Six Things I've Learned From Watching 'Dora The Explorer'

If you have a child under the age of seven, it's nearly impossible to ignore the animated television series "Dora The Explorer." It seems to be on TV twenty times a day, the toy aisles of every store are filled with Dora merchandise, and every kid at preschool for a decade has seemed to own a Dora t-shirt or backpack.

I've had to watch a lot of the show with my child, and surprisingly, I've found that the show does teach some invaluable lessons about the world.

Here are six things I've learned from watching "Dora The Explorer."

1) No matter your starting point or what your destination might be, every trip involves going over a mountain, through a jungle or over a bridge.

2) A surprising number of animals in the jungle only speak Spanish.

3) If you have any animal friends, their names aren't going to make much sense. For instance, your talking monkey friend will be named "Boots," because of his foot gear. Not the much more logical name "Talking Monkey."

4) No matter how much you have to carry, it will all fit into one small backpack.

5) It is so safe for children in the jungle that they can roam around with strange animals and their parents aren't concerned at all with their location.

6) Many people don't understand the word "swiper." To "swipe" means to steal, not to grab something and throw it up in a tree right in front of the owner.