which DVDs for a 12-18 month old?

I okay, I gotta admit it - I plan on using the telly as a babysitter for my son. I am expecting bub #2 in early December and my cunning plan is to get Flynn addicted to some TV show so I can breast feed the new bub in peace (bad mummy - should be using that lovely time to show my demanding toddler how wonderful it is to share, huh?)

Does any one have any suggestions on particular titles? So far he hasn't seen much telly or shown much interest in it, though the other day he seemed entranced by the Wiggles.

I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea on how to distract children while BF, but I am at a loss as to how else I am going to be able to explain to a boy who is still a baby himself that I need time alone with the new bub. So any other suggestions from mums with children close in age are most welcome :)

My boys love Dora the Explorer (I can't say that I feel the love lol) and The Wiggles.

I use the electric baby sitter to distract them while I do housework lol.

Maggie is fasnicated with Fluffy Gardens on ABC, I think a DVD of it has just been released at the ABC shops. Of course she loves theusual Hi-5, Wiggles etc

Maybe go to your local video store and hire some different titles to see what grabs his attention.

Zaccie absolutely loves Raggs.
And...:protest:.. sponge bob square pants. Should hear him say that one, so so cute.

I always put ABC Kids on for mine. I put a weeks worth on the DVD writer and when ever i need some peace i just put the machine on it work a treat.

Rory, I wish I had had your foresight for Olivia (as a 17 month old) when Charlie was born........

I got wise and by the time Lexie was born I had got both of them addicted to:

The Wiggles
Play School
BOO
BabyBlinks (really good.......Google it.....)

I also had a few Spot the Dog videos which are really cute.....sadly not on DVD....

Lucy - I have 2 Spot DVD's for Aidyn... he LOVED them at that age too (12-18 months). I got one from an Avon catalogue, and one from the ABC shop.

I also second Lucy with the Baby Blinks DVD's. They are similar to Brainy Baby, but are Australian made, and have Australian animals and accents etc.

Wiggles is good too :)

hehe - good idea Rory! We're the same as Jelvie at the moment... Tallon won't watch TV. The occassional ad will turn his head, and he'll watch theme songs to playschool & bananas, but won't watch the actual show. hehe. So I dunno what I'll be doing with him while feeding bub! I do just leave ABC kids on while I'm doing stuff, but he doesn't usually watch it. He hasn't got 'into' anything yet, like Thomas, or the Wiggles or anything.

Tallon's a real book worm, so I'm guessing he'll like to sit and have a story read. But he could be completely different in another 5 months time.

Tallon's also very happy to sit & eat at any time of the day LOL. So I'll probably have some snacks ready for him (and I'll try to keep them healthy! hehehe)

whats BOO?
Mum says Milo loves it, he near snaps his neck to turn around when he hears the music.
He loves playschool, the tweenies, anything with a lot of singing and dancing!

Thanks girls - so I am not a bad mummy then LOL?

We don't have pay TV or a DVD with a hard-drive yet, but I hear both come highly recommended :)

Liz, Flynn is addicted to mandarines ATM - if that keeps up and I can't get hin hooked on telly he will be having 3-4 a day once the bub comes LOL

BooBah. I've mentioned this to you before I think Rory... BooBah is better for very young brains (apparently) because the images change relatively slowly... something to do with "too many frames per minute not being good for developing brains leading to a short attention span". Something along those lines... it's why adults find Boobah to be incredibly boring... anyhow, DS1 loved it at that age. DD didn't settle to watch much TV at all (a bit like Jelvie's) and DS2 isn't big on TV either... Good luck! :)

Roryrory, if it weren't for the Wiggles I would never have a shower in peace...! I'm one of those bad mummies who resorts to it when nothing else will work (she loves her books too, Liz, but often that involves bringing them to me to read to her!). Also great when trying to change her nappy, 'cause she wriggles all over the place.

I am like Caro and record them on Foxtel IQ and just show a few minutes when needed (except for the shower when she gets a whole episode plus whatever's next if I'm not finished!).

After a few months of Wiggle-watching Lucy can 'go up, then go down, get back up and turn around' all by herself! She also knows Heads, shoulders, knees and toes and does the actions, and anything else that uses those actions. And she can rub her hands together for 'mashed banana' and clap.' So I like to think using the Wiggles as a babysitter also helped her abilities!!

heh - yep - he brings me the books too most of the time. That's ok tho, I used to read to him when I was feeding him, so I'm sure I can juggle bub & book. Trouble will be if he insists on sitting on my lap! hehe.

Re the shower - poor Tallon gets strapped into a chair in the bathroom with me LOL. He reads a book, or chews on his toothbrush.

Another vote for Dora here!

I have to admit, all idealism goes flying out the window when you have a newborn and a toddler to contend with and you're home alone.

I think it took all of about 24 hours before I had my DD parked in front of the box so I could feed and settle baby in peace.

I think you're one step ahead for having the brains to recognise BEFOREHAND that it's not going to be a walk in the park! ;)

Um, Flea, it's because Rory is a good listener and has heard me bemoan the breast-feeding-entertaining-older-sibling sitch for over a year now! ;) LOL

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Um, Flea, it's because Rory is a good listener and has heard me bemoan the breast-feeding-entertaining-older-sibling sitch for over a year now! ;) LOL

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Ha - I thought she was being super-perceptive! (and pre emptive!) :lol: ;)

Yeah, I'll give her "super pre-emptive" ;) She's one organised chick our Rory *hugs* LOL

Flea, Bath is right - watching her juggle 3 (and hearing about my June Buddies juggle 4, 5 and 6) has made me realised things are gonna get waaaay harder before they get easier :)

LOL about organised Bath - I must admit I have started planing summer menus that are easy for DH to cook during my "confinement" post birth LOL!!

A couple of the Baby Einstein dvds seem to work a treat with Alex as well. The Wiggles is about the only other one where he will sit and semi-watch. I find strapping him into the highchair with some cut up fruit and The Wiggles gets me around 20 mins;)

Just another suggestion - try your local library. They should have a selection of dvds and even videos for you to try for free - try before you buy.

The Seame St DVD gets played pretty regularly here.....

wiggles here, Maria is addicted. She wakes up in the morning and want Dorothy ****adoodledoo

I agree with the baby einstien, sreies, my girlfriends little one loooves them, it's the only thing he'll watch....boring as bat sh#t if you ask me, but then I'm not a 12 month old

I agree with Bath, my kids just love Boobah and I fail to see what they get from it :lol:

Brum has been a very popular one with my kids. We discovered him when Mason was quite young and it did help a great deal if I put on a Brum DVD while feeding Angus. Though after a few times you may feel like kicking in his goody two shoes headlights ;)

Thanks for all the suggestions girls - I watched Hi 5 with Flynn yesterday arvo and he seemed pretty excited by the music and dancing but lost interest as soon as they started talking. I imagine I will try a range of addictions (oops, sorry, DVDs) before I choose one or two for him LOL!

Rory........IKWYM re Hi 5.....Charlie gets bored as soon as they are not prancing round.....but if you can get hold of the Hi-5 Dance Hits DVD it is edited so that it is JUST songs........it drives me batty, but Charlie loves it.......

Lucy I totally agree, Darcy's favourites are Sesame St's Kids Favourite Songs, and Barney's favourite songs....hardly any talking.

Jett is a fan of Bob the Builder, Wiggles and Jojo circus.
I also have quite a few baby einstin dvds, they are educational learning dvd's which only go for 30 minutes.

All i can say is i know nearly every sponge bob episode of by heart... *cringe*

I've just discovered the value of TV too!!! :D Emma wouldn't have a BAR of TV until very recently. And then, very suddenly, she is addicted to play school! I bought a Wiggles DVD thinking she'd love that because of all the activity, but no, she wants play school. I think it's because they actually talk to her more, and it's a variety of things & not just singing. So she seems to be the opposite of most of the others here, she likes the talking more than the music!

I know that I now have the VCR on timer to tape it every day ;) So now I have a video of Play School episodes so that I can put it on when needed (like now :redface:)

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Rory........IKWYM re Hi 5.....Charlie gets bored as soon as they are not prancing round.....but if you can get hold of the Hi-5 Dance Hits DVD it is edited so that it is JUST songs........it drives me batty, but Charlie loves it.......

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Maggie started out the opposite way, would not watch Dance Hits, she wanted the talking bits, only now does she really enjoy Dance Hits.

So I would say get hold of a variety of DVD's or tape different shows, what may work one week, may not work the next.

AStrid - I'm glad Em's not the only one then! :)

I think ABC kids is a great way to get an idea of what they might like, as it has such a variety.

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what may work one week, may not work the next.

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Isn't that the truth! Just when you think you have them figured out they go and change/grow up on you LOL! That is one thing I will appreciate with bub #2 - I really will remember that "this too will pass"!!

An update - I haven't bought any DVDs yet but so far he seems to like the Wiggles and, get this

"SHOW TUNES"!!!

Yes, my little boy loves musicals - the other day he was hyperventilating and flapping his arms with excitement as he watched Gene Kelly dancing in "Singing in the Rain" and he got really excited by "West Side Story".

Bless him! My nephew is a regular little Peter Allan too........LOL.....now you can go raid the bargain bin at the $2 shop for golden oldie show tunes!