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Reviewed By:
Jackie Igafo-Te'o, along with Jenna Katona, age 4
Review Date: June 21, 2004
Writer/Director/Producer:
John Aguirre
Price: $13.95 DVD or VHS
(Soundtrack also available for $9.95)
Running Time: 28 minutes
Description: My First Day at Preschool plays out Buddy's first day
linearly. As Papa Bear drives Buddy to school, Buddy is vocal about his
apprehension. Papa Bear assures him that his day will be full of fun,
learning and new friends. Upon arrival, Buddy immediately sees that his
day will be wonderful - through story time, playing outside, making
projects and working in the school garden - we see Buddy's mind
enlightened and imagination sparked, just like your child's upon their
first day of preschool. By the time school is over, Buddy cannot wait to
come back the next day to see his new friends and to learn and play!
Awards: This video has received
the Parenting Magazine Video of the Year Award, the Telly Award for
Achievement in Music, two Honorable Mentions from the John Lennon
Songwriting Awards, and is Family Approved by the Dove Foundation.
For More Information: You can find out more about this video visit
http://www.myfirstday.net.
Jackie and Jenna's Review: As a veteran of driving long
distances with kids in the car, I decided that this would be the perfect
way to test this video out. If a video is going to pass my "kid
test" the kids would have to 1) remain interested, 2) get involved with
the video itself (singing and/or answering questions), and 3) refrain from
the typical squabbling that occurs if something starts to bore them.
I popped the video in and told the kids
(ages 4, 5, and 7) that I had something for them to watch. My main
goal was to monitor how the 4 year old child, Jenna, reacted to the tape.
The kids were immediately drawn to
Buddy and his dad. The characters were upbeat and the script didn't
lag. Then the music began and I knew I had them! The kids sang
along and answered questions. The older two children (ages 5 and 7)
even related their personal experiences as Buddy made his way through art,
recess and story time. Jenna sat with her eyes fixated on the screen
for the entire 28 minutes.
When the video had finished playing, I
started questioning Jenna about attending school in the fall. Until
now, she was dead set on NOT going to school and had always displayed
visible separation anxiety. This was the moment of truth. I
asked "Jenna, do you think you're ready to go to school like Buddy Bear
did in the video?" She said "Yes, I think I'll meet new friends."
I asked "Do you think school looks fun?" Again, "Yes." "Do you
think you'll learn new things in school?" "Yes, and I like to paint
and color and play on the playground."
Mission accomplished.
At that point, we were approaching our
exit on the freeway. To my amazement, the typical "long trip"
boredom never set in for the three kids.
I gave Jenna's mom the video and asked
her to play it for her a few times throughout Summer and then again before
school starts this Fall.
I feel that this particular child's
anxiety was eased. Many kids don't know what to expect when entering
school. Everyone has some anxiety about the unknown and children are
definitely no exception. Their lives are changing fast at this age
and they're being expected to just roll with the punches. Seeing
Buddy Bear's fears and then watching as they are eased is a very
beneficial process for any child to witness before doing it for
themselves.
I would recommend this video to any
parent or grandparent who feels that the child that you know and love may
experience difficulty or anxiety related to their first day away from home
in the school setting. On the other end of the spectrum, children
who have attended daycare centers in prior years may feel comfort in
knowing that it isn't all that different than what they're used.
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