Our second foster placement was a toddler girl who loved to crawl into the guest room bed and watch cartoons on Noggin, which is now NickJr. It was with Gemini that I learned what Nickelodeon had to offer beyond Blue’s Clues and NickToons. Gemini loved Dora The Explorer and I was grateful that she watched it in a room I wasn’t in. I didn’t know why I didn’t like Dora; I just didn’t. I enjoyed Go, Diego, Go, and it was basically the same who with Dora’s male cousin. Maybe it was Dora’s voice.
When Jessie came into our life I introduced her to the magic of Disney Playhouse and NickJr. Imagination Movers and Jack’s Big Music Show were her favorites. She loved The Wiggles and Yo Gabba Gabba too. Jessie pretty much enjoyed anything with music and dancing. I loved all these shows with her. Watching her joy while she watched was the best part.
I did not open her up to Dora or Diego. I had a threshold for the children’s programming I could stomach. Keeping the shows away from Jessie wasn’t that hard because they aired on Nickelodeon not NickJr. Then one day when we were at the pediatrician’s office Dora was playing on all the video monitors in the waiting area and exam rooms. I didn’t realize Jessie was even paying attention. Not long after that visit to the doctor Jessie turned to me and asked to watch Backpack.
I think that’s one of those requests that only a mommy can understand. It’s the only explanation I can come up with for why I immediately knew what my toddler was asking for. Now Dora is a regular part of our programming. Jessie sings doo, doo, doo, Dora and yells at Swiper. She still calls the show Backpack.