No Function

Over the past few months, Leta has been increasingly interested in The Backyardigans. For the uninitiated, this is an animated show featuring computer rendered characters who have imaginary adventures in their adjoining suburban backyards. The best part is the music, a lot of which is done by Evan Lurie, brother of John Lurie (both of whom were in the founding lineup of the Lounge Lizards). Each episode has a theme and musical style. If I’m going to be trapped into watching TV with my kid, I could do a lot worse. Leta, of course, loves it.

Since we devote a section of the satellite recorder to kids programming, we rotate a few episodes through for Leta, keeping the ones she likes to watch for repeat viewing. The one she’s into this week is “Cops and Robots”, where two of the characters are evil robots and two are cops out to capture them. During the course of this episode, the robots have malfunctions which are marked by a mini freakout and the repetition of the word “malfunction!” over and over until the other presses the reset button. I won’t spoil the end, but there is an alternate way to stop a malfunction and that is revealed in the final minutes.

Leta loves to act this episode out. All day. In every way. Including bringing a Barbie® or princess into the mix. She also loves to delay the inevitable using whatever characters are in her arsenal during that day. So last night when I started the countdown for bed (“20 minutes”, “10 minutes”, “5 minutes”, etc.) we got into a discussion about how princesses sleep in a bed. Leta, the expert negotiator (I see a cabinet position in her future), brought up the fact that Ariel, the Little Mermaid, did not sleep on a bed. Quickly, I said, “Once she became human, she DID sleep in a bed with Eric!”

Dad 1, Leta 0.

Later, as we were getting ready for bed, Leta began to malfunction. Except the word morphed into “No function! No Function! NO FUNCTION!” with Leta running around in circles and trying to avoid getting jammies on. She does a pretty good robot imitation. I pressed her reset button and she went to bed surprisingly easy. And she slept like a trooper, the first time in about three or four weeks (months?). Hurray for the reset button.

This morning, before heading out for pre-school, she watched the episode again and as is custom, she tried to delay departure.

“No function! No function! No function! Dad, you have to push my reset button! Dad! Reset! Button! No function! No function!”

I pressed the reset button. At least 10 times. We were late for school. A lot.

  • Lisa

    I have had four kids at home and now I am down to one (teenage girl, yikes!). I loved preschoolers imaginations.

    Having been there many times, negotiation may be another term for “manipulation”. Even though at this age kids are very, very cute, there has to be consequences for them not doing what is expected of them. If the kids made themselves late for school, that made me late for work. So I found that the morning ran more smoothly with everyone knowing that if there was too much “goofing”, then there would be consequences (like losing one’s TV watching privilege). But the rules have to be set forth prior to the goofing so that you are not using the consequence as a threat for the behavior (or in a yelling spree). Calm reminders are good. If the kids know their behavior is getting to you, then they know they are getting at least some sort of attention out of you. Just calmly say, “if we are late for preschool because you were goofing, then there will be no tv watching in the morning tomorrow so that you will have the extra time to get ready.” End of discussion. Then follow through is important. With four, I used to have to write myself a note and post it to remember.

    My youngest son loved the Ninja Turtles. They used the word “Dude” way before it was popular.

  • Jill

    I’ve got a 2 and a half year old who insists on watching Cars everyday. At least one and a half times. He also enjoys The Backyardigans (Noggin is a great channel if you get it, just look out for Oobi). I think you should turn Leta onto the “Racing Day” episode where they sing,

    “I gotta go go go
    get going I gotta go go go
    You can’t go fast
    if you go to slow
    I gotta go go go go go!!!”

    Maybe that will make up for a few of those late days!

  • http://thelightersideofgrowingup.typepad.com Ashley

    i am not too familiar with the backyardigans (<– my built in Mac spell check does not like that word) but my niece LOVES the wonderpets – like she refers to as “wonda pets, wonda pets!” we’re from new england. what can i say.

  • http://got-toast.blogspot.com Trysha

    We’re your backyard friends, the backyardigans…. Our favorite episode is the Secret Agents episode.

    Eeesh! My 4 & 5 year olds have gotten hooked on Noggin and they watch Little Bill, Oobi, & Wow Wow Wubzy.

    God I miss Spongbob.

  • Joel

    My son loves the Backyardigans as well. Noggin hasn’t run many new episodes lately so I found some on Nick for Tivo to grab. When I told him they were coming up it was all he could talk about for a week.

    Also, part of my love for them is that my wife absolutely HATES all the singing and dancing. If they have one that has the characters whistling, I will run it on a perpetual loop until the Tivo’s hard drive dies of mechanical failure.

    PS Do you know what Uniqua is supposed to be? We’re assuming Austin is a kangaroo and my guess is she is an ant. I looked on the website a while back and they didn’t say.

  • http://www.greeblemonkey.com Aimee Greeblemonkey

    Declan loves the Backyardigans too. (Since he is scared of anything actually involving a character arc, we still watch kiddie shows for the most part, Wiggles taking up a huge chunk of viewing time, YES I KNOW HE IS FIVE AND SHOULD BE WATCHING STAR WARS, HE WON’T DO IT DAMMIT).

    My hubby loves to watch the Backyardigans too, since he does some 3D animation work. It’s so luminous.

  • http://jenniferhast.blogspot.com Jennifer

    Must have reset button installed on child

    Thank you for updating my to do list

  • http://www.blessourhearts.blogspot.com Mary Moon

    Ah-our children- how well they train us.

  • Galatae

    I think my favorite line in the whole series is in the “Eureka” episode:

    “Eureeeka, eureeka, it’s a word from ancient Greek-a, eureeka”

    Kudos Evan Lurie.

  • http://assertagirl.com/ Assertagirl

    The Backyardigans surprisingly doesn’t suck as much as a lot of the kids shows out there.

    Leta does a good robot impression but can she do *THE* Robot?

  • http://notcleverlynamed.blogspot.com lionemom

    Heh heh! I had a similar “game” turned against me into a stall tactic used by my nieces when my brother and I introduced them to freeze and unfreeze, as in freeze tag. I think someone had gotten one of them a magic wand type of thing and I believe it was my brother who used it against me, thereby introducing it to them. Well, they used it on me non-stop the rest of the day, even when it came to getting out of swimsuits and getting dressed so everyone could go in and eat dinner, etc. That was when it got REALLY annoying and pushy. The game was over. They continued to try to use it and at that point I just had to ignore them doing it and continue herding them to do what they were supposed to be doing, like a good aunt.

    Damn my brother for showing them that! He should know better. It was his daughter (and her cousins).

    JOEL – According to a brief web search, Uniqua is a unique creature, not meant to be anything in particular.

    And Galatae, I LOVE that lyric! Reminds me of some of the Schoolhouse Rock rhymes! :-)

  • Ash

    Coming from someone who spends her days with 5 kids under the age of 3, Backyardigans is one of the good ones. Wait until she starts to like and imitate Yo Gabba Gabba. Oh. My. God. The person who created that show needs to have his head examined.

  • keagansmom

    I was wondering where my 3 year old son got “I am a robot”. He just recently started saying it in this weird robotic (who would have thought) voice. Thanks for clearing up the mystery.

    BTW, the Backyardigans movie that they had on a little while ago with the dragon and the knights totally rocks! The music is great and its very very funny.

    Go Uniqua!

  • mr. m00g

    my kids used to occasionally watch the Backyardigans, but have (hopefully) given that one up. the music on that series is a bit too melancholy for me. have they never had an exciting and positive adventure?

  • Maureen

    When I was teaching a 3-6 year-old class at a Montessori school, the school secretary would predict when certain children would be late to school. Finally she told me her method. When Mom was out of town, you could bet money that Dad would show up late to school with the children. It was 98% accurate. Okay, I made up the 98% part, but the rest? Totally true. Dads doing the Mom routine was so cute.

  • http://perksofbeingme.blogspot.com Brittany

    I love The Backyardigans, and in my defense I know about them because I babysit all the time and I work with children.

    It makes me smile that Leta loves the show. Hope you’re enjoying watching it!

  • http://cassiepeck.com Cassie

    I laughed so hard reading this! I’m a behavior therapist for kids with autism, and have had to watch all the popular kids’ shows and learn the names of the characters in order to be able to communicate with my clients. The Backyardigans are hands down my favorite. I love the music, and since it’s a brain sticky as all the other kids’ music out there I’m glad it actually has some rhythm.

    In reference to the above comment I don’t think the characters are supposed to be a specific animal. Although Tyrone does look like a moose, kind of.

  • http://kellishaver.com Kelli

    Ah, my daughter was a big Backyardagins fan when she was a little younger and still watches it on occasion (she’s 6). We still insist on a good Yettie Stomp or two before coming into the house in muddy soccer cleats. It’s one of my two favorite kids’ shows (the other being Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch, though that seems to never be on anymore).

    I think Uniqua is the only one that’s not an actual animal of some sort. Tyrone’s a moose, Pablo’s a penguin, Austin’s a kangaroo, Tasha is a hippo, and Uniqua is… unique. Now that you mention it, though, she does look like an ant in a way.

  • kristine

    I’m a nanny for a 3 year old and a 10 year old. The 3 year old, Ava, LOVES The Backyardigans, Little Einsteins & The Magic Schoolbus.

    I had a few days off when I had the flu earlier this semester and ended up in bed with the tv on across the room. A Backyardigans marathon came on. I did not get up to change the channel.

    I like the swamp monster. :)

  • http://www.marcoda.wordpress.com Marcoda

    My daughter loves the Backyardigans. And you’re correct: You could do a lot worse in regards to kids programming. My husband and I find ourselves singing songs from “The Mighty Knights” episode too often to admit. No other children’s show could pull of a rock opera about taking care of a dragon egg so flawlessly.

    And yes, our daughter is now a knight as am I. My husband’s the Grabbing Gob-a-lin.

  • Bill

    Have you seen the 90 minute rock opera special? It’s big time.

    Love the Backyardigans post! You lose me with the 200mm lens with the this and the that on my super-duper-nerdoramma high speed typie machine stuff, but I always love coming back you your and Heather’s sites for the parental observations…I can relate.

  • Stephanie

    Boy, those Backyardigans songs stick in your head, though. My husband has been singing “We’re going to Mars” this whole week (The Mars episode also has the added bonus of a guest appearance by Miss Alicia Keys).

    As for robots, husband is the Tickle 2000 and will commence tickling until Ben yells “POWER DOWN!” Ben also does his “naked dance” to avoid the jammies. “I’m naked, I’m naked, I’m naked, naked, naked” and then offers to show me his rock and roll moves. Good to know we’re not the only ones with robots and bedtime avoiders in the family.

  • http://springtreeroad.typepad.com maya

    That’s my favorite episode. I love that song they sing – esp. the “we are badbots, robots who are bad. good does not compute with us, in fact it makes us mad” part.

    catchy.

  • Ashley

    We love the backyardigans theme song. Such high voices!

    Another favorite is from A Big World on PBS (although, none of us really know the words – just the melody and tone and a couple of words here and there).

    I always try and start the day off right by belting out what words I can remember in the car RIGHT before I drop my husband off for work…(it has to be right before so that he can’t drown out the repeat with something off the radio) He looks at me like he wants to kill me – but I know to translate that into “I love you too honey”

    We are all eternally grateful the Wiggles stage has ended. We are mostly grateful that it ended before mommy flew to Australia to strangle one of them and stuff them in the trunk of that little car and then set it on fire ;)

  • http://copaceticblog.com Melanie

    My kids love the Backyardigans, too.

    Have you seen Jack’s Big Music show? They have some pretty good music on that show sometimes.

    I have to say, I’m in Yo Gabba Gabba’s corner, even if parts of it are pure cheese. You have to hand it to them for creativity. And they feature decent rock/alt/indie bands. I’ll take YGG over the Wiggles or Barney any day.