Encourage Quality Programming for Joint TV Viewing with Young Children: Select Shows That Matter and Stimulate Growth
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Not so long ago, our toddler started exhibiting a peculiar behavior. Its origin remained a mystery for us. If my wife or I happened to catch some Z's on the couch, our little one would pounce on us, knocking the air out of us. He'd immediately scream, "Hey, wake up!" and jab his tiny fingers into our faces, before bouncing up and down like a jack-in-the-box. As efficient alarm clocks go, it was nothing if not explosive.
My wife and I were left utterly baffled. We spent weeks racking our brains trying to trace back the source of this wacky ritual. Our online searches turned up nada. When we thought we'd never uncover the mystery, the answer revealed itself before us one morning over breakfast and the television: It was a scene from My Neighbor Totoro, the 1988 Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece, a reliable Saturday staple for us when the weather was lousy and we were cooped up indoors. In the film, a little girl named Mei (voiced by the lovely Elle Fanning in the English dub) leaps onto her father's chest and shouts, "Hey, wake up!" before closing her eyes and bouncing up and down. Somehow, the specifics of that moment had eluded us, while leaving a lasting impact on our three-year-old, who thought it was hilarious to jolt his parents out of their sleep deprivation. As we chortled, my wife and I realized we were dealing with a pint-sized Totoro prodigy.
We're not hardcore screen time enforcers, although we do have a few firm rules: mostly, no mind-numbing content. We've never let Cocomelon infect our algorithms, despite the enticing allure of cheap r&r. Whenever we do turn on the TV, it's best to avoid anything too brainless and opt for something we can enjoy watching too. Often, that's meant a Miyazaki movie.
Our journey with Miyazaki began courtesy of a dad pal: He revealed that if his daughter woke up at the crack of dawn, they'd dish out a bowl of cereal, fire up Kiki's Delivery Service (about a young witch who transforms into a micro-business owner), and then he'd attempt a sneaky post-breakfast snooze. Inspired, we started with Kiki. Our little one developed an affinity for Ponyo (a wishful thinking fish yearning for humanity), followed by Totoro. Recently, our son's been really into Spirited Away, particularly the ghostly creature No-Face, a wandering specter with an insatiable hunger. It's a dreamy, intense film, perhaps a tad spooky, but our little one doesn't flinch. Whenever No-Face appears onscreen, he likes to point and exclaim, "That's No-Face!"
Based on the enchanting imagery in My Neighbor Totoro, it seems the "wake up" routine is part of the film's magical elements, drawing from Japanese folklore and Hayao Miyazaki's own childlike wonder. The iconic Totoro character, inspired by raccoon dogs (tanuki), features prominently in these magical scenes[1][3]. If you're seeking more specific details about a particular "wake up" scene, consulting the film itself or resources delving into its production and inspirations may prove helpful.
In general, Miyazaki's creative vision for My Neighbor Totoro was grounded in celebrating rural Japan, drawing from his own childhood experiences and environmental concerns[5]. The magical sequences and routines are designed to evoke a sense of magic and connection to nature – themes common in Studio Ghibli films.
- Our toddler's peculiar behavior of waking us up resembled a scene from the 1988 movie My Neighbor Totoro, where the character Mei jolts her father awake.
- We discovered our toddler's behavior was influenced by a specific scene in My Neighbor Totoro, which we had watched multiple times and found enjoyable.
- The "wake up" routine in My Neighbor Totoro is a part of the film's magical elements, rooted in Japanese folklore and Hayao Miyazaki's childlike wonder.
- My Neighbor Totoro celebrates rural Japan and draws from environmental concerns, featuring fantasy sequences that evoke feelings of magic and connection to nature, common in Studio Ghibli films.
- We've also found that introducing our son to other Miyazaki films, like Kiki's Delivery Service, Ponyo, and Spirited Away, has broadened his interest in animation and culture.
