TV for toddler - is ANYTHING suitable? I've veto'd Postman Pat, Peppa, Rosie ...

I'm surprised he hasn't smacked Lola yet TBH

What kind of role do you wish was modelled for boys, sails?

I love all the "stop thinking too much" posts that crop up on gender-related threads. They always come from posters who don't think much about anything, ever. (not you, sails, that was a general comment).

Rastamouse?

I read a while ago that there was some criticism about the domination of boy characters on cbeebies. The BBC said their research had shown that while girls will watch male characters, boys are turned off by female characters, hence all the boys on TV.

Personally I think milkshake is an excellent strand of TV for kids, the genders are mixed up and stories often relate to childrens lives - Family is one good example.

Nothing will beat Why Don't You, The Red Hand Gang and Champion the Wonderhorse, though.

Charlie from Charlie and Lola is lovely. He helps Lola, without patronising her.

If you are restricting the amount of viewing I doubt very much whether a pink episode or too of Peppa pig will do much harm. Dora the Explorer is quite OK - female explorer and some Spanish language too. If you really want to be on top of things what about the show that includes a lot of Makaton signing - can't think what it is called at the moment.

what you need is Sesame Street
(not sure how you'd access it now though)
honestly it was completely fab when my lot were little

As a mum of 2 boys I am also on the look out for good role models for them. But people are so into making characters pc and avoiding gender steriotypes that I think that it has gone the other way and now I often feel where are the good strong role models for BOYS? My ds1 aged 5 often comments that their are no men teachers at his school so he doesnt get it there and now it seems even tv has an absense of boy role models.

I wind my dh up something rotten by saying in a MummyPig voice 'Oh Daddy Pig you are silly.'

Oh sorry, just read your most recent post!

You are overthinking it.

If you watch Peppa enough, you'll realise that actually it is Daddy Pig who is portrayed as an absolute ninny.

He gets a Christmas tree that won't fit in the car (by a long way).

He flips his pancake onto the ceiling (Mummy Pig retrieves it!).

He gets lost and they have to phone Granny Pig and Grandpa Pig.

etc

Your daughter will want to be able to discuss relevant matters with her peers. I'm sorry to inform you of the fact that these matters include Peppa Pig!

ok have obviously caused offence, i don't tend to think too much about content above age suitability, nor do i see the inferred sexism in the themes explored, if i was dismissive then i appologise, it was unintensional, maybe i should think a little more about what they watch.

as for feminism, would rather equality for all

Mummy Pig is a mumsnetter I am sure.

Peppa Pig is just fine - Daddy Pig often cooks and does laundry, and mummy Pig works. Big Cock Cook -Little Cock Cook is fine from a gender perspective (although fecking annoying in all other respects), all of Justin's programs are good. Big Barn farm is fine. Thomas The Tank Engine, however, is the stuff of the devil.

You have every right to over-think, and with a million+ kids programmes these days, you can also be choosy.

For toddlers in my house, Pocoyo is a very popular choice. He's more androgenous in the earlier episodes I think, and there is a good balance of male and female characters (though only a male narrator, but it's Stephen Fry) and male, female, and both focused episodes. Much fun and mayhem with large pink elephant and yellow hat wearing duck.

One that my toddler reeally likes (as in, will swivel to the TV at the opening song) is 'The Cat in the Hat knows a lot about that'. Warning that the songs can really get stuck in their (and your) head. Boy and Girl main characters that are pretty much equal in adventure stakes, and the characters they go to for advice/information is equal between male and female, pretty much. I also quite like before they go on adventures, the Cat always has them go ask their mums.

Hana's Helpline and Little Bill also work well I think, though probably for older kids.

Also need recording/fast forwarding functions to get past horrid adverts, that comes very much in handy and sanity.

I like Postman Pat on its own though it is a bit stereotypical, but it's so sweet I forgive it.
What DOES bother me, though, is when a few hours of scheduling goes something like
Postman Pat
Timmy Time
Bob the Builder
Something Special
Big Cook Little Cook
and its just boy after boy after boy after boy. Then after a couple of hours you get Come Outside and breathe a big sigh of relief.
Milkshake has far more girl main characters but then you get the blasted Lelli Kelly adverts.

I'm as feminist as they come but can't say I've ever been worried by Postman Pat. There's a female GP.

That sounds really interesting. I shall google.

When I was little we had a globe with all the countries marked on it.
I liked it and it was educational. I am female too.

Unicorns?