My kids started watching 90s shows and I noticed a ‘wild’ change in their behaviour – here’s why toddlers today are doomed
A mother noticed a change in her children’s behavior after they started watching children’s shows from the 1990s.
Lauren, from Northern Virginia, US, was tired of the shows her two sons Ollie, three, and Jack, nine months, were watching.
So she started surfing streaming platforms and came across nostalgic shows she watched as a child, including Rolie Polie Olie.
‘It immediately took me back to my childhood, so I just set it up for my toddler one day. He loved it, so I started looking for other ’90s shows I could find to watch,” Lauren, 30, told FEMAIL.
She said the older shows had a positive impact on Ollie’s sleep and he doesn’t fight back when it’s time to switch off the TV.
Shows her children now watch regularly include Little Bear, Arthur, Franklin, Clifford, Magic School Bus and more.
Mum-of-two Lauren (pictured with sons Jack and Ollie) swapped today’s children’s shows for 90s shows including Bear in the Big Blue House. She told FEMAIL that she noticed a change in her toddler’s behavior
She said the older shows had a positive impact on Ollie’s sleep and he doesn’t fight back when it’s time to switch off the TV. Watching ’90s shows has also had a positive impact on his sleep
‘Before I switched to ’90s shows, my toddler had trouble turning off the TV. We were very dependent on TV time since my youngest was born with some medical complications,” Lauren said.
“But with a lot of screen time came a lot of meltdowns and difficult transitions when it was time to move on.
‘When we started watching ’90s children’s programmes, Ollie really enjoyed the show, but when it was time to turn it off and play, he didn’t resist at all!’
Not only that, but she also noticed that the programs for older children are less stimulating than those on TV today, and also promote creativity and imagination.
“The shows are made to teach children lessons, not just to provide entertainment. They don’t have the flashy graphics or high stimulation like today’s children’s shows,” Lauren said.
‘Today’s shows are so stimulating and could even be considered ‘addictive’.
Shows her children now watch regularly include Little Bear, Arthur, Franklin, Clifford, Magic School Bus and more. The shows can be found on streaming services and YouTube
“Today’s shows have so much stimulation and could even be considered ‘addictive,’” she said. Lauren and her best friend Sara (right) run the Instagram page Mamas and Messes and are on a mission to “bring authenticity to every aspect of parenting.”
Watching ’90s shows has also had a positive impact on her toddler’s sleep.
‘Ollie had trouble waking up in the middle of the night and said he was scared. “I really think it was based on the movies and shows he was watching on TV that made him wake up with a sense of dread,” she said.
Since she changed the channel, almost as if she turned the switch back in time, the kids now mostly watch shows from the 90s.
“Life is about balance and the same goes for our children,” Lauren said.
“I think I’m a little more partial to ’90s shows based on the changes I saw in my kid, but are we still watching Disney movies and some Mrs. Rachel or Bluey? Naturally! But most of the time we stick to simplistic 90s kids shows!’
Lauren and her best friend Sara head the Instagram page Mamas and Messes and are on a mission to “bring authenticity to every aspect of parenting.”
Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Lauren was a first grade teacher for six years and has a degree in early childhood education.