I have a confession to make: Sometimes I’m a bad mom. You know what I mean. When I have a day full of responsibilities, I’ve been known to turn on the TV and let my kids veg out to their heart’s content.
And worse, I’ve been known to let them veg on shows that were educational but that had no spiritual component to them. Then I’d hear my son say something that made me think, “Yikes, THAT’S what he’s learning?”
I’ve struggled to find something age appropriate that combined the values of faith with education. My four-year-old doesn’t really connect with Veggie Tales. He loves to listen to the Sunday Morning Songs from them, but that’s about it. I don’t think he gets the humor yet.
So what’s a busy mom to do?
Meet Boz, the Green Bear Next Door.
Boz is a lovable bear who goes on adventures with his neighbor kids. And of course, they learn something new about God’s world along the way. My son is seriously enraptured whenever Boz is on. And while I avoid those bad-mom days as much as possible, I can rest assured that if my kiddos do spend time in front of the TV, they’re watching something educational that also reinforces our beliefs.
If you want to see what Boz is all about, here’s a link to the website.
What shows do your kids like to watch (or did they watch when they were younger), and how do those shows appeal to their age group? Any recommendations for other wholesome options?
*couch photo by Twigy Posts
My kids were big on Sesame Street back in the day. Boz looks like a charmer for the little ones. I’d probably have a small supply of dvd’s on hand, too, maybe some the kids hadn’t seen yet, for a tv treat on “those” days 🙂
Oh yes, Joanne, DVDs are a must around our house. Especially on road trips! 🙂
I’m totally checking this out! And do you know how reassuring it is to hear that I’m not the only mom who does this??
I think moms all across America do the TV thing, Katie…We’re definitely not alone! 🙂
Veggies Tales are great but I agree, they don’t always grab the younger ones. Thanks for the info about Boz!
Hi Karen! I think I laugh harder at Veggie Tales than my son does. There are a ton of funny jokes filtered in, aren’t there?
Jacob and Ellie both enjoy the Hermie and Friends movies. They are about things like telling the truth, being obedient, working together, etc. Their favorite parts are the songs. Just recently, Jacob has been getting into Veggie Tales – unfortunately the same video over and over and over. Oh well, at least he’s really getting those stories! 🙂 We’ll have to check out Boz!
Hi Debbie! I didn’t realize Hermie had movies. We have a couple of the books…I’ll have to check that out!
Never heard of it. Just this morning something weirded me out about The Cat in the Hat (love the books, not so sure about the show) saying that mom won’t mind if we do…go on an adventure and the kids hadn’t even asked…I don’t know, call me oversensitive, but it weirded me out.
~ Wendy
I know exactly which “Cat” part you’re talking about, Wendy. The kids always ask their mom and she always says it’s okay. But it still gets brushed over…not liking that either.
I don’t have kids yet, but I’ll try to tuck this away in my brain for when I do (because I’m sure there are going to be THOSE kind of days for me too!).
Oh yes, Lindsay, motherhood has a way of getting me to do lots of things I said I’d “never” do. 🙂
My oldest loved Veggie Tales so that wasn’t a problem. But she also loved Spongebob and the balance got all off there 🙂 It’s hard because their age groups are all spread apart, so what entertains one bores the other. This is a great suggestion, though, and don’t worry, you’re not the only one who lets the kids get in tv time when things get hectic or I just need to wind down 😉
I didn’t think about the age spread, Cindy. I haven’t run into that yet, but I’m sure it’s coming. 🙂
My daughter was into Barney. I’d get so tired of seeing the same old episodes over and over that I did a happy dance when a new season began. =)
LOL, Keli. Repeated episodes of Barney can drive any parent crazy. 🙂
I haven’t heard of this one – thanks for the recommendation. My kids like Phineas and Ferb and other cartoons on Netflix. I like that I can control what comes on the TV that way and that there are no commercials.
Hi Stacy! I’m guessing Netflix works a lot like the Free on Demand feature on our TV. It’s definitely handy to skip those commercials. Sometimes I’m shocked at the commercials a channel will play during a kids show!
my daughter loves veggie tales. dora, diego, *cough* even barney. ugh. i can’t believe i own a barney DVD. anyway, i’ve never heard of boz, so i’ll have to check it out. thanks for the recommendation. 🙂
Ha, Jeannie! I purposely keep Barney off my TV screen so my kids don’t get sucked in. 🙂 Boz can have a teeny little Barney-esque quality to him, but it feels different since it’s all animated versus a dress-up person acting like a dinosaur.
So glad you let me know about this!! My oldest doesn’t love VeggieTales either, so I’ll definitely check this out. Thanks, S!!
No prob, Jenny! Hope this entertains the little guy. 🙂
My kids are grown now, but when they were small we always had a supply of videos from the church library on hand. They loved the Superbook cartoons, and every Donut Man video. When they got a little bit older they were into McGee & Me. There are so many great options out there. Glad you found Boz, I bet he’ll be like a part of your family for a long time 😉
I remember Superbook and McGee…don’t remember Donut Man though. Sounds like one I would like! 🙂 Thanks for visiting today!
Sesame Street is big here. Elmo still rules, and we like knowing what the “word on the street” is for the day. 🙂
Love it.
Ah yes, you can’t go wrong with a little Sesame Street (although I can only tolerate so much of Elmo’s voice after a while). 🙂
I haven’t heard of Boz. Of course, most of my friends have grown grandchildren or small great grandchildren. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Cecelia, I think Boz is fairly new, and he definitely fills a void! 🙂