If parents start listing off their children's favorite shows they might say Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, P.J Masks. I like all of these shows but they lack a certain depth that I would really like my toddlers to be introduced to at a young age. I want them to learn about problem-solving, real-world life skills, and how to hand their big emotions. I love Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and I also love Handy Manny.
Handy Manny is a children's show that plays on Disney Junior. Manny is a handyman who goes around his little town and helps fix things that break with the help of his tools. His tools all talk to him and they each have names. The tools each have different responsibilities and their own personalities. The tools interact like siblings and there are a lot of feelings that Manny has to help them work through. Manny has a lot of town friends including Mr. Lopart and Kelly who owns the hardware store (parents are all secretly hoping Kelly and Manny get together). Handy Manny teaches lifeskills to his tools and he shows everybody so much compassion and love. Manny is always thinking of others. The amazing thing about Manny is he is Hispanic and he speaks Spanish through each episode. How cool is that! These are the reasons that Handy Manny is underappreciated.
- Spanish Vocabulary: Toddlers are sponges! They are learning quicker than adults can ever comprehend. It is important for children to be introduced to positive educational material so that they can expand their minds as much as possible. Language development is so important. You will be amazed about how quickly your little ones can pick up vocabulary, so why not teach them another language as well?
- Latin Culture: I love that my toddlers are learning about Latin Culture. Manny Garcia is always explaining his culture to his tools and to those around him. I love that! My children live near a lot of people who Hispanic and I love that my young kids are learning about their culture. I am so happy that he will be more informed with their culture and embrace how beautiful different cultures and that is so important. It is so good for us to teach out children so they find the beauty in differences. One of my favorites is when he takes the tools to his family's fiesta!
- Manny is a Good Person: A lot of kids' television shows depict the main character as an individual who has a lot of life lessons to learn because they are growing up and dealing with situations as they arrive. Manny is a grown man and so he gets to be an example to the viewers and gives life lessons to his tools. It is a really cool dynamic and allows children to learn from Manny as well.
- Service: In this little town everybody is helping everybody. Yes, Manny's job is to go and do repairs but he is always going the extra mile to make sure that his friends are happy. Manny often helps with things even when he is "off the clock" and people just need his help. He is constantly serving and asking how he can help. He shows his tools that is important to help others and to think about how other people might be feeling.
- Mr. Lopart: Mr. Lopart is one of the most enduring characters from this show and the writers have done a phenomenal job developing this character. Mr. Lopart is a middle-aged man who lives with his cat. He is just the sweetest guy who owns the candy/dessert shop next to Handy Manny. Mr. Lopart is kind of dorky and he is constantly being clumsy. This character is so amazing though because he shows the viewers that not everybody is going to be the same and it is okay to be different as long as that makes you happy. Even though Mr. Lopart is a little excentric, Manny is still extremely nice to him and constantly wants to help him.
- Woman Power: In the past, women have obviously been shown in many different movies and shows as the damsel in distress. She needs a man to be happy, needs to be saved, and screams and closes her eyes when she is faced with a difficult situation. Women are strong and they can fight! We need to teach our boys and girls that women are just as awesome! Modern-day stories are now trying to over-compensate for the previous sexist depiction of make lead women superheroes, or invincible. We just want to see women as normal people. Kelly is the perfect example of what needs to be shown to our toddlers. Kelly is a woman who is single and is feminine. Kelly wears cute clothes, always has her hair looking great, and has earrings and she is also a business owner. Her business is a hardware store and she knows her stuff. Whenever Manny comes in she always can answer his questions and can point him in the right direction as to what he needs. She is awesome!
- Diversity: The show does a great job of showing the diversity of people! In this world, everybody looks different and everybody acts differently. There are so many different types of jobs and circumstances that make every single person unique. In the town, there are people who speak different languages and have different accents. There are people of all colors and ages. There are also people who have disabilities. The most amazing thing is that they all get along and they are all friends. I love that the show is teaching my children that you can be kind to people even if they are different from you!
Handy Manny is definitely one of those shows that you need to have your toddler watch. Although I do not have anything against the popular television shows that are taking over the channels and the toys aisle, I just think that they don't have as many life lessons that I would like my toddlers to learn. If you are interested in an extremely educational show then I would highly recommend Handy Manny.