Please don’t come for me! I’m having my first kiddo in a few weeks, so I’m totally new to the game.
Of course the algorithm has fed me ALL the baby and kid content.
I find the “Miss Rachel” phenomenon kind of… extreme? I realize kids will get hooked on characters of anything they watch, but some of the videos on social media make it look like these babies think Miss Rachel is their mom…? Or at the very least, that they prefer her to their mom? I realize her content is well-recommended and well-received, which is great, but having my 12 month old obsess over another adult woman feels uncomfy. Maybe those social media videos are from families that do way too much screen time?
Does anyone else find it a little strange, or am I just entirely too dramatic?
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Babies and toddlers get really excited about the most mundane things. That’s part of the charm of them. Someone singing hop little bunny or wheels on the bus can absolutely light up their day and they will show that with their whole body. I’m sure there are kids out there who do have an emotional reaction to Ms Rachel herself and some who spend too much time with her but the level of “obsession” that you see in a short clip online can mean absolutely nothing.
My 20 month old looks like an absolute lunatic if I put on Bruno mars and lady Gaga’s new song. If Ms Rachel showed up at my door my daughter wouldn’t know who she was but if I put her singing hop little bunny on TV I could get that “obsessed” reaction on the right day and she barely watches TV.
My son is 5 and just learning how to speak. He’s learned a shit ton of words from Ms. Rachel. I won’t slam her.
I felt the same way before I had kids. Now I have a 2.5 yo and a 10 month old. We just moved and Ms Rachel is my best friend.
I totally get where you are coming from, but would just recommend keeping an open mind too. Parents are solo sometimes and need a few minutes, plus her content is positive and educational. Sometimes it really is my best option.
If that makes you uncomfy then don’t play her for your kids. My daughter learned so much from watching Ms Rachel including baby signs. She’s appealing to them because she speaks in a manner that catches small children’s attention and she sings fun songs. My daughter adores her but has never been confused that she’s her mom or anything. She’s like baby Taylor Swift.
I think it’s weird how babies and toddlers who are too young to talk amongst themselves about their favorite media icons still go through trends. I think that it shows that while young kids do get excited about these things, it’s parents actually following the trends.
My kids were too old for Miss Rachel by the time she came on the scene, and we didn’t do screens before two. But, once they were allowed screens in moderation, my kids got really excited about Cocomelon. This sort of thing happens. I remember as an older child that people were concerned with how babies got so excited about Teletubbies and confused about why toddlers like Barney.
Navigating how to regulate what media and how much you expose your kids to can be tough. There’s far less data on the long term impact of all the different sorts media that are out there than any of us would really like. Some shows really do seem to provide educational value, but some kids do seem to develop unhealthy relationships with screens.
But, I don’t think that you need to worry about a little bit of screen exposure turning you baby into an obsessive fan who likes a character on a screen more than they like you. There’s plenty of room to adapt if you see things going a way you don’t like. Especially when they’re little, kids only watch what you show them.