TV and DVD's

I would like to think that I am a very laidback type of Mom. I let our toddler climb up and down our couch, operate the DVD machine by herself and I don't force them to finish what's on their plate.

I would be the first to say: "Hayaan mo siya" when our preschooler attempts to move a big toy to the next room; or "Vitamins lang yan" after I realize my toddler had picked up a cracker from the floor and shoved it back in her mouth. (By "Vitamins lang yan.", I personally think that our digestive system becomes a bit hardier if occasionally exposed to some *ahem* elements. Haha!) I do not get full support from the family on these issues though as my husband and yaya are terribly overprotective. :-)

Anyway, before you call me a neglectful Mom, I AM very particular about a handful of things. One of which is their TV fare.

Local channels are off-limits to our kids. Our yayas know that if they want to watch their favorite teleserye, they will have to wait until the kids are napping or watch from the TV we have provided in the kitchen.

Limited access to cable channels such as Disney Playhouse and Nick Jr. are allowed. Handy Manny, Little Einsteins, Wonder Pets, Dora the Explorer are acceptable. (Yaya loves Wheel of Fortune and that is on the approved list :-)

We do supply them with educational or mommy-approved DVDs. Two series that we highly recommend are:

YOUR BABY CAN READ series
www.yourbabycanread.com

We have the whole system (5-pack DVD, sliding word cards, books, etc.)! Sorry if they're missing from the picture.)

We credit the YBCR series for our kids' early reading skills. Our eldest, DK1, started watching the YBCR series when she was 14 months. A bit late if you go by Dr. Titzer's recommended start of 6 months old. In a matter of days, we learned that DK1 could recognize (sight-read) short words such as "hi", "nose", "ear", etc. Next batch of words were "gorilla", "hippopotamus". A mouthful but we understood what she said.

Learning to read early threw open a door of possibilities to our kids. They want their own copy of restaurant menus and they learned what calamari and bolognese really are; the Tiger (biscuit) billboard on EDSA was a bane as they declared "It is for energy, Mommy!"; and my favorite --

DK1 (at 5 years old): Daddy, you cannot call me "Ms. Dilly-Dally" anymore.
Daddy: Why?
DK1: Ate and I checked her dictionary today and it was not there.
Daddy: It's a real word. It just wasn't in that dictionary. (checking his Iphone dictionary app): See here. Dilly-Dally: to waste time, to vacillate.
DK1: Oh, I see. *grins*
(moments later)
DK1: Mommy, so I can use "vacillating" sometimes?


LEAPFROG series

These Leapfrog DVDs are a great complement to the YBCR series. DK2's current favorite is the Learn to Read DVD. It teaches them how to sound out each letter and how to string them together to say a word. The videos really engage the children to learn along with the characters. Our toddler/DK2 is watching the Math DVD now and I can hear her counting along in 2's.

DVDs aside, it is quite important to instill the love of reading and learning in our children very early on. We always read them a bedtime story before tucking them in at night. And if we decide to give them a reward for say a job well done in school, our 'prize' is always a trip to the bookstore.

Please share with us your kids' favorite DVD's and shows!

P.S. I was told the Your Baby Can Read series is sold on one of the local home shopping channels.