There are currently two programs on our TiVo record list for Pea. Both are recorded from the channel Noggin. One is “Dora the Explorer” and the other is “Max & Ruby.” Yes, she’s still in love with Dora. And now, I hear her counting more often in Spanish than I do in English. I’m not arguing with that kind of success. And Max & Ruby? It’s sweet and innocent, and I’m hoping that it’s going to teach her how to treat her little sister. Ruby is the most patient big sister rabbit to her annoying little brother rabbit, Max. And right now? Pea is a raging ball of jealousy wherever her own little sister is concerned. We’re working on it…

We used to have a third show on there. “Caillou.” She loves the show. Very much. And until my husband finally told her that they are no longer making the show, and that it’s now off the air, it’s all she wanted to watch. And that didn’t amount to much. She usually got in a 30-minute program in the early morning, while I was taking care of the animals, preparing breakfast. And then she usually got another 30-minute program in the early evening, again, while I was busy with the household routine. And sure, sometimes I cheat and let her watch a show in the middle of the day! Because I have bills to pay. Or the new issue of “Real Simple” to thumb through. I need a break! But for the most part, we try to stick to this schedule. And so at both times? You could bet your life she was going to request “Caillou.”

And then, it began to happen… “I don’t waaaaaaaaant to.” Spoken in the whiniest little voice you could ever imagine. It will make your skin crawl. You hair stand on end. And after one week of this, I asked my husband where is she getting this from? Where? She’s not in school right now. She’s not in camp yet. And with the exception of the afternoon that she used the word “dummy” incessantly (picked up from a little boy at the local drop-in child care center), there was no where for her to learn this. Was it just something innately ingrained in preschoolers? Is that it?

No. That’s not it. At least, that’s not all of it. It can be learned, picked up from, say, a seemingly simple children’s program on the Sprout network. My husband had this aha! moment while sitting on the sofa with Pea. He turned to me and said, “did you just hear that?” Sure enough, there was Caillou, whining over having to share something or do something or whatever with his little sister Rosy. And there it was. “I don’t waaaaaaaaant to.”

And then, it was gone. The show was over. And not because it had ended. My husband erased it, right then and there, only half-way through. And took it off of the record list. And we both breathed a collective sigh of relief. We were going to break our darling little Pea of this nasty new habit! And we worked hard at it. We ridiculously whined right back at her whenever she launched into that mode, to show her how silly and ineffective it was. And in the beginning, she looked at us all wary, thinking “what’s wrong with these people?” But eventually, she’d giggle at us, regroup herself and become a polite child again. And we high-fived. We can do this! Yeah!

And in addition to learning from television characters, kids also learn to whine from other kids. Even when that other kid is in your house for all of about 18 hours. Like the little guy, who shall remain nameless, who spent a night at our home. My daughter adores him. Leads him around by the hand. And his parents are thrilled at how well he plays with Pea. Because he’s six years old, and girls are disgusting! Eww! Don’t touch my stuff! But with Pea? He shares his toys. And writes her little love notes. Oh, and he teaches her to whine.

You know where I’m going with this, right? We, once again, had to break her of this nasty habit. And so, we were back on it. Whining right back at Pea. Explaining to her that it’s not going to get her what she wants. It’s just not. No matter how hard she tries. And then? I went in search or some earplugs. Or earmuffs. Or cotton balls. Something. Anything. Because for me, there is no more awful sound that could come out of a child’s mouth then the whine.