Numberjacks - child terrified, help!

[bestthingsinlife]

Hi

My little boy (just turned 4) started school this September.

It's transpired over the last 2-3 weeks that they watch number jacks at school, and he's become terrified of being alone at bed time.

He's always been a bad sleeper, and tends to climb into bed with me and DH when we go up to bed (he'll normally go to sleep on his own, in his own bed first).

When I say scared, tonight he was shaking, and had tears by his eyes when he finally drifted off (next to me in bed, comforting him).

I feel so desperately sad for him.. and don't know what to do.

So Mumsnet any words of wisdom? How do we help him be less scared/cope? Do we talk to the school? Something we can do at home? I'm at a loss! There seems to be one character he's most scared of which is the problem blob, and actually I think it may be quite scary for such a little soul!

Help!

My 2 both loved Numberjacks. Adored it. Watched it as often as possible. I thought it was weird (the programme and my DCs) but I was outnumbered.

Ah, you have my sympathy. DD13 had horrific nightmares after watching Numberjacks, I remember her screaming that the number taker was going to get her. She still remembers the nightmares, and even now says how scared it made her.

My DD was a bit younger than your DS when she suddenly kept on about snakes in her bedroom at night (never worked out why or where she got the idea from). I went and bought her a new teddy bear and introduced it to her as Magic Bear who would look after her in bed and kept the snakes away. Worked a treat. Definitely talk to the school as well, I'm surprised they use numberjacks it's rather creepy!

My 12 year old ds was terrified of the shape japer. He loved numbers though so would watch but then run out of the room crying. Then ask for it back on.

Definitely speak to school- surely they can think of a different maths programme to show.

Thank you for posting - this has just made me realise my 4 year old must be watching Numberjacks at school! We stopped watching it at home because he was scared of the Number Taker (I was too! Creepy fucker) but has been mentioning the Problem Blob lately and I hadn't a clue what that was. But he is definitely scared of it.

Will talk about it tomorrow.

I never understood why the BBC decided to make a terrifying maths programme for the under 10s. It seemed like an unusual step to take...

DS was really scared of the Numbertaker for quite a few years. I was trying to explain to him that the Numbertaker isn’t real, it was just an actor on stilts in a white suit, and looked up the actor who plays him and turns out he known for playing White Walkers in Game of Thrones! No wonder he was so creepy!

Anyway OP - re school, explain that your DS find me the programme upsetting and ask if he can do something else like drawing or colouring or worksheets?

Re home - my DCs have always found listening to stories or music relaxing at bedtime, as it takes their mind off the day, could that work?

DD1 was scared of the Numbertaker. He was creepy, I'm not surprised

Although she was adamant that she saw the Puzzler in a department store and chased after a poor bloke shouting 'Puzzler! Hey Puzzler!' before we could catch her. So she probably wasn't that scared of the show, thank goodness.

Numberjacks was fucked up. DS liked it but often got freaked out by some of the characters.

I hated the numbertaker he reminded me of the child catcher from chitty chitty bang bang.

Getting a magic toy or teddy to look after your DC as pp suggested sound like a good plan.

Yep my ds is terrified of it. I spoke to his teacher. Unfortunately it gets used by Ta's, substitutes and at rainy lunchtimes. I told him to tell the grown up he was scared and to take himself to the reading hub.
It happened again this year in Y1. Luckily he's a confident boy and not afraid to speak up for himself. I imagine a meeker child might have trouble speaking up.

My 14 yr old dd also remembers the trauma of number jacks! She had a series of nightmares about Spooky spoon although personally I thought that the Number Taker was really sinister

Number jacks is pretty scary- not as weird as the stuff we had to watch though - mr NoseyBonk terrified me

Talk to the school, they will stop showing it, it's not on the curriculum! They can always show Number Blocks if they have to watch TV.
Make sure you let them know how scared he is, don't minimise.
I think maybe talk to him about how they make programs, Spooky Spoon is just a normal spoon, the weird cape one is just a man dressed up. Look at some photos of it together and make it funny/silly for him. Laughter is the best medicine here.
And let him sleep in your bed a couple of nights.

Just watched it on YouTube. That spooky spoon and The number taker are petrifying.
Good God what’s with that heavy breathing.
I’m not surprised kids are terrified.

Can not believe this is still being shown. My 18 year old son was absolutely terrified of Spooky the Spoon ! It's amusing now ( he's off at uni and we still rib him ) but at the time he would have nightmares and end up in our bed.

DD (now 16) was scared of Numberjacks at one stage - I think it was the Numbertaker, which is fair enough - I am kind of surprised it is still being shown.

DS managed to be scared of something in Teletubbies - I think something to do with a house with windows and doors that things appeared/disappeared in? Anyway, that made a lot less sense, but little kids can be scared of all sorts of weird stuff.

My kids laugh at me because I was the one who was scared of all the baddies in Numberjacks. They were scary! The Number taker and that floating head guy. Terrifying!

That's me having nightmares tonight!

The theme tune was good though! I like a good theme tune.

The chap who played The Numbertaker was a White Walker in GOT.
It was unusually creepy for a cbeebies programme .

My youngest was another who was scared of Number Jack's. Think it was the numbertaker. They showed it regularly at school but he totally refused.
It's obviously got sinister undertones.

something in Teletubbies - I think something to do with a house with windows and doors that things appeared/disappeared in?

Oh yes, the animation of the Scottish character in a tam o' shanter running around the house. Mine was so upset by that!

I stand alone in my love for the Numberjacks. Maybe it's nostalgia. I remember my 17-year-old loving that programme when he was 3. My youngest is 5 and absolutely loves the Numberjacks. All of my kids really, really loved that show (and it still goes on). Spooky Spoon is just the weirdest! The songs are mental! I love it! It's all low budget and creepy.
Right. I'll skulk away with my curveball opinion.
Numberblocks... it's not as funky and old school, but actually, THAT is a great show to learn from. I'd be putting that on if I were the teacher.

Numberjacks was traumatic - but not as bad as Noseybonk.

Interestingly, I found unnerving to watch and wondered who the heck came up with such a bizarre sketch - the sounds and music are weird and the “baddies” are quite terrifying also.
My son thought it was amazing though 🤷🏼‍♀️

You need to mention it to his teacher, poor wee mite.

I have also just discovered my DS is watching this at school. I do not see why - it is not educational at all. Perhaps suggest to the school they swap to Numberblocks?

My DD was terrified of that bloody spooky spoon did my head in for weeks. She eventually forgot about it but was hard going to start with.