Trying to raise a conscious kid: JoJo & Gran Gran
My husband and I had every intention to avoid introducing television to our son until he was 2. It was going great until a global pandemic happened, childcare evaporated, and we desperately needed our toddler to sit still for a few minutes so we could breathe/work/collapse, etc.
Since the television Pandora’s Box was opened abruptly, my husband and I had no time to research carefully the programs we wanted our child to watch, but luckily around the same time as lockdown began in the UK, an absolutely brilliant television program debuted: JoJo & Gran Gran.
JoJo & Gran Gran is the story of JoJo, 4 years old, and her grandmother, who takes care of her during the day. Each episode follows JoJo & Gran Gran, a Black British family, on their daily adventure — but what is so wonderful, and key to helping raise a conscious kid, is that their adventures are, well, ordinary. JoJo is a regular, delightful little girl and Gran Gran is a doting, wise grandmother — and they don’t just happen to be Black. It is intentional. They have everyday experiences with the conscious inclusion of their culture and background, as a multi-generational family of Black Caribbean origin living in the UK.
To date, 2 seasons have been released: Spring and Summer. In each season, JoJo and Gran Gran do activities that are typical of the time of year, but in a way that is incredibly relatable: video chatting with her great-grandmother in St Lucia, putting on a puppet show, having a sleepover, or taking her toy dinosaur named Hugo to see dinosaur bones at the museum.
The basis for the program is the relationship the show’s creator, Laura Henry-Allain, has with her own grandmother. Henry-Allain is a powerhouse outside of creating the concept of the show. She is an early education specialist, published writer, BBC advisor of educational topics, and consultant to a variety of governments on subjects pertaining to childcare and the early years of childhood. The CBeebies’ program came after Henry-Allain published a children’s book called Jo-Jo and Gran Gran: All In a Week. As our little one ages, we will add Henry-Allain’s books to his library.
We absolutely adore JoJo & Gran Gran. I’d hope that if my husband and I had the opportunity to research suitable television programs, it would have ended up on our list.
My toddler especially likes the farm episode from the Spring season. My personal favourite is when JoJo and Gran Gran go to the hair salon in the Summer season. JoJo is just a normal kid, doing normal things, and educating my son’s generation along the way.
