How My First Day helps develop the children of tomorrow

by Tommy Toy
(Concord, CA)

THE MY FIRST DAY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUTAINMENT SERIES

THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF TELEVISION ON THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIORS OF TODAY'S YOUNG CHILDREN

According to numerous behavioral experts, many of today’s children’s social and behavioral problems are the result of watching too much television and films containing excessive violence, sex and bad behaviors.

Television can have a huge influence, both positive and negative, on the learning and social development of young children. On average, children between the ages of 2-5 spend 32 hours a week watching television. For better or for worst, television is playing a larger and more significant role in a child’s development. The University of Michigan Health System points out the following key findings:

1. TV is probably replacing or reducing many activities in a child’s life like physical play, reading, study time, homework, doing chores, and socializing and making new friends.
2. Kids who watch too much TV spend less time interacting with family members. Television is creating a real disconnect between the children and parents.
3. Excessive TV can lead to lower grades. sleeping disorders, behavior problems, risky behavior and obesity.
4. Most children’s programming does not teach what parents say they want their child to learn; Many TV shows are filled with stereotypes, violence, sex and mean behavior. These can severely damage a child’s psyche.
5. Children are the target of advertisers peddling their products, and on average, children view tens of thousands of commercials each year. This includes many ads for unhealthy foods and drinks. The results are alarming levels of overweight and obese children.
6. Kids live out their fantasies and start to emulate their favorite TV characters. This can be good, but mostly bad.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) takes a “play-it-safe” position regarding television for young children and says:

“It may be tempting to put your child in front of the television, especially to watch shows created for young children. But, don’t do it. These early years are crucial in a child’s development. The Academy is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for young children and how it could affect your child’s development. Pediatricians strongly oppose targeted programming, especially when it’s used to market toys, games, dolls, unhealthy food and other products.”

Today parents work longer hours, face long commute times, and when they get home, have just enough energy to prepare dinner and have very little time to properly supervise what their young kids are watching on television. Out of necessity, television has become a convenient way to keep the kids happy and occupied.

Many educators, researchers and child behavioral experts believe that a young child’s education is best done in the classroom with the help of the parent. Furthermore, many of these experts believe that a lot of damage can be done to a young child’s psyche, social development and education by what they watch.

Nickelodeon, a leading children’s cable television network, has conducted extensive research with kids, and found that they could improve their social skill development by offering them guidance in navigating the world. Says Nicelodeon, “They get formal education at school, but want support in relevant social learning from TV. As kids watch kids on Nickelodeon that look like them and have the same problems (or exaggerated versions of the same problems), they gain self-esteem”.

HOW THE MY FIRST DAY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUTAINMENT CONCEPT WAS BORN

In 2003, John Aguirre, President and Founder of My First Day Productions, produced “My First Day at Preschool”, as a television pilot for a children’s educational television series. The idea for “My First Day at Preschool” was to assist parents in helping their preschool-aged kids overcome their first day fears of attending preschool for the first time, hence the title.

The film begins with Daddy Bear accompanying his young cub Buddy Bear™, a loveable child bear character and star of the film, to preschool for the first time. When they arrive at the preschool, Buddy Bear meets his preschool teachers Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Andrews, Mrs. Herman and Miss Wedge, and his preschool classmates for the first time. The film shows Buddy Bear playing and participating in various projects like making paper cutouts, painting and planting seeds in a garden, and dancing and singing songs with his preschool mates,

None of the networks understood the My First Day concept so John Aguirre, frustrated with the lack of success, decided to distribute “My First Day at Preschool” on DVD and for viewing on cable TV pay-per-view. Remarkably, the film turned out to be a resounding success with 27,000 downloads on cable TV pay-per-view and sales of 25,000 DVD's, then capping this off by winning Parenting Magazine’s “Children’s Video of the Year” for 2003 and repeating the feat with Scholastic Magazine in 2004, beating out some of the giants in children’s educational films: Disney, Nickelodeon and Times-War. The music and songs also won a Telly Award for Eric Hester, who composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the film songs.

Keep in mind that “My First Day at Preschool” was a television pilot, using a reuseable animatronic bear costume. In spite of this, the original DVD continues to sell to this day, without any advertising or financial support. New episodes in the My First Day series will star a newer and contemporary Buddy Bear character that is more acceptable to today’s preschool children’s audience.

How the My First Day Teaching Concept Helps Build Good Child Citizenship

At My First Day our motto is, “We help develop the children of tomorrow”. We believe that good social skills and behaviors can be taught, and that a young child’s social development can be greatly enhanced and improved through wholesome, pure and original children’s edutainment content that combines child development, education and entertainment.

The My First Day concept captures the natural spontaneity, reactions and activities of kids in a series of unrehearsed and unscripted real world “first-time” and “first-day” lifetime learning experiences. Our teaching concept uses ordinary preschool kids, not professional child actors. We use actual preschools venues, not a film studio, and real preschool teachers. Buddy Bear™ is the star of the each episode in the My First Day series. These elements are combined with original music and songs, graphic elements, and interesting locations to produce the My First Day child development and edutainment series for preschool children.

Our teaching concept is quite simple: We teach good child citizenship. Kids learn proper social skills and behaviors, teamwork and respect for other kids, by a series of first day and first time learning experiences. The original “My First Day at Preschool”, taught preschool kids to overcome their fear of preschool. Other episodes in the My First Day series will include: “My First Day at the Zoo”, “My First Day at the Bakery”, “My First Day at the Farm”, and so forth.

The My First Day Child Development and Edutainment Concept is embodied in My First Day Production’s Mission Statement:

“My First Day Productions is dedicated to the education of young children during their formative preschool years. We combine child development, education and entertainment, ‘edutainment’, if you will, by teaching children about the real world through a series of ‘first-day’ and ‘first-time’ lifetime learning experiences. We believe in proper child development and that learning should be a fun and interactive experience for children that combines unique characters, music, song and humor. It is our goal to combine all these elements into our educational films, videos and branded products to illuminate and enhance a child’s learning experience”.
How To Order “My First Day at Preschool”

The “My First Day at Preschool” DVD can be ordered through the My First Day website at http://www.myfirstday.net.

UNIQUE MY FIRST DAY INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

We wish that we had more My First Day episodes, but this requires raising additional capital from outside investor’s in order to pay for the costs of scriptwriting, music composition, talent, filming and post-production, and advertising and promoting the new series.

If you love kids and have an appreciation for the My First Day child development and edutainment concept, have some additional questions, or wish to become investor, or know of some investors, please contact the following individual:

Thank you so much.


Tommy Toy
PBT Consulting
Tel; 925-768-1805
Email: pbtconsulting@aol.com

AND

John Aguirre
President & Founder
My First Day Productions
Los Angeles, California
Tel: 323-466-1905 or 323-247-8145