Should They Watch It?
Should They Watch It?
Ep. 40: Team Umizoomi
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“A watch that’s as easy as pi”
SUMMARY
Today, the ladies are in the studio to review the math kid's show Team Umizoomi: an educational program geared toward a younger audience that teaches counting, shapes, patterns, and measurements. It's widely available on streaming apps, including Paramount Plus, Amazon, and the Roku channel.
OUR THOUGHTS
Kara hasn't been this unfocused since Puffin Rock, but she can appreciate that there's an audience for a math kid's show like this one. She also couldn't help but compare it to the faster-paced Number Blocks. What did get her attention is that, her fave, Donovan Patton of Blue's Clues fame, is one of the leading voice actors!
Laura appreciates the amount of applied math in this one as well as the show's focus on teamwork, problem-solving, and perseverance. She also peppers this podcast with math dad jokes (or mom jokes…can we make that a thing?) If you're looking for a real treat, you can find Laura singing the ever-so- catchy Umizoomi theme song a Capella at 20:25.
POTENTIAL ISSUES
None.
SHOULD THEY WATCH IT?
Kara: Eh, it's fine. This one is for the kids.
Laura: FER SURE
SIDE CONVERSATIONS
Today, the conversation turns to an article about unconventional celebrity parenting. Examples include Alicia Silverstone potty training her son at six months old using the concept of elimination communication. She also baby bird fed her son at one point! Additionally, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher limit Christmas gifts to their children. Listen for more examples! We’d love to know if you think they’re making a case for these approaches to parenting or not.
Kara's reptile-obsessed son found a rough earthsnake in a pile of leaves. Unfortunately, and he and Kara aren’t on the same page about where this snake should live. Kara knows she’s going to have to break her son’s heart very soon.
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The views and opinions expressed by their should they watch a podcast are those of two moms who happen to be a registered play therapist and a voice actor for cartoons. So while they may feel their opinions come from a knowledgeable place, they are still in fact just opinions. Should they watch it? A podcast that takes the task of reviewing your kid's favorite shows up your to do list? Hey there and welcome to this should they watch it Podcast? I'm Cara Edward. I'm Laura Orr hidden man. We're here
Laura Orr:ready to go with Team zoomy zoomy
Kara Edwards:zoomy
Laura Orr:ready for action? First? Yes. How're you doing? Kara?
Kara Edwards:I'm doing good. I am mentally preparing to break my son's heart today. Oh, no. I know. So a few days ago, here I was out in the yard and I was working in the garden. There is this like stack of leaves. And, and I left in there and I was going to come back and clean them out. My husband came and he was cleaning them up and he saw a little snake and Michael's obsessed with snakes. So he's like, so he went and got Michael, do you want to see it? Well, of course Michael immediately dives in and picks up the snake. I come outside. I'm like, hold on, right. Yes. Not a normal garden snake. So we need to Google what it is. Make sure it's not poisonous. Turns out it's what's called a rough Earth snake. Okay, not not poisonous. They're harmless. They're just they're like seven to 10 inches long. They're gray. They eat earthworms. Anyways, big I think when I was gardening I probably nicked it a little bit with the shovel because I had just the tiniest little nick in IT side. So Michaels like we have to keep it we can't release it. A cat would eat it. You have to nurse it to how to nurse it back to health. Okay, fine. So anytime Michael's holding this very wild snake. Yeah. It will like curl up in his hand, or like wrap themselves around his fingers. Like he is so calm in Michaels hand and Michael's always had this like snow white thing with animals anyways. Sure. So a couple days ago, I'm like, here's the deal, buddy. Like we he's looks like he's healed. We can't keep them in captivity. Like this is a wild animal. So I'm like, we haven't been able to feed him. It's time to release and then Michael's like, Mom, he's not ready yet. You need to dig up an earthworm give this one chance. I'm like, Okay, fine. So we made an agreement because never ever ever almost never does a wild animal eat in captivity. Oh, so it's like great because they're they're terrified they're not going to take whatever foods given to him they're used to hunting okay, like a hot
Laura Orr:animal. Yeah, an animal
Kara Edwards:like that's recently why Yeah, surely very rarely are
Laura Orr:they easy because very stressed this should be right
Kara Edwards:so while Michaels at school, I'm go digging in the gardens. I find an earthworm his size. Put it in there. And I'm like, Cool. What Michael comes home from school. He's going to see the earthworm still sitting there. And we'll be able to move on and like let go of the snake.
Laura Orr:The snake. Gaither earthworm, okay. I was wondering about that.
Kara Edwards:Yeah, so he's eating in captivity, he's living his best life. So he
Laura Orr:seems to really like his home if he's curling up on Michael Right, but snuggling him.
Kara Edwards:But the overall message that I as a parent have to give to my son is no, you cannot go capture the wild animals, put them in cages and expect them to live their best life like we have to release the snake. There's a bigger message at play here.
Laura Orr:Yeah, that's from day one with us too. From ag Squall AG is these guala world yes, we just can't you'd get a belonging.
Kara Edwards:And so that's the thing I'm gonna have to do with my six year old today is after school I've made a plan. I'm like, we're going to talk about what what if somebody just came in and plucked you out of your world and put you in a box and made you live there and then you didn't get to go do all your fun things anymore. Like so. Okay,
Laura Orr:Kara on a scale of one to 10 one being you will be releasing this snake today. 10 being you will have a 6000 pet living in your home. Right? How successful do you think you're gonna do?
Kara Edwards:It has to be a solid two to three. Okay, right. Like I keep thinking about if you look at my son's dresser we have we have Lizzie the binos gecko that we intentionally got we have spike her offspring that she that we had no idea she was going to spontaneously produce. Yes. And then we have the two frogs we have two water frogs Lily and Dottie that are sitting there and now we have this snake. Oh, I didn't tell you the name of the snake. Oh, of course Michael has named the snake sparkles. Okay, because of course sparkles the snake sparkle sparkles the rough Earth snake
Laura Orr:he looks a lot bigger in the picture you posted. Yeah, then what I what you're telling me I thought he
Kara Edwards:tie? No, he's tiny. I'll show you before you leave. He's probably like this. He's super tight. Okay,
Laura Orr:so he's not that nice. after all. He looked huge at the
Kara Edwards:line of aquariums down my son's dresser is DENSIVE and I just keep imagining our housekeeper showing up tomorrow and seeing like, Oh, now there's a snake like peace out. You're on your own learning to clean
Laura Orr:you think this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back for your house.
Kara Edwards:What more can I do to make this like a miserable experience? I just keep adding
Laura Orr:is she does she have to interact with the reptiles? No, but I mean she's gonna be in the room just make a nice little sign that says sparkles on it sparkles
Kara Edwards:this no because sparkles is not going to be here. Laura, you're not helping.
Laura Orr:You're right. I forgot. I also just like really struggled to believe you know, you did something? What did you do? And you were like, Oh, were you fostering a cat? Maybe?
Kara Edwards:Oh, yeah. No, we've actually fostered a dog we fostered cats we've liked so you have given animals that have been able to do it. And even Michael, we've we've had snails we've had Roly polies we've had, we've had animals that we've had to release back out and it's like, this is really cool. We're going to observe them. We had a frog that we observed for like a day and it's like now we need to send them back to their home and
Laura Orr:I love that you had a tank ready to hold this i
Kara Edwards:that? I mean when you when it's like once you have four reptiles you just go you just keep going right? You have all the materials you need. He's got his warming lamp, he's got his vermiculite. What is that? It's just foil. It's just a type of soil. Oh, soil adhesive foil? is the type of soil that you put on the ground. Oh, yeah, like them cozy what to me we do we have their hides. We have we have all the things that they need kind of here and at the ready, so
Laura Orr:I'm confused. I mean, I guess you're trying to teach him to release.
Kara Edwards:Sparkles can possibly be happy being in a cage the rest of his life like hate alarm, and he's acting really happy.
Laura Orr:He said, Michael, it's really why don't you let sparkles choose put them outside?
Kara Edwards:And if he comes crawling back into the house forever without being killed by a cat first. It's great. It's a great shuffle.
Laura Orr:I could just see it. Oh, Laura. Thanks for the recommendation is great. We got to watch shuffles murder sparkles. Well speaking of producing Kara, I found a really interesting article that I was wanting to run by you. And he's did it's unconventional celebrity approaches to parenting you interested in Oh,
Kara Edwards:bring it what do the rich and famous What are
Laura Orr:they up to?
Kara Edwards:What are they doing? How
Laura Orr:do we feel about that? Really, this is an article from Just Jared I think it was a list of about 15 but I pulled I think three or four ones that I felt were, you know, stuck out the most. So first, we have Kourtney Kardashian. Okay, she has gotten rid of her microwave after becoming a mom. She says when I had Mason, I did a lot of health related research and decided to get rid of my microwave when I read that toxins from plastic containers can be transferred to food when reheated.
Kara Edwards:I mean, she's not wrong.
Laura Orr:She's not. I think it's interesting that her reason is not because of the microwave, but because of the containers. Oh she's microwaving so maybe she needs to find better containers like glass Yeah, because what at home we don't microwave our plastics seems glass or ceramics. So I found it interesting that like, the problem is the containers but she gets rid of the entire apparatus
Kara Edwards:like waves so my niece did this I have a niece who's a who's a grown up with children of her own. And she did this she was studying like Holistic Health. Yeah, got rid of a microwave and cooks everything either in an oven or on the stove. I know other people who
Laura Orr:do the same thing did she say why?
Kara Edwards:Just it's same reasons honestly the exact same reasons because I mean just yeah just said it's there can be things that are considered not healthy and the waves the I don't know I'm not no scientist, the the radio waves that come out of the microwave and I think that was
Laura Orr:an actual like, legit concern back in the day when microwaves were introduced to the public was that they could they could zap our brains and stuff like that. Don't stay
Kara Edwards:these are this is another thing that I assure you, my mom never cared about. It was like Nah, we're gonna microwave our Frito Pie.
Laura Orr:Oh yeah, I loved watching My Cat Food rotate in the microwave when I was added to I would stare at it. And I know we're not supposed to do that, I guess I don't know. I don't know, man. Um, I know some people have also said that I've heard and I don't even know if this is true. I'm just probably spreading propaganda but that microwaves can, like zap the nutrients from the food.
Kara Edwards:I have heard that? Well, it's okay. So it's I don't know that they zap the nutrients. It's that the way that you cook food does either preserve the nutrients or not. And it's, I believe the this is so far out of my realm by no read it is something Yeah, it is something that I have read too, that it's in the way that the food is cooked. Like, obviously, the to get the most nutrients out of your food is to eat it immediately after it has been harvested or raw. Right? Yeah. And it also depends on the soil that it's grown in, which is one of my big thing. That's one of my big soy boxes that I can get down to is the soil if the soil is nutrient rich, then you're going to grow nutrient rich food right? And when and we as a world have severely depleted the nutrients in our soil, which is why I'm a big advocate for backyard gardening because then you can control what's going into your soil which thing means you're growing better food. So that's the best way to get your food once you stick it in a microwave and you cricket is going to like that. Yeah, it's not wrong. It's not wrong. Any any cooked food immediately starts losing some of the nutritional value. But yes, how it's cooked debts like that that are
Laura Orr:coming out of the lot. And once you start driving that new car out of the lot, right, yeah,
Kara Edwards:it loses its value the ride off the lot, man, you take it out of the garden. If it didn't go in your belly. You've already lost your best your best tomato.
Laura Orr:Well, speaking of starting something early. Is that a good transition? Yeah,
Kara Edwards:you're gonna you're on tour. today. Yeah, you're on it. Yeah.
Laura Orr:Okay, thank you, Alicia Silverstone potty train her son at just six months old.
Kara Edwards:Isn't she kind of kooky? She is the
Laura Orr:one who she's the celebrity who filmed herself. Like mother baby birding her kid where she was chewing food. Yeah. Okay. She's kooky and like, spit it in her kid's mouth.
Kara Edwards:Okay, so this was another thing, Laura, I gotta tell you, you're not you're not scaring me yet. Because I took a class when Michael was itty bitty baby. And it was a Montessori class, but it was specifically one Oh, I took several classes, but one of them was specifically on potty training. And there is a point that you can potty train a very, very young child. Yeah. Or you need to wait until they're like 18 months or whatever it is. You do it two years. But there is a point where they can be potty trained. If they are able to walk. If they're crawl on, is it walk or crawl or I don't know this.
Laura Orr:She or she started at six months and I don't think I don't think her six month old is crawling yet. Right? Oh, six months. Now she says that it's called elimination communication. Maybe this is from Montessori, though
Kara Edwards:that does some super Montessori but I also don't want to like offend Montessori because I'm pro Montessori. So my my kids go thinner. So
Laura Orr:she says just like your baby tells you it needs to eat or it's tired. They tell you when they need to go to the bathroom. Honestly, I wish I had known that because my kid is over two and hates the idea of being potty trained. Really? Oh, yeah. She the toilet. You know, it's just not something she's interested in anytime we suggest it. You know, she doesn't want it. So I'm
Kara Edwards:interesting that Michael was really easy. Michael was really easy. If he, he I feel like it was right before he was too and I credit his teachers. Yeah, like his. They started working with him. And he kind of and we same I did at home. It was like, let's try this. And he was just like I
Laura Orr:was thinking, what cues Do you think a six month old is giving you that they need to go to the bathroom?
Kara Edwards:I mean, outside of literally making the squinch face What else could it possibly be?
Laura Orr:And usually that's like, right as that's happening. Yeah. Like you're not.
Kara Edwards:I mean, maybe she's more I mean, as she's feeding them out of her mouth. Maybe she's more in tune with her children than I ever was with mine. But
Laura Orr:yeah, she's definitely she's kooky.
Kara Edwards:Okay, hers doesn't count.
Laura Orr:Your I mean, I would love to learn more about this elimination communication.
Kara Edwards:I know I do. But I do remember that from that class is there is a point where you can start early in it. I just want to say it was like nine months. It was yeah, the early and then if you miss that window, you've missed it. And
Laura Orr:well, yeah. And I mean, I think there are cultures where kids don't wear diapers and stuff. Yeah, potty training. I think it was faster for them. And
Kara Edwards:that was part of the suggestion is just like be willing to have like a week of accidents and take off their diaper so that they feel it and they understand what they're doing and and go from there. I don't know, I took the class, but I didn't follow any of the instructions.
Laura Orr:It's just hard. What's the right way? What's the wrong way? There's so many ways as vollen saying, Okay, there's another way. Yeah. What's another one that a, a, a celebrity is raising their child is only letting their kids watch TV and another language to help them become bilingual. And I've actually, I actually have heard of this before. I know somebody whose kid was watching Peppa Pig and Spanish, and they were speaking did they
Kara Edwards:still have a British accent? Right. So Michaels in a dual language program right now. And his teacher before he was allowed to begin, his teacher sat me down, it was like, you have to understand that the only way he's going to be successful at this program is if you immerse him in Spanish at home, maybe he needs to watch TV in Spanish, he needs to listen to the radio in Spanish, he needs to, I have failed completely at this. The teacher knows I have failed completely at this because Michael always gets really great remarks. And he always makes a point to say, you know, he could be so much further along in his dueling, he
Laura Orr:calls us Oh, every
Kara Edwards:single time I get called out on this, and I'm like, I know. And we will like we listen to the radio in Spanish when we're when we're going to school in the morning. But I do, but I am terrible about putting TV in Spanish on and yes, he would be so much further along. But at the same time, I'm like, I'm thrilled that he's getting exposure to another language to begin with. So I guess I'm not feeling quite the same pressure as for a six year old to be multilingual.
Laura Orr:Well, they say the younger they learn, the better. It's better and immersion is like the way to go. Yeah, I want to be successful. You immerse yourself in the it is hard, though. I mean, honestly, I'm with you. A lot of these celebrities, honestly, none of them are that crazy. There's one more and this one isn't as crazy to me, either. Okay. Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. So the headline was no gifts on Christmas. Which I was like, Oh, poor kids. But then I realized that it you know, the headline is the eye catcher. Right, right. So you read the the other stuff, it was actually more of a rule that they had for the grandparents. Oh, they changed that. But then it was if you have to give them something pick one gift otherwise, we would like a charitable donation because they get this look in their eyes where they just go on autopilot opening these presents. And it's not about the gifts that they get. It's about just getting stuff.
Kara Edwards:Oh, that happened that absolutely happened this past Christmas with us as by the time like we got what we felt was an appropriate amount of gifts for them. But then by the time all the family members added in, at the end of Christmas, that's exactly what happened is the kids were and then like throwing fits like why why did we only get six gifts at this house? But we got 12 at the other house. Why don't ya we had a little of that going on and Zack gonna handle the conversation afterwards. We're like, we're gonna make some changes next year. Because yeah, yeah. You don't want your kids to be all about the stuff you want them to appreciate. Which is why I always I try so hard, especially on birthdays. I try to get them experiences. Yeah. Oh, I love that instead of gifts. It's like I got two tickets to this cool thing. Yeah,
Laura Orr:we can do together. Yeah, that's kind of why we did. We went took it we went and took Daphne on a on a vacation for her birthday.
Kara Edwards:So I get that one too, quite frankly. Yeah, they all they all I know. Really. You're kind of disappointing me. I really wanted celebrities to be way more kooky than so far they're being it's like it's like people are actually can just be reasonable with their children. I
Laura Orr:mean, to be fair, Gwyneth Paltrow did name her child apple. So if that helps,
Kara Edwards:that's okay. Michael Jackson did dangle his off a balcony. Yeah. So they are they do exist?
Laura Orr:Are you referring to the child blanket blanket? Yes. So I'm sure there's things that you know, they're not admitting to in their interviews. Oh, yeah. But yeah, you're right. I was reading these and I was like, okay, they are different. Like, not everybody is doing these things, obviously. But they felt they did also to me feel like, like, some of it made sense.
Kara Edwards:Yeah. I'm gonna be bored with this. And I mean, no, I
Laura Orr:thought you said you were bored with no, I'm
Kara Edwards:on board. I
Laura Orr:was like, dang.
Kara Edwards:Well, there's an even better transition. I was gonna use this originally and say, you know, speaking of things parents could do that good for their kids to me. zoomy. But now you said now that you've brought up the word board. Let's start there. Speaking Oh, they
Laura Orr:dare you
Kara Edwards:bored me to tears. He we're not bored by this.
Laura Orr:You know what, Cara? Can we sing verse. Go, okay. You can always count on me to remind us to sing a song Get a song Sing the song do you get my counting on?
Kara Edwards:Oh can I do count on you pun fun?
Laura Orr:Don't worry. I won't do a lot of math puns. Just some.
Kara Edwards:Oh, you have been you wrote these down?
Laura Orr:No I did get ready guys. We got napkins coming your way and a song. Do it go okay 123 Go oh me zoomy very amusing me me say me no around that's not so far away. Me city you can count on us to save the day. Take it away Cara.
Kara Edwards:I don't remember. Are you kidding? I don't think I have struggled so hard to focus on a show shot of pop and rock, which wasn't a first show we ever reviewed.
Laura Orr:Kara. Should they watch it or not?
Kara Edwards:Yeah, I mean, it's great. It's great. Of course they should watch it. I just do I want to watch it. That's a different question. But should should the children watch it? Of course. I said there's I mean, there's nothing wrong with this show. It's fine.
Laura Orr:And we are here for the children and the parents. People. You heard her. Should be watching this. Laura.
Kara Edwards:Should they watch it? Die knew you were gonna say
Laura Orr:they should watch it first. Sure. Well, should I tell the folks the premise of this boring show?
Kara Edwards:Yes. Okay, I
Laura Orr:got it from Google. Team. umizoomi consists of six year old Millie, her brother Gio who's eight and their friendly robot named bought. These mighty masks superheroes introduce young viewers to the concept of counting measurement shapes and patterns, melee NGO help their kids in Oume city will help other kids and zoomy with their problems which are sent to them via the Oume alarm. And bot is voiced by Donovan Patton.
Kara Edwards:Well, that part was kind of fun to see. I was like, Wait, Donovan Patton you mean wait a second. You mean Joe from Blue's Clues and you and that's exactly who it is, is it's the guy, which not ironically Oume zoomy. And Blue's Clues are about as interchangeable as you get. There's a lot of similarities. So many similarities between the shows that I meant to research this and ran out of time as which came first zoomy zoomy or Blue's Clues that Joe was cast in because or that Donovan was cast? And because yeah, it's like who who watched which show and said he'd be
Laura Orr:perfect. I think I do think Blue's Clues came first. Yeah. zoomy zoomy came out in 2010. Right. And I want to say Steve left a long time before before that. Yeah, so but yeah, um, he does a great job.
Kara Edwards:Of course he does this I mean, but no, right. Nobody's more experienced to do the exact same thing. Yeah,
Laura Orr:the format of the show has very many similarities to Blue's Clues, especially but also Dora the Explorer, except it's math focused or patterns, and shapes and things like that. Yeah, the characters talk to the audience. They ask questions and they pause so the kids can answer the question. They interact with real life children via a screen which is isn't that or is it male on Blue's Clues is the how they interact. Yeah, that's right. They mailto kind of there's that similarity there to where the kids aren't actually with them there. There's this separation degree of separation between the characters and the children. There's a very there's a pretty significant similarity in my opinion with the villains on this show. The villain on this show is the shape bandit and it reminds me of the of the villain on Dora Swiper Okay, both have this old school like, criminal mask, which I love. I love that they're still like, part of a thief's wardrobe. The mask over the eyes because I just think it's so old timey. But for some reason it's still in like I don't know like say you say he still
Kara Edwards:has the curdled the old timey villain. I'm gonna
Laura Orr:steal your shape. See? Yeah. So but both of the both of the villains on those shows have it. So yeah, I mean, it's there's a Nickelodeon show. They know what works for kids. Yes. And it is this format specifically. And so I think they definitely, like we said in our old episode of Blue's Clues, they that show that format worked and it helped kids, you know, solve the mystery of Blue's Clues. And there was a lot of benefit to using that format. And so I think they just they'd said, Well, if it works for this, would it work for math and so they applied it to a museum me.
Kara Edwards:Yeah. And I think there's very little more than that. Like I think it's pretty straightforward pretty short for Milly. Milly makes patterns. Gio can build anything with his shapes he's the one that super big into shapes and then bought who's Donovan can show us anything on his Adonis belly Belly belly security. Yes, Belly
Laura Orr:belly screen. Yep, there's four seasons. Each episode is around 22 minutes long. You can stream it on, you can stream it on the Roku channel, Paramount plus, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play Vudu and Sling TV. It's on Nick Jr. Like on regular television pretty much every day, you could probably find it. They stopped producing episodes in 2015. But it's still very active on streaming platforms and TV. So I think that's a testament to the value of the show really, that you don't have to search long and hard for it. In fact, you could literally turn your TV on and there's a good chance that it would be on there however,
Kara Edwards:be very careful when you go searching for zoomy zoomy if you're like me and you pop up your Roku and just type it in there is a copycat show called me woozy. Okay, and I wasn't paying close attention me yours. Yes. And it is looks like it's kind of like a YouTube show that also about math and shapes, but just not nearly as produced or well done. And I got stuck in that. And it was like, weird. So this is what Laura wanted us to watch. And then I was like this feels strict. That's called your musi I was out there really? So then I went back and found team zoomy zoomy. And yeah, it's it's the one that has a lot more like higher production value. And
Laura Orr:when you said that I got a little nervous that it was some underbelly YouTube thing, but it's literally just a rapper, like a duplicate guy.
Kara Edwards:It's not a duplicate. It's just kind of like it is it's like people got together and they were like we're gonna create a YouTube show about math but we're gonna name it something really similar to a show that's really popular. So that people were there people watching, like me get tricked into watching. Yeah,
Laura Orr:well, sounds like they were successful Kara.
Kara Edwards:It worked for it worked for me for about two and a half minutes and then I figured it out.
Laura Orr:I wonder if that's enough for them to get a click. Like money.
Kara Edwards:Oh, no money for a click. All you need is a click.
Laura Orr:Well, good for them. I'm glad that you helped them out. Kara. You know, I
Kara Edwards:do what I can. You
Laura Orr:are very helpful. Everyone says that about you? Everyone knows that about Cara? Who's the audience? I'd still like to to. I mean,
Kara Edwards:I would be surprised. Okay, this surprised me. Um, when I was watching it, I was like, Oh, this is way too young for Michael like he's gonna be really bored by this. He was participating the entire time. Like he was playing with something at the dining table and was reacting to the TV. So when they would ask a question, he would answer it immediately. And he was solving the math problems and he was fully engaged at six and a half almost seven.
Laura Orr:I think Daphne is two I think you could go up to eight if you wanted to. Sure. Um,
Kara Edwards:but it is probably targeted at younger like that three to five. Yeah, range really but but ya know, Michael is Michael is on board.
Laura Orr:Yeah, Daphne was super engaged. This is actually when we go on road trips, once we're, you know, on the road and heading towards our destination. She asked for her tablet and this is what she always asked to watch. Okay,
Kara Edwards:yeah, it's not that Okay, so now, this versus I thought about this a lot while I was watching it, is this show versus numberblocks? Because I was like, they're they're both shows aimed at children that are about teaching math. This is like why did why did numberblocks engage me so easily and Teemu? Meizu me I struggled to focus on this show. And I think it's several reasons Number blocks is really fast. The episodes are like five minutes long. To me, zoom, you have these like over 20 minute long episodes. There's a lot more to Timo Mitsumi, whereas numberblocks is like let's just get right to the math and have these zany characters. There was a lot more trying to bring in of plot and bringing in real children on the show, to interact and that definitely has its place. But if you were to say Cara, you can only watch one show for the next week and you have to sit and watch a show. Is it going to be numberblocks or team and we zoomy I'm gonna go numberblocks
Laura Orr:Is that because you will be done faster?
Kara Edwards:No question. No question. I got things to do. Yeah,
Laura Orr:yeah, I mean, it's it's that structure of again, Blue's Clues and Dora like very and even Daniel Tiger, I would say just like very calm slow. Well, I would say of all of the ones I just listed, I would definitely say to me zoomy is the higher energy or shell for for sure, but that pace is definitely slower. Yeah, and probably just
Kara Edwards:if Michael's older now, like, if if we were doing this podcast when he was two or three years old, I would probably be sitting here being like it was so wonderful to be engaged with him and then. But now that he's older, I feel like we've graduated up to older shows. And maybe that's also the problem I was having is, it's just, it just felt a little young. But then again, numberblocks is aimed at younger kids. I just feel like it was fasters snappier the way it taught math maybe was better. I know that Michael watch Team Umizoomi. Quite a bit at one point. And the only show that I know absolutely taught him math. It was numberblocks.
Laura Orr:Interesting. I would say Daphne watched his number blocks at school. But at home, it's amazing to me. And I think there's a place for both of them. Because I feel like the math concepts that they teach are different. They aren't because number blocks is purely numbers. Yep. And
Kara Edwards:it's addition, subtraction, division. And where's Yeah, Team Umizoomi definitely dives more into shapes and patterns and other math concepts applied
Laura Orr:mathematics. Like how do we build this thing? Let's use our measuring tape. Let's what shapes can make up this, you know, a boat, what shapes are needed? So there's like, it's more applied? Yeah. Whereas numberblocks is more just straightforward, theoretical, I guess. You know, it's just numbers. So I think there's a place for both of them, because I do think they're teaching different things. But numberblocks definitely has more of like a, I don't know, they just can't get
Kara Edwards:it anymore. Yeah, it just captures me. And that's what I mean, at the same time, because I know, the question is, you know, can parents watch this? Absolutely. Sure. I wasn't mad at this show. You know, I may have had a harder time focusing on it. But I in no way shape, or form. Was it like, I'm so annoyed. It is not an annoying show at all?
Laura Orr:No, it's not. I think, like you said, I think you've just graduated. Yeah, yeah, we're just in a different place. And definitely will watch it too. But you know, we have my youngest who? She's not into it yet. But I can send you the next evolution, for sure. Getting into it, for sure. So I don't think it's going anywhere, for us. And I do think that Daphne is very strong in math. And I think the concept of patterns has really helped kind of introduce her to the world of math, which is something that they show in team Imaizumi. Okay. And it's something that she was always really strong out when she started school. So it's definitely an educational show. I, you know, I definitely think it uses entertainment that's developmentally appropriate for kids to teach these concepts. And again, like, just when we talked about numberblocks, we talked about how we kind of wish we had shows like this growing up, because we really didn't have these kinds of shows to teach us these concepts. And right, yeah, it would be, you know, maybe would have we would have been better for it if we had it. So, so Well, kids like it, I think so. For sure. The you know, it shows that math is it's accessible. It's in everyday life, and it can be easy as pie perhaps.
Kara Edwards:Oh, wow. Math pun,
Laura Orr:doo doo doo doo doo doo courtesy laugh Yeah, little fine. Moving on. I
Kara Edwards:find anything characters are fun. The voices are fun animations cute. There's a lot to like. I mean, there's there's really is a lot to like,
Laura Orr:it also teaches concepts of problem solving, helping others teamwork, perseverance, lots of really healthy ways to approach problems. So that's great. Anything potentially problematic?
Kara Edwards:No, I mean, honestly, nothing that I saw. There's nothing that's going to be scary. There's nothing. I mean, it is it's got it's got a little fluff and a lot of education. And I think it's something that can draw kids in so no, I didn't. I didn't put anything down as problematic.
Laura Orr:I saw something online that some parents are complaining about Millie's pattern power, that she can change the pattern of her dress is one of her powers and that it feels kind of a duck. reductionistic like, Why? Why is her power related to what she's wearing? And why isn't Gio? The person who can change his clothes. So kind of stereotypical, I guess what do you think
Kara Edwards:I Okay, honestly, and I'm the first to jump on something like that and be like, yes. misogynist, and no, I'm not. No, no, I don't feel that. I don't if there was like other things fine, but I think that's just that was just what her power became.
Laura Orr:O'Hara also grows to be a ruler. Remember that? Oh, yeah. Yeah, right. Anyways, yeah, so that was one complaint somebody had, it's repetitive and
Kara Edwards:so it shows This age need to be Yeah, concepts are
Laura Orr:Yes. But if you have it in the background, it might become annoying, especially the music style. If you're not into the all the music is very similar. I don't mind it's got like this fun, upbeat rock type thing. It's just like Denon and donut. Yeah. Do you notice that
Kara Edwards:I, you know, I found because I believe me, I don't hesitate to say something annoys me. Because of my inability to really sit and focus on the show. I was doing a lot of it and I would get up and doing having it in the background. We kept it on a really long time. Okay. As both Michael and I were doing different things, and at no point did I get annoyed by
Laura Orr:it. Okay. Yeah, I don't I don't either. Um, I have a question for you. Okay. Do you know why math is always so sad. Speaking of problematic Oh, Lord, it just has so many problems. Wow. So good. Okay, you're welcome. I couldn't find any sign of issue. Other than the ones I mentioned. Um, do you want to know some math facts? Yeah, give me some in a classroom of 23 people, there's a 50% chance two of them have the same birthday. Only 23 people in a room of 75 people, the probability increases to 99% 75 people. Interesting. I thought it would be more than that. Yeah. Great.
Kara Edwards:I mean, it seems like it
Laura Orr:should, that just seems like a lot. There's 365 days in a year, and you only need 23 people in a room to say that maybe somebody in there has the same birthday. Not wild. But wild to me. The spiral shapes of sunflowers, snails and shells follow the Fibonacci sequence where the two previous numbers are added together to get the next. Like, you know what, like the pattern of wire? Yeah. Oh, you know,
Kara Edwards:I mean, somewhat, I pretty much failed math. Math was not my thing.
Laura Orr:But that swirl is a Fibonacci sequence. Okay, if you shuffle a pack of cards properly, there's a good chance the exact order of the cards you have in your hands have never been seen in the history universe. Hmm. Yeah.
Kara Edwards:Okay, that's interesting. Last one.
Laura Orr:I'm sorry. I know. I'm sorry, for
Kara Edwards:that's actually that apology could go
Laura Orr:many ways. Speaking of math, okay, just depending on how you feel four is the only number in the English language that is spelt with the same number of letters as the number itself.
Kara Edwards:You know, Michael, and I just had that conversation. Yeah, he actually out of the blue goes, I think it's dumb, that three, that the word three is spelled with more letters than three. And I was like, fascinating, kiddo. And so we started going through all of the numbers and figuring out how many letters there were in each number versus the number itself and I was like, it is really dumb that that's the case. Why weren't they given names that would have they weren't being
Laura Orr:creative at all? They could have been creative and they chose not to
Kara Edwards:Yeah, so we did actually I didn't know that was like a fact fact out there on the in the world but we did discover is like it's fascinating that bore is the only number that actually has four letters. The only
Laura Orr:one that Interesting, huh I mean, you know, for math it's interesting. I mean if
Kara Edwards:that if that's your thing. Yeah. That's maybe that's my problem. I was not good at math. I don't like math. Math is uninteresting to me. Michael super into it. We do math equations, driving to school every day. Yeah. He's liking all the compound things are big numbers and figuring out complicated sequences. And that is definitely him. And I'm so glad that he has that.
Laura Orr:I am too and I'm glad that he's good at it so that he doesn't have to ask you for help. Oh,
Kara Edwards:because he Oh, I'm telling you, you. I know. I think
Laura Orr:that's a parent's nightmare. That is my word. So many people struggle with math and to have a kid who also struggles
Kara Edwards:like like explain algebra, and I'm like, I never will be able to as
Laura Orr:long as you live Did you know that math was almost my major in college?
Kara Edwards:Are you serious? I'm actually not shocked by that. Did you know that I was an honors English and remedial math my entire life
Laura Orr:honors English and remedial math. Oh, I can relate to that too though. I feel like not my people are either history and English people or they are math and science people. Yeah, I was a math and English person. It was Yeah, science is super confusing to me. Because applied math is not my strength. I'm really good at the number box type math.
Kara Edwards:Okay, and science and English. Were my two favorite really.
Laura Orr:Oh, so we are connected through English. Okay, hence the podcasts.
Kara Edwards:There we go. Alright, everyone tell us what you think of Team oh me zoomy Are you Team oh me zoom. Team numberblocks
Laura Orr:against each other i
Kara Edwards:dun dun dun you can reach out to us on our website at Should they watch it.com You can find us on Insta, where Laura always has something interesting going on. And tell us your interesting celebrity things that you do with your children who Yeah,
Laura Orr:something that you might do with your kid that may be a little bit unconventional. I
Kara Edwards:would love to hear about it. We can talk about it on the podcast.
Laura Orr:That would be fun. Yeah. So all right,
Kara Edwards:everyone. Thanks for tuning in and we will see you next week. Subscribe and follow us on Instagram.