Sep5
I’ll admit, as a parent, I had some reservations about Yo Gabba Gabba.
Having a very sensitive daughter, prone to nightmares, I’ve wondered about the designs of some of the main characters and the dreams they inspire. I’ve wondered if some of the familiar adult faces and bands aren’t just a little bit self-indulgent. I know my daughter didn’t get Biz’s Beat Of The Day whatsoever and, when I tried to get her to take part, it just freaked her out. And I wondered about the age-old pace/attention span issue that has been talked about since the dawn of children’s television (though only wondered, because research does not seem to back up that concern).
I enjoyed it but I wasn’t all that sure my little girl was getting as much from it as I was.
But Yo Gabba Gabba totally won me over.
The show is colourful, has some great songs, is very playful and who couldn’t love DJ Lance? But the show won me over on something far more important than that – the messages.
Yo Gabba Gabba covers messages to children that I simply haven’t seen anywhere else. Don’t just take stuff from your friends. Don’t throw stuff at your friends. Don’t bite your friends. Seriously, don’t bite your friends. Just don’t do it. This is something that some young children do and yet I can’t think of another show that just comes out and says don’t do it.
The messages in Yo Gabba Gabba are relevant and, importantly, different to the messages children are getting elsewhere. For such a seemingly wacky show, it tackles subjects far more grounded and real than many other shows. As a father of two, where an older child can terrorise a younger one (or vice versa), I appreciate those messages. The show can actually be a useful parenting tool – working with parents. Any reservations I once had have long since been put aside. And, now, their ‘Be Nice To Everyone’ song is one of my favourite songs from television.
I love the show. And, as my daughter got a little older, and was joined by her little sister, I found she began to get as much from it as I did.
So, Yo Gabba Gabba, I salute you!
Tags: Children, education, Messages, parenting, recommendations, Yo Gabba Gabba
