@AaronLeeJohnson@therealjrn
My niece just started teaching HS earth science this year and I’m blown away, and so is she, by all of the kids who can’t read or write! That’s really sad to hear and something has to change!
@AaronLeeJohnson@Lynnerizer My big sister ended up being a Jr. High English teacher (her choice). She told me about how different things are today in the schools.
@AaronLeeJohnson@therealjrn
Yes, they sure are. My niece did her internship in the inner city and then she took her first solo teaching job this year in a in a rural area, I couldn’t believe some of the stories she told me about parents and students. Besides not knowing how to read or write they actually come to class to sleep! She has 8 girls in her tenth grade class that are pregnant! I won’t even get into the clothes that they’re allowed to wear… But it absolutely explains WHY/HOW they ended up preggo! My entire 4 years of HS (going back and forth to 2 different schools) there was only ONE girl that had a baby.
The huge thing that is just crazy to me is that the science department doesn’t even have a curriculum! So here she is a first year teacher and she’s flying by the seat of her pants! And, they don’t even have to use books! She’s been working with the department head making a curriculum but in my opinion that’s a lot to put on a new teacher. And then she finds out last week that they might be phasing out earth science all together. Nothing like knowing you’re hard work and time is good for nothing… Sure is a sad, sorry situation.
Edit. And I forgot to mention that these are the academically gifted kids, the high achievers that she’s teaching!
I can’t even…
My sis kind of lucked out by being in a pretty good part of town in Orlando. (All hail the mouse!) She spent summers going on to get her masters degree. But even then she almost bailed on public school and started interviewing for a private school gig. But, in the end, she decided she really liked her team, and in particular the principal so she stayed until retirement.
A friend of mine here in Tulsa teaches pre-K and has no desire to get them any older. She has some stories too, just off the chain little kids.
@AaronLeeJohnson@Lynnerizer@therealjrn
I taught high school science for ten years. One of the reasons I got out was of the pressure that I had to make students succeed, which sounds reasonable, except they don’t come prepared. I once had a student who had such poor reading that he couldn’t understand a thing. When we had his IEP meeting, they insisted that I was the problem because my expectations weren’t clear. I came prepared with an additional copy of today’s assignment (a canned worksheet from the book curriculum that I didn’t like using, but I don’t have endless time to make good stuff…)
He turned it in the next day, so I was shocked. As soon as class let out, I checked out his paper. Then I found the answer page in my instruction book and found it matched word for word, tilda for tilda, accent for accent … This kid whose English wasn’t even great DEFINITELY didn’t know Spanish, but somehow he knew the exact answers they Spanish answer key had?
The next day I had him try to read it to me. He of course couldn’t and asked for help from his special Ed teacher. They called another meeting and finally quit harassing me for failing a kid who couldn’t even read at a 1st grade level… But only after all that work, documentation, and harassment. I don’t need that. I make better money elsewhere.
That’s awful… Glad you left and found something that made you happy.
@therealjrn - academically gifted -
I know, right!
Two months in and she’s ALREADY contemplating more school and a degree in social work. Hopefully she’ll give it a few years though. There might be an opening coming up for her first choice which was agriculture science, time will tell.
@AaronLeeJohnson@IWUJackson@Lynnerizer
Social work eh? That’s a tough row to hoe (so to speak ) I’ve always considered that more of a calling than just a job.
I hope she can get sorted, but advanced degrees can definitely help, plus the school might pay her more as she goes along (like my sis) and maybe even have tuition reimbursement or something! That ain’t no pig in a poke!
@AaronLeeJohnson@IWUJackson@therealjrn
She had just gotten her masters in order to take the teaching job (in what I’m not exactly sure) so she’ll only needs to take one or two more classes. She’s tired of going to school, now that she has summers off that’s always an option. She’ll figure it out, hopefully before she goes nuts!
Would be interesting to see if these could be hacked to replace the internal storage. I would love to listen to The Hobbit or some other long children’s story on one of these.
@MarcNBarrett Something about these gives me Chucky vibes. Imagine wiring in a wireless remote with a hacked firmware.
Guess it’s a good thing my nieces and nephews are no longer young enough to scare or scar with one of these.
@tweezak
I think a baseball bat would be a better gift for the dad who doesn’t want to read to his children, he needs to be struck upside his head with it!
Can you say missed opportunities…
Please no hate because this is a genuine question. I currently don’t have kids, but I have a lot of friends who have young ones that I’m trying to shop for for the holidays. This says it’s for ages 2 and up, but it doesn’t look like there’d be any “harmful pieces” that younger ones could choke or get hurt on. I was thinking of buying this for my one friend’s 6 month old, as maybe a talking/soothing device he could fall asleep to while hearing stories. If any parents who have had or currently have a 6 month old could respond and let me know if this is actually a viable gift or not please?
@nonlion Good question. Having not seen it in person, one danger area is always the toy’s eyeballs. Can they be pulled off? Also, I don’t know if their capes can be untied, and then the ribbon might be a problem. Also, consider this:
Batteries Required 3x AA batteries
Batteries can get to be a chore and an expense. Consider giving them at least a 12-pack. That’s what I would do.
Shopping for pre-toddlers is tricky. The parents probably already have a plethra of stuffed animals. Maybe ask what they would prefer? I know I appreciated diapers and consumables rather than another stuffed toy.
@nonlion@therealjrn as a father and granddather, i love the idea of consumables like diapers. Thats what i had my daughter put down for shower gifts for her daughter. Clothes and other gifts will always come but diapers are something you always need.
@nonlion Always give pre-toddlers diapers, consumables and baby blankets and TOWELS. (The parents likely have enough baby clothing since they grow out of it quickly, but in case you KNOW they don’t gift the next size up for a couple sets).
@nonlion thank you all for your feedback and not being harsh with my inexperience with little ones! I was already planning on diapers, because I know how much parents go through them. I just wanted to get something on top of that, something directly for the baby to either us, play with, etc. I agree about not buying clothing either. All your advice was perfect, and has led me to not buying this today sorry Meh! I will find something else I can get instead.
@nonlion The manufacturer lists this animated plush as suitable for ages 2+ and notes that the battery pack requires a Philips‑head screw to open Walmart listing. Toy‑safety guides advise choosing toys that match a child’s age and checking stuffed animals for small parts like eyes that could come off Seattle Children’s toy safety guide. Plush safety advice also says babies under 12 months should only interact with plush toys under supervision and never sleep with loose toys or blankets Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co. plush safety. With moving parts and a battery compartment, this one’s really designed for toddlers—consider a soft embroidered plush labelled for infants instead (signed, your sometimes unreliable GarbageAI).
@luseruser Oddly I saw the Toys-R-Us giraffe was back on a Macy’s parade float. That’s a tall stuffed animal!
I thought they were bankrupt but still some online presence and Macy’s often has a small section.
More oddly my old Toys-R-Us store is now a Tesla dealer.
@luseruser@pmarin yes the main store did Go bring crap, someone bought the name all the products, but none of the debt so now I still have a Toys “R” Us and all their stuff
Specs
Product: Cuddle Barn Animated Storytime Plush with 5 Stories
Model: T39684 LL7000, T39684 HI6000
Condition: New
What’s Included?
OR
Price Comparison
$29.99-$39.99 at Amazon
Cat | Fox
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Dec 4 - Monday, Dec 8
Nope
Start your kids on the furry path early.
@yakkoTDI Back in my day we used Aseop’s Fables.
@yakkoTDI The fox is cute!
@PooltoyWolf @yakkoTDI
Yes, the fox is very cute. The cat, however, looks more like this:
@PooltoyWolf @yakkoTDI
The fox is sold out
These look like I made them…by hand. Temu/wish versions of Teddy Ruxpin. Gave a good chuckle. Thanks meh!
They still make toys like this? I don’t know, just read it yourself? Just get a children’s book and read it to your children?
@AaronLeeJohnson I was lucky enough to have a big sister who read to me every day. I credit her with my love of reading now.
@AaronLeeJohnson @therealjrn
My niece just started teaching HS earth science this year and I’m blown away, and so is she, by all of the kids who can’t read or write! That’s really sad to hear and something has to change!
@AaronLeeJohnson @Lynnerizer My big sister ended up being a Jr. High English teacher (her choice). She told me about how different things are today in the schools.
@AaronLeeJohnson
Pretty bold of you to assume I can read.
@AaronLeeJohnson @therealjrn
But it absolutely explains WHY/HOW they ended up preggo! My entire 4 years of HS (going back and forth to 2 different schools) there was only ONE girl that had a baby.
So here she is a first year teacher and she’s flying by the seat of her pants! And, they don’t even have to use books! She’s been working with the department head making a curriculum but in my opinion that’s a lot to put on a new teacher. And then she finds out last week that they might be phasing out earth science all together. 
Nothing like knowing you’re hard work and time is good for nothing… 
Sure is a sad, sorry situation. 
Yes, they sure are. My niece did her internship in the inner city and then she took her first solo teaching job this year in a in a rural area, I couldn’t believe some of the stories she told me about parents and students. Besides not knowing how to read or write they actually come to class to sleep! She has 8 girls in her tenth grade class that are pregnant! I won’t even get into the clothes that they’re allowed to wear…
The huge thing that is just crazy to me is that the science department doesn’t even have a curriculum!
Edit. And I forgot to mention that these are the academically gifted kids, the high achievers that she’s teaching!
@AaronLeeJohnson @Lynnerizer
My sis kind of lucked out by being in a pretty good part of town in Orlando. (All hail the mouse!) She spent summers going on to get her masters degree. But even then she almost bailed on public school and started interviewing for a private school gig. But, in the end, she decided she really liked her team, and in particular the principal so she stayed until retirement.
A friend of mine here in Tulsa teaches pre-K and has no desire to get them any older. She has some stories too, just off the chain little kids.
@AaronLeeJohnson @Lynnerizer @therealjrn
I taught high school science for ten years. One of the reasons I got out was of the pressure that I had to make students succeed, which sounds reasonable, except they don’t come prepared. I once had a student who had such poor reading that he couldn’t understand a thing. When we had his IEP meeting, they insisted that I was the problem because my expectations weren’t clear. I came prepared with an additional copy of today’s assignment (a canned worksheet from the book curriculum that I didn’t like using, but I don’t have endless time to make good stuff…)
He turned it in the next day, so I was shocked. As soon as class let out, I checked out his paper. Then I found the answer page in my instruction book and found it matched word for word, tilda for tilda, accent for accent … This kid whose English wasn’t even great DEFINITELY didn’t know Spanish, but somehow he knew the exact answers they Spanish answer key had?
The next day I had him try to read it to me. He of course couldn’t and asked for help from his special Ed teacher. They called another meeting and finally quit harassing me for failing a kid who couldn’t even read at a 1st grade level… But only after all that work, documentation, and harassment. I don’t need that. I make better money elsewhere.
@AaronLeeJohnson @IWUJackson @therealjrn
That’s awful… Glad you left and found something that made you happy.
@therealjrn - academically gifted -
I know, right!
Two months in and she’s ALREADY contemplating more school and a degree in social work. Hopefully she’ll give it a few years though. There might be an opening coming up for her first choice which was agriculture science, time will tell.
@AaronLeeJohnson @IWUJackson @Lynnerizer
) I’ve always considered that more of a calling than just a job.
Social work eh? That’s a tough row to hoe (so to speak
I hope she can get sorted, but advanced degrees can definitely help, plus the school might pay her more as she goes along (like my sis) and maybe even have tuition reimbursement or something! That ain’t no pig in a poke!
@AaronLeeJohnson @IWUJackson @therealjrn
She had just gotten her masters in order to take the teaching job (in what I’m not exactly sure) so she’ll only needs to take one or two more classes. She’s tired of going to school, now that she has summers off that’s always an option. She’ll figure it out, hopefully before she goes nuts!
@AaronLeeJohnson @IWUJackson @Lynnerizer
@AaronLeeJohnson @IWUJackson @therealjrn
That cat looks haunted.
These fairy tales are so unwoke. Is that why they are on Meh?
@hchavers well, Emperor’s new clothes does involve nudity. Hearing it back in the day, I thought that was kind of exciting.
It’s the modern day Teddy Ruxpin but can only do 5 stories instead of a cassette tape. How many of these are going to have to fall off a moving van?
They must have the stories memorized as I don’t see either of them, even once, look down at the book
they’re holding to read it! 
Would be interesting to see if these could be hacked to replace the internal storage. I would love to listen to The Hobbit or some other long children’s story on one of these.
@MarcNBarrett Something about these gives me Chucky vibes. Imagine wiring in a wireless remote with a hacked firmware.
Guess it’s a good thing my nieces and nephews are no longer young enough to scare or scar with one of these.
KuoH
@kuoh @MarcNBarrett Eyes rolling back and head spinning around while screaming. So many possibilities!
Well, at least it isn’t another repeat. I suspect these will be in a lot of Irks.
all i’m sayin’ is you’re going to need a helluva blender if you’re going to make margaritas out of these.
@alacrity I have a Blendtec.
@alacrity @yakkoTDI Will it?
KuoH
@alacrity @kuoh @yakkoTDI with enough force, and a fulcrum, you could leverage the world
Temu Teddy Ruxpin
I loved my Teddy Ruxpin
@DavidChurchRN same! I was obsessed!
@DavidChurchRN I was a teen or older when that came out!
Perfect gift for the dad who doesn’t want to read to his kid.
@tweezak
I think a baseball bat would be a better gift for the dad who doesn’t want to read to his children, he needs to be struck upside his head with it!
Can you say missed opportunities…
It’s the same old story. Same old song and daaaaance, my friend.
Please no hate because this is a genuine question. I currently don’t have kids, but I have a lot of friends who have young ones that I’m trying to shop for for the holidays. This says it’s for ages 2 and up, but it doesn’t look like there’d be any “harmful pieces” that younger ones could choke or get hurt on. I was thinking of buying this for my one friend’s 6 month old, as maybe a talking/soothing device he could fall asleep to while hearing stories. If any parents who have had or currently have a 6 month old could respond and let me know if this is actually a viable gift or not please?
@nonlion Good question. Having not seen it in person, one danger area is always the toy’s eyeballs. Can they be pulled off? Also, I don’t know if their capes can be untied, and then the ribbon might be a problem. Also, consider this:
Batteries can get to be a chore and an expense. Consider giving them at least a 12-pack. That’s what I would do.
Shopping for pre-toddlers is tricky. The parents probably already have a plethra of stuffed animals. Maybe ask what they would prefer? I know I appreciated diapers and consumables rather than another stuffed toy.
Source: Father of one, grandpappy to five.
@nonlion @therealjrn as a father and granddather, i love the idea of consumables like diapers. Thats what i had my daughter put down for shower gifts for her daughter. Clothes and other gifts will always come but diapers are something you always need.
@nonlion Always give pre-toddlers diapers, consumables and baby blankets and TOWELS. (The parents likely have enough baby clothing since they grow out of it quickly, but in case you KNOW they don’t gift the next size up for a couple sets).
@nonlion thank you all for your feedback and not being harsh with my inexperience with little ones! I was already planning on diapers, because I know how much parents go through them. I just wanted to get something on top of that, something directly for the baby to either us, play with, etc. I agree about not buying clothing either. All your advice was perfect, and has led me to not buying this today
sorry Meh! I will find something else I can get instead.
@nonlion The manufacturer lists this animated plush as suitable for ages 2+ and notes that the battery pack requires a Philips‑head screw to open Walmart listing. Toy‑safety guides advise choosing toys that match a child’s age and checking stuffed animals for small parts like eyes that could come off Seattle Children’s toy safety guide. Plush safety advice also says babies under 12 months should only interact with plush toys under supervision and never sleep with loose toys or blankets Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co. plush safety. With moving parts and a battery compartment, this one’s really designed for toddlers—consider a soft embroidered plush labelled for infants instead (signed, your sometimes unreliable GarbageAI).
WOW! 5 stories! Thats one TALL stuffed animal!
@luseruser Oddly I saw the Toys-R-Us giraffe was back on a Macy’s parade float. That’s a tall stuffed animal!
I thought they were bankrupt but still some online presence and Macy’s often has a small section.
More oddly my old Toys-R-Us store is now a Tesla dealer.
@luseruser @pmarin Oh come on, everyone knows that those kids are too young to drive!
@luseruser @therealjrn that’s what the self-driving is for!
@luseruser @pmarin yes the main store did Go bring crap, someone bought the name all the products, but none of the debt so now I still have a Toys “R” Us and all their stuff
@luseruser
When I go insane I’m blaming this joke
I wonder if they are reprogrammable…
hmm…
Really cute though. Don’t know why you just read to your kid instead, though.