Friday was a sick day for our little guy–a steady fever, and general crankiness. (Much better now, thanks.) He’s now at the point where he grabs onto new words and phrases daily–pointing out an airplane and saying “airplane,” recognizing a number on an elevator button as it’s pressed. My wife keeps his favorite songs, including one by Kimmy Schwimmy called “I Like You,” loaded up on iTunes, and he now calls her laptop the I-like-you.
On Friday, however, he walked up to that machine, and he wasn’t looking for music. “Elmo?” he said, pointing. “Elmo?”
Well, wow. I have explained this before: Our child does not watch television. In his entire life, he’s experienced TV for maybe ten minutes. (Plus some YouTube clips of New York City buses, because buses are his very favorite things, and videos posted by amateur transit buffs are pretty innocuous stuff.) We are not viciously anti-TV; we just want to push it off as long as possible. He’ll get there soon enough.
So, a mystery: Where on earth did he pick this up? Day care? Other kids’ T-shirts? The generally pervasive Elmo-ness of toddler culture, where that red furry face appears on everything from diapers to card games? Unless my parents are sneaking him doses of Sesame Street when they baby-sit, I’m stumped.
Or maybe it was this guy.
Kiddie pop culture is insidious. It’s amazing how shows infilitrate our kids’ brains. Disney is the best/worst at this. My daughter knew her princesses long before we ever gave her any exposure to the movies — we still have no idea how it happened.
Hey, sorry about that. I noticed recently that Sasha had taken to sending diaper-mail notes to your address, but I figured she was just talking shit about me with you behind my back. Turns out (now that I’ve snooped her inbox) she was sending YouTube clips and Toysrus.com links to your son. So, you’re doomed. Join the club.
(FWIW, Sasha learned about Elmo—and Dora, and other kiddie characters—at daycare. Bastards!)