Roo has a problem.
A serious issue.
She’s addicted to YouTube.
It all started with Meemah (where, I’m sure most mothers like to lay the blame – their own mothers).
One sunny – or rainy, I can’t really remember – day when my mother pointed Roo towards the Play School video of Ning Nang Nong.
Roo was about 18 months old. And she was officially in love. With the Ning Nang Nong.
Eventually, the Ning Nang Nong YouTube page became my Internet home page. It was particularly convenient to click play and have her entertained for an entire minute and 40 seconds while I changed a newborn boy’s nappy or made her lunch or put the Two to bed.
To get anything done with a toddler in tow, distraction is the key. And the Ning Nang Nong provided singing, dancing, claymation Sweet sweet distraction.
The problem with YouTube is it has a sidebar. Of related videos. Making repetitive viewings of the one video a slippery slope.
Eventually, Roo figured out that the sidebar was a window to an entirely new and different world.
Yo Gabba Gabba, In the Night Garden and Five Grey Elephants (baaalllaaanncciiiing!) videos were in abundance.
And Roo watched them. In abundance.
She began to ask: “NingNangNong, Mummy?” before she turned 2 – in reference to the entire depth of YouTube.
She began to ask repeatedly. And to the detriment of my sanity.
And one day, she asked while we were on the car. On a long drive. The relentless “NingNangNong Mummy?” from the backseat was enough for me to find the bloody Ning Nang Nong on my precious eye-phone and hand it over into the backseat.
That moment right there, was the moment of my downfall.
At age three and a half, Roo can navigate YouTube on my phone, my eyePad and my laptop. She is a YouTube whiz.
It is especially handy when she wakes up at sparrow’s fart and needs occupying until the Two awake and we can all get out of bed without the fear of a cranky, woken early, toddler hanging over our heads.
You know the adage: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie? They meant toddlers. Let Sleeping Toddlers lie. Seriously, LET THEM LIE!
But yes, YouTube has been both my savior and my downfall. Because I still haven’t figured a way to delete the YouTube app off my phone.
And hiding it in a sub-menu has been so far unsuccessful – the child that is Roo just knows where it is at all times. And like a the addict nothing can stop her.
Not even a clip of Elmo being shot in the head…
Is YouTube a help or hindrance in your home? Do you let your kids use it? And seriously, who uploads a video of Elmo being shot in the head?
And this is why Roo and Z are friends!! Z hid my YouTube app probably so I couldn’t delete it! But she can always find it thank the gods of technology for t hub it’s screen seems more plasticy and suitable for a 3 year olds YouTube surfing!
Haha, they were always meant to be mates!
Cole will watch garbage trucks and giant front loaders on youtube all day if he could. Fortunatle he hasn’t figured out that when I say my “puter” won’t get a “nection” I just might not be telloing the truth.
cranky old man recently posted..GRANDPA JOE TODDLER OBSERVATIONS
Oohh that is the best excuse EBBER! I sometimes use: oh no, it needs charging. But Roo is desperately clever, or just plain addicted, and will double check! Bloody kids!
If you press and hold the app, they will all start to wiggle and a ‘x’ comes up so that you can delete it. To then stop the wiggling press the home button. I have a friend whos son loves watching nee naws on you tube. Mine… he likes watching music videos from his favourite artist {Jay Laga’aia} which in the end sometimes sounds like a ning nong went off in my head because Ive heard it so much. GOOD LUCK SWEETS! and yes… LET THEM LIE x
I’ve tried the wiggly x Tara, but the YouTube app doesn’t get one! I will have to research further!!
Yes, Riley likes to watch Dora or Cars on the YouTube but some the Dora ones aren’t suitable for him. Has a lot of swearing that some idiot put on there as commentary :-/
I monitor what he watches and he only watches it on my laptop because racked up a big bill watching it thru my iPhone. So it’s not very much he watching YouTube because I don’t get on my laptop much these days.
Oh I can imagine a bill for YouTube if I didn’t have data included, Vanessa!! Eeek!
I’m glad it’s not just my toddler who’s addicted to youtube! Unfortunately though my toddler watches random shit that he finds on the sidebar. Random shit is not always G rated either…
Ames recently posted..Derby Gear
I know exactly what you mean, Ames! Sarah has suggested an app below that accesses YouTube but only kid friendly stuff I’m going to give a try!
We don’t use YouTube for our two because of where it can lead (nightmares for a 7yo after seeing a shark attack). Instead we downloaded WeetWoo, it’s an app that uses YouTube but they only have access to kid friendly videos. I think you can set the age appropriateness for it too.
I am going straight to the app store to look for that, thanks heaps Sarah!!!
This post totally makes me want to make a clip aimed just for Roo, singing her songs and telling her stories.
But I’m scared you wouldn’t like me anymore….
Jess recently posted..Half Birthday Madness
Haha, I’d get over it! Roo would be incredibly impressed. Pal would want to hurt you – her YouTubing annoys him only slightly less than her wall-art tendencies…
We have an addict in the household too. It started with Pepper Pig and even went to random 40 minute long swedish cartoons.
Oh, wow! Yes Peppa Pig is a regular on our YouTubing adventures also – and she does tend to link to some random related videos…
Oh thank YOU! It’s not just my addicted toddler then? Emily can work YouTube like a Pro. It all started innocently enough, the usual wiggles songs and the beautiful peace I received from ten little monkeys. Now? I am actually embrassed to admit this. Emily LOVES watching people make those weird jelly lollies in those kits you buy at the Asian store. Don’t even know how/why”
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Oh seriously Loz, I downloaded that WeetWoo! That Sarah was talking about in her comment! Has saved me so much drama in just one day!
It’s not only your problem, i think,it is allover the world. So, i want to request for take an action, which can solve this problem. Thanks for sharing.
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I think it is a generational problem. We used to get addicted to cartoons on the television, our children are already addicted to youtube, it is the right place for them to get some nice and funny cartoons or songs in the easiest way.
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