Please Wiggles, Don't Ever Retire

Yesterday I posted on This is No Ordinary Kid''s Facebook page that I was not happy with Cameron.
This is what I wrote: Well, here you go, your first taste of my life. I was quietly working on my blog when Cameron appeared beside me with a DVD. I'd only just put a DVD on for him so I should have guessed something was wrong. On inspection I found the TV was now a radio, the DVD player tipped over and a DVD stuck in the door.
That's another Wiggles DVD I'll have to replace. Not happy Cam!

Afterwards a friend posted an alarming thought - Let's just hope The Wiggles don't retire. These few words sent a horrible shiver through me. What would I do if we didn't have The Wiggles? This is a thought I had never contemplated, they have always been there and I had visualized a world where they would always be there.

I have been listening to The Wiggles for over 20 years and watching them for almost as long. I had all their videos and now I have all their DVD's. The collection started with a cassette when I was teaching, then it grew to include a few CD's and videos when I was day caring. Now, in the mothering phase of my life, we have added DVD's to the collection. To contemplate a life without The Wiggles is horrible.

You are probably thinking this is a very strong reaction to a music group who sing to young children while wearing coordinating t-shirts. Without The Wiggles I don't think I would have any of my sanity left.

20 years ago I thought they wrote some great songs that my class loved to listen to and join in dancing and singing to. And I think history has proven me right, The Wiggles have gone on to incredible international success. But none of that matters now, what matters now is that Cameron loves The Wiggles.

The one thing that held Cameron's attention when he was young was watching The Wiggles. The one thing that would calm Cameron down when he was upset was The Wiggles. The one thing that would give me a break and a little respite was The Wiggles. And all that is still true today.

Cameron watching Wiggle-dance - today

Cameron has never liked watching cartoons or animated programs. He didn't understand live action shows or acted shows. He didn't understand characters in suits like Father Christmas or the Easter bunny, to be honest he was scared stiff of them. He didn't watch movies or anything else except Play School and The Wiggles. Why Playschool? Well if you think about it, both The Wiggles and Playschool have people talking to the camera so you feel like they are talking to you personally. They sing and dance, talk and joke. You can see their faces and read their emotions. It feels very real.

Now Cameron still doesn't like watching cartoons or animated programs. Buying The Wiggles Space Dancing DVD was a waste of money because it is animated. I also wasted my money on the Dorothy the Dinosaur DVD's - I really should have known better. He can now watch an acted show with live humans if the content catches his attention but given a choice he will choose The Wiggles every time. For a bit of variety he will throw in a Playschool DVD every now and then.

I hear Wiggles songs in my sleep, and I can discuss at length the changing dress sense of The Wiggles and the impact of Greg leaving and Sam arriving. I can show you when Sam started working with The Wiggles as Sir Sing A Lotta and one of the Captains crew. I have my favourite back up dancers and I know which adult dancers now, were little children dancing on the set. 20 years ago.

The Wiggles can never retire, what would I do, I live for new DVD's so my sanity can be calmed with a new set of songs and different entertaining moves. I couldn't survive listening to the same old DVD's over and over for ever, I've already listened to them over and over.. At this point in time it doesn't look like Cameron is getting bored with The Wiggles any time soon so I do visualize a world where I will still be listening to, singing with and watching The Wiggles for many years to come.

Please Wiggles, don't ever retire.