Ms. Effing Rachel
“Put it in, put it in, put it in.”
If you’re a parent, you probably just heard Ms. Rachel’s voice in your head. And if you’re an adult with a sense of humor, your mind may have gone straight to the gutter like mine does. Every. Single. Time. Anyway…
Our Family’s Relationship with Ms. Rachel
Our house has a complicated relationship with Ms. Rachel (we’re going to just call her Rachel going forward). Both my kids adore her. They love her songs, mimic her, and yeah, we have the doll. My wife and I? After a few years, let’s just say…we’re ready for a break.
Not the real Ms. Rachel — just her long-lost cousin, Ms. Raquelita, here to save us from copyright lawyers.
To be crystal clear, this isn’t a knock on Rachel herself. She’s an incredible educator, and the business she’s built is nothing short of genius. Our kids have learned so much from her videos, and I’ll always give her credit for that. But as you probably know, parents have to watch the kid shows too. Over. And over.
Screen Time or No Screen Time
Reasonable parents can (and do) disagree on screen time for toddlers. We didn’t love the idea, but let’s be honest—life happens. Sometimes you just need 20 minutes to cook dinner, answer emails, catch your breath, or scream into a pillow. When those moments came, Rachel was the clear winner in our house. We tried others—Bluey, Baby Einstein—but nothing stuck. Much to my disappointment, no Bluey marathons for us. Rachel was the only one who captured our kids’ attention, and in their eyes, she was the only game in town.
No Escape
The thing is, once you’ve heard Rachel on repeat for a few years, her voice just… sticks. I catch myself singing her songs in the shower, on runs, in the car. And it’s maddening and hilarious at the same time.
“Teasing Mr. Sharky, can’t catch me, along comes Mr. Sharky, quiet as can be…”
If you know, you know. That song is living rent-free in my brain. It’s catchy. It’s effective. My kids love it. And I’d be thrilled never to hear it again.
An Unexpected Ending
Here’s the thing…
One day, without us even realizing it, Rachel will disappear from our screens. The kids will outgrow her and move on to other shows, games, or hobbies. We’ll probably celebrate the peace and quiet at first. But writing this makes me realize that when Rachel leaves our lives, it means our kids are growing up. That chapter will close, and honestly I’m suddenly super bummed.
Our Takeaway: Parent in the Moment
So yes—Rachel drives me a little nuts. But she’s also been a small (and oddly important) part of our kids’ lives thus far. One day I’ll probably look back and miss the songs I swore I hated.
For now, I’m trying to remind myself: this is one of those live in the moment phases of parenting. Even if that moment comes with a singing shark song I can’t get out of my head.
…“And snaps that fishy right out of the sea!”
