video games and the Internet can impact their own thoughts and actions. Observational learning is so powerful.”

This is where I say that it’s important to ensure that kids are observing the right kind of behaviors so the parents can be sure that their kids are learning how to act responsibly. 

For now I try to enjoy the tic tac of the big shoes Zayne wears and think of how to incorporate these findings in a role play setting. Bye for now.