There's something about Japanese kiddie programs... They aren't filled with pearly-white-teeth-high-on-sugar-and-who-knows-what-else kids like the ones in Barney, but neither would I call them anything normal... Or at least normal to what I have been brought up with (I love my Electric Company and Sesame Street).
Shima-kun!
My kids love this Japanese educational kiddie program called
Shimajiro by
Benesse. It's a cartoon child tiger who teaches kids all about manners, colours, shapes, play and also... toilet training. Yup, this little tiger also teaches kiddies how to do the poo-poo and pee-pee in the loo-loo. How cool is that?
At first I thought that it was just down right weird, but strangely enough, it works! My son, Rei, is now toilet trained and he knows all the key words and catchphrases like "unchi" (poo), "chichi" (pee) and my personal favourite - MUZU-MUZU (the feeling of the tummy or bottom when it's time to do the bizzo).
And what about that darn toilet song! The one that Shimajiro's parents sing in the video! One of those tunes you just get in your head and can't get out... And not in a good way!
Rei even knows which button to press to indicate what type of business he's gonna do and the second button to go "I DID IT!".
Bet Big Bird never thought anything this on Sesame Street!
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