Dinosaur Train - DERAILED!!!

Normally, my hat is off to PBS for their educational kid's programs. Sid the Science Kid acually cracks me up on a daily basis, my kids have practically learned to read by themselves from Superwhy, and then there's good ole Sesame Street - enough said!

So given my boys' long-time obsession with dinosaurs, I thought Dinosaur Train was just a darling addition to our usual morning routine: get home from work, breakfast, big kids to school, little kids watch an hour or so of something they can learn from, reading and writing time, play outside, and Mommy go to BED!!

Well today was the first day of spring break! We all slept in, and after breakfast I thought I'd actually WATCH the program with my kids while sipping a cup of coffee and folding laundry pile #4. And boy, did I pick a "doozey" to watch. This was the episode where children apparently learn the ever-important lesson that "every dinosaur poops."

Really, PBS?????!!!!

I had just gone into the laundry room to switch a load over in the beginning of the program when I heard my 3 year old exclaim, "Mommy, the dinosaur said a bad word!!"

I came back out just in time to hear an innocent little dinosaur singing at the top of his lungs a SONG, yes an entire SONG, about dinosaur poop. And since it's forever engrained into my brain, of course I'll share a snippet with you, because it's just so educational:

"Today I found out something new,
And everyone else can learn it, too,
Every dinosaur poops!

For every critter
Of every species,
The food we don't use
Turns to feces."

Wow.

No child left behind. EVERY ONE of them will now know that every dinosaur poops.

No, I'm not going to write a letter to PBS. No, my children weren't scarred for life or traumatized by the show. (I might've have actually chuckled a time or two, just because it was just so stupid and I couldn't believe my ears.) And yes, they can still probably watch Dinosaur Train now and then, although Disney might be a better choice. But PBS might have made it onto my "poo poo" list with this one. (I had to reprogram my children a bit, "We don't really need to talk about poop in general, just let me know if you have to go.")

Here's my educational contribution back to the producers at PBS:

"I've been thinking and here's the scoop-
No one cares about dinosaur poop!

Your cute little show was a bit of a trap,
How could we know you'd be singing about CRAP?!?!

Tomorrow morning here's what I'll do,
I WON'T pick the show that talks about POO.

Thanks so much for such a great lesson,
You sure know how to keep us moms guessin'.

You might do well to heed my advice,
Kid's shows about poop are NOT very nice!!"

On a "cleaner" note, stay tuned for a video of the boys doing their dinosaur impersonations. I'm trying to get it to load!!!

PBS: Please Be Smarter