14 March 2008

"We did it! Hurray!"

I have a love/hate relationship with Dora the Explorer. I love it because it is educational*, most of the DVDs have a Dutch language option (with second language English), it's interactive and it keeps Ella amused while I get dinner cooked. I hate it because all the characters always yell and can't do anything for themselves and it's extremely repetitive.

So usually, when I do pay any attention to it, I can be heard saying things like:
"No, I don't want to help you. Do it yourself!" (Dora: "Do you want to help us find Boots' squeaky toy?)
"Jeezes, is there something wrong with your eyes? It's RIGHT behind you!" (Dora: "Can YOU see the magic castle?")
"I think Dora needs to get her ears checked. We're yelling our heads off here!" (Dora: "Say jump! Say it louder! LOUDER!"

And I make a habit of giving the wrong answer to all her questions. Ella is so used to this that she'll just say: "No mum, it's purple/a square/five" and doesn't seem to think anything of her mother being so stupid.

In my defence, I do also try to encourage Ella to participate as that is what Dora is all about.

Yesterday Dora and Boots were trying to encourage the viewers to get up and jump over mud puddles to get away from some crocodiles. When Ella didn't react to their requests to get up to jump, I said: "Go on Ella, you have to stand up to jump."

Ella gave me one of those 'poor you' looks and said: "There are no crocodiles here, mum" and went back to her colouring in.

*[Certain proof that Ella learns from it, is that she now counts to ten with a Holland Dutch accent!]

2 comments:

jeanie said...

Very funny, Lin! We never had Dora (for which I am grateful) but Blue's Clues (which was much better when Steve was the dude) used to always get me yelling the answers!

Alison said...

ROFL!
That is such a Duh Mum moment!