My children watch TV. There, I said it. There are days, in fact, when they probably watch up to, if not more than, the maximum recommended daily allowance of the boob tube. And while I’m not particularly proud of that revelation, I’m also not ashamed of it. Several key aspects of my life prior to experiencing salvation by way of the television were, shall we say, challenging.
I couldn’t, for example, convince my children to leave me alone long enough to fix them breakfast in the morning and certainly couldn’t get my daughter to take her asthma inhalers without a fight that would have made Mayweather shake in his little laced-up boxing boots. If I wanted to be presentable to the outside world, I had to wake up long before my children did to accomplish that goal (which, as a card-carrying platinum member of the night-owl, non-morning-person club, goes against every strand of my DNA). So when I discovered the sedative effect of the TV, I immediately and unabashedly employed it to my great advantage during our most trying times of the day because I strongly believe that maintaining your sanity throughout parenthood is a competitive sport, and I am in it to win it!
But I recently discovered another benefit of allowing my children to watch TV: occasionally—amidst the reintroduction to words you never actually use (like “rhombus” and “lever”) via Sesame Street, and the sadly misguided attempts to help me brush up on my map-reading skills via Dora the Explorer—there comes a show that actually teaches me something useful. And the mother of these shows, I’m quite convinced, is Peppa Pig.
Yes, hidden within the charming British accent and peals of piggy laughter that comprise the surface level of Peppa Pig is a world of profound wisdom offered up for the taking to both children and their adults (to be pronounced “ADD-ults,” not “a-DULTS,” naturally). While enjoying Peppa Pig, your children will unwittingly internalize valuable life skills such as amicable conflict resolution, minding one’s manners, and a biggie: listening to one’s parents. You, meanwhile, will learn how to derive a little more joy out of your present situation. Here are the most noteworthy lessons I’ve picked up after nearly two years of watching Peppa Pig (pretty much exclusively) on TV:
Jumping in muddy puddles is fun. Unlike in San Antonio (or at least San Antonio up until a few months ago), it rains quite a bit in the UK, where Peppa Pig is set. Naturally, Peppa encounters her fair share of muddy puddles during her many adventures outside. And what activity is more fun to a child than boisterously bouncing up and down in a big muddy puddle? Not many, apparently.
Prior to watching Peppa Pig, the thought of my children jumping in big mud puddles was enough to make me want to break out in hives. The mess. The laundry. The baths. The work required in the aftermath was just too much to bear. Since watching Peppa Pig, however, I have consciously reconsidered my reluctance towards all things involving dirt. Want to jump in muddy puddles? Go ahead! Want to dig up my flower beds? Sure, why not? Want to eat some dirt? Hey, if that’s what floats your boat! Mommy taking lessons from Peppa Pig or Mommy edging closer and closer to the verge? You be the judge. Whatever the case, I’ve come to understand that life’s simple pleasures shouldn’t be revoked just because Mommy is a wuss. Jumping in muddy puddles is indeed fun.
Daddies deserve a break too. One of Daddy Pig’s most frequent refrains is “What a lovely day for doing nothing!” and it’s shockingly often said in the immediate presence of Mummy Pig. I don’t know about you, but if my darling Daddy Pig ever said anything along those lines in front of me, my response would most certainly be quite pointed and perhaps something along the lines of “Oh really? Must be nice. When do I get my weekend? Where is my downtime? Oh, that’s right: It’s coming…in exactly 16 years, 5 months, and 23 days. Not that anyone’s counting or anything.”
But on the show, Mummy Pig simply responds to Daddy Pig’s whims with a bemused laugh or a patient reminder that it’s actually Thursday—not Saturday as he had convinced himself—and he’s late for work. So I am reminded by Mummy Pig’s kinder, gentler response that yes, Daddy Pig does deserve a break. It’s OK if he wants to spend some time doing nothing. After all, if I’m being honest, I would freaking love to spend some time doing absolutely nothing. And I, like Mummy Pig, watch our Daddy Pig head to work Monday through Friday, and it’s because of his hard work that I’m able to be the Mummy Pig I so enjoy being. So go ahead, Daddy Pig, and enjoy a little guilt- and nag-free downtime, compliments of Peppa Pig. You’ve earned it!
Playing outside is important. Whether they’re out examining rock pools by the seashore, camping in a camper van, or visiting a nearby castle (hey, it’s Europe, people), Peppa and her family always seem to be game for a little adventure exploring the great outdoors. My children delight in playing outside, but because I’m a lazy parent, I don’t often seek out new and exciting places for us to visit. Instead, we log most of our outdoor time in our yard or in one of two nearby parks. Peppa Pig has inspired me step outside of my comfort zone a little and seek out new experiences for my children. Maybe—just maybe—I’ll even take them camping this summer!
Laughter is the best medicine. When something goes wrong, I gotta admit that my first instinct is not usually to laugh. In fact, quite the opposite. I usually either want to scream or cry, depending on the severity of the mishap. In the world of Peppa Pig, however, a blunder is at worst met with an “oh my,” very quickly followed by a workable solution or confession and polished off with a healthy dose of laughter by all involved.
There is an episode, for example, in which Peppa accidentally throws her red dress in the wash with Daddy Pig’s white soccer shirt resulting in a pink jersey just moments before his game is to begin. Mummy and Peppa explain to Daddy Pig what has happened when he comes home, and after he finishes complaining that he can’t very well wear a pink soccer shirt to the game, he decides to wear his white button-down work shirt instead, and everyone has a jolly good laugh about the situation.
I’m not sure that such a circumstance would be met with laughter in my house, but I am convinced that it should be. This is a sports jersey we’re talking about after all, not a nuclear meltdown. Life with children requires a little bit of levity and a whole lot of laughter. Peppa Pig and her family have the right idea: replace exasperation or anger with laughter a few times a week and see what happens!
Bonus feature. As an added bonus for loyal viewership of Peppa Pig, your child may pick up some cute British colloquialisms and, if you’re lucky, an accent that will make it sound as though your family is either well-traveled or well-educated or both. My daughter, for example, has started referring to the mail as “post.” I love it when she asks if we can run out to the mailbox to see if we have post. She also asks me to “mend” things now instead of “fix” them. Somehow I’m always a little less annoyed to have to “mend” something for the hundredth time than I would be to “fix” it for the same number of rounds.
But alas, all good things must come to an end, and I fear that my daughter’s interest in Peppa is starting to wane after two glorious years. Some traitor of the highest order introduced her to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse recently, and she has been requesting that show with alarming regularity lately. I try to overlook little annoyances like Daisy Duck’s completely illogical use of the adjective “goody goody” and the characters’ unusual fixation on hot dogs, but when you are used to dealing with perfection, it’s just so hard to lower your standards to mere mediocrity.
Still not convinced you should be watching Peppa Pig? Here are my final selling points on the show: there is no annoying theme music nor jarring interludes that get stuck in your head like a bad ’80s rap (but worse) for months on end. There are no villains of any kind on Peppa Pig, so if your child is a big scaredy cat like mine, you will find a safe refuge here. And finally, do you remember The Cosby Show? Do you remember how you felt while you were watching it? (Dig deep here to recall the feelings you had pre-scandal.) If you’re like me, you felt like you were among family watching that show—like you were in the midst of a big, warm group hug. Well, that’s how I feel watching Peppa. It’s familiar, uplifting, and fun. So, go ahead—touch that dial. You can thank me later.
Loved this article, entertaining, and completely relatable. Let your kids be kids and let Papa sleep! This was soildly entertaining and while reading this, I found myself using a British accent, so thank you for the laughs.
This clever article makes me want to watch “Peppa Pig”! I love the fact that your daughter is using British phrases…how charming! There are certainly much worse activities than watching TV, and if it gives you a small bit of peace plus your children are learning about manners and life situations…I say go for it!
A very clever article!
I feel the same way about Peppa! My daughter loves the show so much that I use it in lessons when she’s acting up, “Remember when Peppa didn’t take turns? What did Mommy Pig say?” She’s also picked up some British phrases, like calling RVs “camper vans.”