Despite the studies and arguments claiming how bad TV is for children, many parents have witnessed firsthand how viewing certain shows has actually benefited their toddlers and preschoolers.
The key is plucking the gems from the pile that is children’s television rubble. That’s when you’ll find shows like Caillou, The Wiggles and Dora the Explorer.
While Caillou is one of the gems due to its educational value and practical life applications, the interpersonal dynamics are so far from what we all experience on a daily basis that it’s difficult to overlook. This is true with most shows aimed at the 2-6 year age group, but in the case of this show, it’s taken to a whole new level.
Caillou is a bald four-year-old boy who lives with little sister, Rosie and his mom and dad–who are only ever referred to as “Mommy” and “Daddy.” They apparently have no noteworthy identity beyond that. It’s also apparent that efforts were made by the creators and writers to portray them as a modern average family. Mom is frumpy (so as to reflect the size of the “average” woman), Dad does housework and bakes, they live in a modest home and share one car. Caillou and Rosie sometimes fight over toys, Grandma and Grandpa are present regularly, though not too often. Everything is just right, as we continue on to Fantasy Land.
Caillou is quite the whiny, shrilly, babyish four-year-old boy. His voice actually has the potential to hurt your stomach. He gets scared of things that a two-year-old girl wouldn’t blink at. He cowers behind his mommy at the sound of a voice over a PA system. The very nice narrator lady thinks this is all perfectly understandable. When he is defiant, demanding or disrespectful, there is never a consequence. Rather there is further coddling from parents who have never raised their voices.
Caillou is often extremely annoying, yet “Mommy” never just tells him to cut it out and go do something else. Instead, she is delighted that he has interrupted her for the 40th time to whine selfishly and demand stuff. When Mommy has to take Caillou and Rosie places like the zoo or the park, she doesn’t sweat or have a headache with angry eyebrows. The answer to every request is an enthusiastic, “Sure!” It doesn’t matter what she’s in the middle of, or how unreasonable and unnecessary the request is. Instead of just telling Caillou, “You know what? You really need to go pick up all those clothes that are all over your floor,” Mommy says (in the usual chipper fashion), “I have an idea that will make helping around the house more fun!” This of course is followed by a great opportunity for a craft as Caillou and Rosie help make stickers that will be given as rewards for things they should be doing anyway.
Mom isn’t the only one who appears to have a steady drip of Oxycontin flowing through her veins. “Daddy” is also thrilled to be awakened by an impatient Caillou at 5 in the morning on his day off. He cheerfully does the laundry while caring for little Rosie, and he will drop whatever he is doing to indulge one of Caillou’s whiny requests just like Mommy. Daddy is today’s sensitive, forget-what-you-ever-learned-about-the-male-role kind of guy . When you first watch the show, you might even mistake him for the mom, what with his slightly grown-out tender-hearted hairdo. He never gets angry or annoyed, even though he probably can’t be left alone long enough to go to the bathroom. No, every frustrating circumstance is met with a smile, and sometimes even a hearty chuckle.
If Caillou’s parents aren’t “pretend” enough, there is also the friendly plumber who gladly engages Caillou in conversation, and doesn’t mind entertaining him while he works. And he certainly doesn’t overcharge Mommy and Daddy before leaving. There are also the not-too-busy garbage collectors who are happy to talk to Caillou about the job they love. They are surprisingly articulate when they speak, and they aren’t even dirty.
Let’s not forget about the car salesman who doesn’t try to sell them anything–though that could easily be attributed to the fact that the salesman sized them up and determined they wouldn’t be worth his efforts. After all, they’ve been wearing the same clothes for like 8 years. Everyone in Caillou’s world is idealistically kind. Imagine how strange it must be for children when they compare these people to the ones they see everyday!
These robotic beings programmed to behave the way child development “specialists” (many who don’t even have children of their own) have determined we all should behave, certainly make us “real” humans look like monsters. Real parents just do not operate this way. Sometimes the answer to our children is no. Sometimes we raise our voices. And sometimes we actually deliver consequences for bad behavior. Caillou’s family life certainly looks like a dream, because it is. While it might serve as a reminder to parents how short they fall when it comes to “proper” parenting, it should actually be acknowledged how short this portrayal of human interaction falls when it comes to the real world.
