The Kiddy Pool: It Takes a Village (of Time-Traveling Dinosaurs)

Last updated on: July 16, 2012 at 9:00 am by Erin Wyble Newcomb

The Kiddy Pool: It Takes a Village (of Time-Traveling Dinosaurs) 2012-07-16T09:00:05-06:00 Erin Wyble Newcomb

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Every week in The Kiddy Pool, Erin Newcomb confronts one of many issues that parents must deal with related to popular culture.

My toddler and I watch Dinosaur Train nearly every afternoon after she wakes up from her nap. The PBS show follows the Pteranodon family, a nuclear clan of 5 pteranodons and an adopted Tyrannosaurus Rex named Buddy. During each episode, Buddy and his family explore the Mesozoic Era, meet its inhabitants while learning about the natural world, sing catchy tunes, and, of course, ride the time-traveling train for which the show is named. Buddy and his siblings love learning about the different features of dinosaurs and other species, but for the family’s lone theropod member, these lessons in diversity are critical to his coming-of-age.

Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon have established a loving household in their nest at Pteranodon Terrace, yet there are serious gaps in the education they can provide for Buddy. They don’t have teeth, so they don’t know how to respond when Buddy starts losing his. They eat only fish, so they never teach Buddy how to hunt or find the carrion that comprises a T-Rex’s typical diet. Even their fishing is based on the ability to fly, which isn’t something Buddy can do. And the Pteranodons live year-round in their nest, whereas most of Buddy’s species migrate, following their prey just as their prey follows the foliage. Each of these lessons is essential to Buddy’s survival as an adult T-Rex, but his parents lack the knowledge their son needs most.

This exaggerated emphasis on what the parents lack shifts the focus to the surrounding community of dinosaurs. The family seeks advice from the train’s theropod conductor (Troodons are supposed to be the smartest dinosaurs), spends a day fishing with The Old Spinosaurus so Buddy can learn theropod fishing styles, and meets up with a Tyrannosaurus family that can mentor Buddy about his teeth and his future. In each instance, the Pteranodon parents need to recognize their own gifts and limitations in order to best help their child. That lesson is writ large in a family where members are not part of the same species, but it applies to us modern-day humans as well.

Just as Buddy’s family needs a large network of creatures to thrive, so too do we parents need a strong support system to raise our children well. That means seeking out, serving, and accepting help from people unlike ourselves, from all walks of life. The family unit, in short, functions best as part of the body of Christ, with each member humbly recognizing strengths and weaknesses and fulfilling his or her role. For Buddy, that translates into honoring the species-specific features of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and for those of us watching his ride on the Dinosaur Train, it indicates the significance of interdependence and communal living. It takes a village, they say, and that message rings true all the way from the Cretaceous time period.

Previous Post

July 16, 2012

Citizenship Confusion: Meriting Our Daily Bread

Next Post

July 17, 2012 Obamacare, Citizenship, and Neighbor Care

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz