Do your kids watch Caillou?
It’s been on continuous loop around here the last few days since everyone’s been feverish and lethargic.
And for some reason, of which I cannot fathom, the constant request is for episodes of Caillou (via the OnDemand feature).
Truthfully, I’d be annoyed with any cartoon on non-stop rotation, but this one…oh this one!
I want to scream when my kids ask for it.
His whiny little voice makes me want to jump off a bridge.
“No! I will NOT under any circumstances put Caillou on! Anything else! I don’t even care what it is! Just anything but Caillou!!!”
And then Henry starts crying, which then makes him start hacking up a lung, which then makes him start gagging, which makes him cry even harder, and then his fever spikes…so I put on another stupid, ridiculous episode of Caillou.
Again.
I just don’t get it.
It’s soooo boring.
And slow.
And his voice.
Have I mentioned his whiny, annoying, I-want-to-stab-Q-Tips-into-my-ears-until-they-bleed voice?
And I want to scream:
“Use a grown up voice already, Caillou!!!”
“Didn’t your mother teach you that no one will respond if you’re whining, Caillou???!!!”
“NOW what do you want, Caillou?!”
I have absolutely no patience for that little kid.
And then there’s the episode of Caillou that I really hate.
The one that I’m convinced is out to teach my children that I am the Wicked Witch of the West.
It’s the episode where Caillou, in his four years old whiny voiced bald self, gets his little sister Rosie (who, in my opinion, got the good end of the name game in that family) OUT OF HER CRIB…
As if that weren’t enough naughtiness, he goes downstairs with Rosie and decides to make breakfast for Mommy and Daddy.
With Rosie.
And the stupid cat.
He manages to put Rosie and her full head of hair into her high chair without killing her or otherwise dropping her on her head.
And then proceeds to make the biggest mess known to mankind in the kitchen.
He spills milk.
He drops stuff.
He turns the tidy kitchen his poor mother slaved over the night before into a re-enactment of Hurricane Katrina.
How one whiny little bald kid can manage this much destruction while his parents sleep soundly is beyond me, but look, I didn’t write the script.
Clearly I didn’t…because when Mom and Dad walk into the bomb that went off in their kitchen, they smile and giggle and thank that little bald punk for making them their “favorite breakfast”.
Because I will tell you right here and now that if my kids made that kind of mess…particularly first thing in the morning…the last thing I would do is smile and giggle…much less THANK THEM.
No, I would turn into a flailing, yelling crazed wildebeest.
Smoke might even come out of my ears.
It would not be pretty.
Not one bit.
Granted, they do have a real Cosby-esque moment and tell him that he’s not allowed to do that anymore and that he has to help clean up…which he happily agrees to and does so with a giggle and a smile…which just makes me want to pull my hair out because that scenario is about as real as glittery unicorns and dancing fairies.
“Henry, you do know that’s really naughty and that if you EVER did that Mommy would ground you for the rest of your God given life, right?”
Now, I will admit that it would be sweet and cute if Henry tried to surprise me with breakfast…but I would only even begin to think that approximately 3.5 hours after said incident. And even then, only after a very large mug (or three) of coffee. And a good dose of yelling.
Can you tell it’s been a long week?
Testy much, Jeannett?
Which show/cartoon would you be happiest if it never aired another episode?
Latest posts by jeannett (see all)
- Dirt in a Jar, Laundry Scientists, and Clean Water - October 20, 2015
- Because Cake. - October 11, 2015
- How to design a luxury bathroom for less - August 12, 2015
OMG!!! I hear ya!!!! Drives me bananas….My husband and I are convince there is some type of subliminal messages going on here! AND because Caillou was afraid of monsters in his room – GUESS WHAT – now my son is….sigh…..I DESPISE Caillou! and on a separate note – why does he not have hair?
There is something I found that said that Caillou is about a child who suffered from cancer. The white border around the edges during the show gives the impression of a flashback and there are speculations that the child passed away and these are his memories.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one! Do you get Toopy and Binou too? ACK!!!! How about Manon? Actually, if it isn’t Scooby Doo I’m not a fan.
HA! And thank you!
Why on earth is Caillou so popular?! The voice I detest even more than HIS is his MOM’S. “Now Caillou”, she always says in that realllllllllllllllllll calm, cheesy voice. Doesn’t this woman ever yell? Or get really genuinely excited or sad or SOMEthing?
And I don’t like that Caillou is the center of the universe. Something about that bugs me, like it’s not a show about a family, but about this little kid who always gets what he wants from his doting parents.
Whew. Just thinking about this is making my blood pressure rise! :)
Brianna´s last blog post ..Why she is not lacking
Hate that show. Seriously. My cousin’s kid sounds just like Cailiou. Drives me bonkers……………
Nikki´s last blog post ..1/12 of 2012
Every mother I know says the exact same thing about this show. And I’m right there with them. His voice grinds on me, but his giggle, oh his giggle. That alone can send me screaming and jumping off a bridge. And not only him, but the whole cotten picken family giggles about everything. Ugh.
Oh to answer the first post, I read he is bald to represent all children. ????
I am dying laughing right now…everything you said is so true! My five-year-old loves Caillou too. What bugs me most is how he says his sister’s name “Roooosie”… I can’t stand the episode when Caillou scraps his knee because he was wearing his sandals instead of his “running shoes” PS. who calls them running shoes? Aren’t they just shoes or tennies? Maybe it’s just me…I don’t know. Mmmkay…rant over!
The show I wish never aired another episode is Yo Gabba Gabba. I think it is the creepiest show I have ever seen. Have you seen? AND what is with the weird “songs”… such as, “don’t, don’t, don’t bite your friends.” WHO makes this stuff and what were they thinking?!
Kristi´s last blog post ..Love and Logic Week #2
that Yo Gabba Gabba song title made me laugh really loud! I’ve only seen that show a couple times but woah is it wierd!!!
Janice´s last blog post ..Highs and Lows – Late January edition
I hate Caillou too. My son never watched it but my 3 year old likes it. I tell her its not on and suggest something else. She’s now into Yo Gabba Gabba and Wonder Pets.
Hahaha, just youtubed this and its hilarious! So bad. In England, we have Peppa Pig and Charlie and Lola. Charlie and Lola is immense http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V0I4zXeURg&feature=related
Not a fan of Caillou at all! I also don’t like arthur because of the little sister DW who is such a little brat. Pretty much any cartoon that shows whining, or bad attitudes, or with kids who don’t speak correctly bother me. Clearly we end up with a lot of Curious George :-)
Heather´s last blog post ..matt’s cowl
worst. show. ever…
Andi T.´s last blog post ..Christmas Card 2011
I’ve never seen Caillou….heard enough terrible things about it to stay far, far away. The one that I hate is The Fresh Beat Band. They’re always so cheerful and sing songy. And Kiki bugs me to no end. My girls love it, though. And it makes me stabby.
Heather G.´s last blog post ..What WE Wore Wednesday – SF edition
i too, am not a lover of the whiny, bald kid. we were on a rotation with recorded episodes until i couldn’t handle it anymore. i deleted all of them, and lied to my son that caillou was napping or he was in trouble so he couldn’t be on tv (a 2yo gets that). the new current favorite is dora. so far, she’s alright.
Haha…this made me laugh, but only because Caillou is one of the only cartoons my {amost} 2 year old is allowed to watch. :) We don’t have cable, or netflix, or hulu, because I don’t think kid shows are really kid appropriate. My son does obsess over Thomas the Train-who I don’t like, but only because we only had 1 movie and their mouths never even moved-boring! I didn’t realize until this weekend that there were fully animated episodes. I prefer he watch sing/song movies and Signing Time than the cartoons though. :)
But I am also the mom that would completely melt if my kid made me breakfast on his own. Even if the kitchen was a disaster. :) But of course a talk about asking Daddy for help if he wants to make Mommy breakfast would follow. :)
Kelly´s last blog post ..Karson {almost 2}
Bahahahaha. Best blog post ever! I HATE Caillou. HATE HATE HATE it. And yes, I had to yell that at you. That whiny voice. Oh the voice. And he always gives up. There was an episode where he was trying to learn how to tie his shoes, and of course, in true Caillou style, he gave up. What does my daughter do? Annouce she wants to learn to tie her shoes. So, I explain it to her, and after one (very feeble attempt) she announces she can’t do ittttttttt. Just like that whiny Caillou.
Well that was it for me. No more Caillou in this house. I LIE to her, and tell her it’s not on. And if for some reason she hears the music at the start of the show, I tell her it’s just a commercial for the show and promptly switch the channel before she can ask any questions.
Don’t get me started about Sid the Science Kid.
Cailou is not my favorite either. But I haven’t watched it for a long time so the trauma isn’t as fresh. Sid the Science Kid is top on my list of hated shows right now. The grandma’s voice and the songs and everything about Sid and it is all horrible!
As I sit here reading your post, my three year old is engrossed in another annoying episode of Caillou. One I’ve seen so many times, I can practically recite it myself. It’s so comforting to know I’m not the only one who utterly despises every little inch of that bald kid’s basketball-sized noggin.
I love your blog. Congrats on your pregnancy! I loved your video. Super sweet!
It seems boring because the others are do bad !
My kids are well past the cartoon stage, but unfortunately, Caillou was around even back then. I don’t get the weird name. I don’t get why he’s bald (personally, I’d be worried if my 4-year-old had no hair). And the whiiiiiiiiiiining. Makes you want to throw a brick through the TV.
Another one I loathe is Max and Ruby. WHERE ARE THE PARENTS??? And why isn’t someone–the occasionally seen grandma, maybe–telling Ruby to stop being so bossy?
Ah yes, I truly BANNED it. I am not kidding. My husband and I became convinced the whiny-ness was rubbing off on the boys. I DO NOT MISS IT!
My problem with shows now is that they are almost 5 and boys through and through and they want to watch Super-hero cartoons and read the same kind of books. ALL the shows I find on netflix seem too mature for them.
My Caillou advice…..DROP him like a bad habit or like he’s hot whichever you choose. :)
BTW I got your e-mail regarding OT’s, and the potty training thing is truly a classic. Yep, definitely DOES NOT HAVE KIDS.
becky@oursweetpeas´s last blog post ..Eli- He’s a funny one.
I actually think Rosie is more annoying than Caillou. She’s even more whiny than Caillou! And the reason for his name being Caillou – it is french for ‘bald head’. The worst part is the ‘puppets’ and the kids ‘singing’ & ‘acting’. WHY??? Also, my hubby is convinced that the cat & bear are gay. We have really deep conversations… ;-)
This made me lol! I totally know what you mean! I could never watch an episode of the Wiggles again and be JUST FINE!
Brittnie (A Joy Renewed)´s last blog post ..Love Yourself Challenge . . . week 5 (It’s time for your Dear Body Letter)
That show has been banned from our house. Everything about it got on my last nerve. Including the narrator. Dora drove me nuts too but not as bad. My kids are into My Big Big Friend right now on netflix. I actually like this one. Little Bear is my very favorite though,
This is so true! That cartoon is whack! And why doesn’t he have hair?
jenny´s last blog post ..It’s Okay Tuesday
Oh, Cailou makes me stabby. I just don’t get him, but my 2.5 year old LOVES him. I would rather listen to The Wiggles and “Fruit Salad” for the rest of my days on constant loop than suffer through Cailou. For me, the most annoying character is Rosie. Is she 18 months or is she 3? Does she have a language delay? I just don’t get it. Also, I hate their frumpy cloths and primary color decor.
NJ @ A Pocket Full Of Dinosaurs´s last blog post ..Seasons of LOVE.
bahaha hilarious! We do NOT watch Caillou because I can’t stand it either. and on the subject of awful cartoons, we have Netflix and on Netflix there is a swedish claymation cartoon about penguins called Pingu and my 4 year old LOVES it. Thinks it is hysterical….I, personally, feel dumber after each episode!
Jessica´s last blog post .."Pin"spiration Friday!
oh my word YES! This is awful!
I teach Autism Support, and one of our students “scripts” Caillou allllllllll dayyyyyy longggggg. Horrible!!!
Christina @ Christina’s Adventures´s last blog post ..20 Below Thursday #58
So funny! I before I even read it, I was thinking about how much I can’t stand his whiny voice. However, I will take it over Barney or WonderPets. I had my fill of Barney back when I was in junior high & babysitting. I’ve done my time. WonderPets. . . . I don’t get it. I can’t even begin to explain what I don’t get cuz I can’t even begin to fathom the appeal. Hmm. . .they also have whiny baby voices.. . ??? My favorite cartoon is Backyardigans. I just enjoy them. But we decided to get rid of Netflix and don’t have cable, so we’re back to whatever PBS is offering. :)
Lori Danelle´s last blog post ..My real 2012 Word
It’s on right after Clifford here and we head to naps right after Clifford, so sometimes I “get” to hear about five minutes of it. In FIVE MINUTES of one episode I heard the whiny child say “No mommy, I want it NOW!!” to which mommy said something to the effect of “What can I get for you, Calliou?” Seriously? If my kids ever said that to me (and they have, believe you me), they’d quickly learn that it would be one of the ONLY times those words should be uttered. Darn Caillou….or however you spell it.
Lindsay´s last blog post ..The Stuff You Don’t Have To Teach
Cat In the Hat. Not only was it annoying and creepy, but for a year there were only 7 episodes and guess what it was on 3 times a day! My daughter had a sixth sense about it and knew when it was on. She learned how to use the remote just to watch this creepy show.
Couldn’t agree more! I can’t stand Caillou! but my son also wants to watch it if it is on – I try to make sure it is never “on”.
Oh my gosh, yes! My kids are all big enough to go to school, so we usually don’t have the preschool stuff on anymore, but Caillou was one that I really disliked. Not, when they come home, all they want to watch is Spongebob. I CANNOT stand Spongebob. The noise, the stupidness of it drives me crazy. I can handle most everything else except that one.
Verna Lantz´s last blog post ..It’s starting
Funny post! Personally, I hate Dora. HATE. HER!!!
luckily we don’t get that show! we only have basic cable (you can gasp now) so it’s shows like clifford and curious george for us. for some reason though i don’t like the cat in the hat as a cartoon series. but you cannot go wrong with clifford or curious george!
sandi´s last blog post ..i love this song
oh man, the voice, the whining, and the behavior – I am not a fan either! Fortunately my kids don’t like it!
Kim R´s last blog post ..Instafriday yay
Oh man, Caillou is the worst. I haven’t even seen that episode. Avinash would be on permanent punishment if he whined half as much as Caillou does.
Thank you for this post!
Nirupama´s last blog post ..a little wednesday inspiration
I see your Calliou and raise you a Max and Ruby. Max is the worst bunny ever and Ruby is the pits. I never run for the remote faster than when I hear those trumpets of terror start!
Colleen´s last blog post ..Snaps
OMG! We have to watch Calliou every night before bed an every morning when she gets up and at lunch time…ahhhhh! We are not only singing the pathetic excuse for songs all day long but also the background music is on constant repeat in my head! Grace is obsessed!
I. Hate. Calliou.
The whiny little voice grates on my nerves.
Lene Bond´s last blog post ..Shout Hooray
AGREEEEEEED!!!! I think AJ watched Caillou once and I was done with that whiny brat. He doesn’t even know it exists a this point. He also doesn’t know about Barney or the Wiggles or Yo Gabba Gabba. He loves spongebob but I won’t let him watch it because it’s annoying. (he saw it at a friends house). He LOVES max and ruby – the somehow parentless bunnies….and is now obsessed with Little Einsteins, which is quickly losing it’s appeal to me. Did you ever see Oswald? that was a weird one…an octopus with a tophat and his dog weenie who was actually shaped like a hot dog with a bun. So odd. Oh, and Fred Savage was the voice….ha!
Kirsten´s last blog post ..Reaching out…
I’m with you!!!! I laughed out loud at “bald little punk” — I can’t stand him, either! And worse than his whine is his laugh, or should I say cackle? My husband imitates it quite well and it’s heinous. I don’t put it on for my son anymore, either. I much prefer Thomas the Tank engine (everyone seems to get ‘cross’ on that show), but really, no TV is best for us. But there are those moments when it’s so easy to turn it on…..
Kelly @ Creating a Family Home´s last blog post ..Pinned It, Did It! #1
Seriously HATE Caillou. The WORST episode was one we saw years ago when Caillou didn’t want to go to school or day care or whatever, and so his parents TOOK THE DAY OFF TO ENTERTAIN HIM. I swear that show is written by people who HATE children and want to TORTURE parents.
WG´s last blog post ..Roller Coasters
I am seriously so sick of Caillou and his whining but for some reason Rosie’s voice annoys me even more, even though I would expect it from a 2 year old! And the looks Caillou gives when he doesn’t get his way, grrrrrrr… His voice is done by a girl, not sure why, but she has got whining mastered :( His parents give in to him, the world revolves around him, hello?! And this show was developed by child development psychologists…what was their motive???
My little guy will be 3 next month and everything they do he imitates, and I don’t like it…so I have begun weaning him off Caillou. He had a stomach bug this week and wanted to watch Caillou while I had him laying down, I talked him into a DVD instead. Sprout seems to revolve their viewing around the show, but I know when he’s on and divert eyes and ears if the TV is on. So glad I’m not the only one who can’t stand the show, lol ; )
Ha! I am so glad that I am not the only one who can’t stand whiny, whiny Caillou! I also hate, hate, hate the Wonder Pets and Special Agent Oso. I love, love, love Charlie and Lola, I wish it came on more often around here.