Our Journey to Multilingualism and Quality
From the beginning, it has been our ambition to make “Blue the Unicorn” accessible to children all over the world. That’s why we released the first episodes in Dutch, English, Spanish, and Thai. We believe that the themes and lessons in Blue’s stories are universal and that they can offer valuable insights to children from different cultures and languages.
Challenges with Translations and Synchronization
However, during the production process, we noticed that ensuring the same high quality in all language versions was a challenge. Especially for the Spanish and Thai versions, we encountered problems with synchronizing audio and video. Without the help of native speakers, it is difficult to perfectly capture the nuances in timing, pronunciation, and cultural context. This can detract from the audience's listening and viewing experience.
Focus on Dutch and English
For this reason, we have decided to focus for the time being on the Dutch and English versions of “Blue the Unicorn”. This allows us to guarantee the quality and consistency that we strive for. By perfecting these two languages first, we can lay a solid foundation for future expansions.
Future Plans for Spanish and Thai Versions
This does not mean that we are forgetting the Spanish and Thai versions. On the contrary, we are determined to eventually offer “Blue the Unicorn” fully in these languages again. As soon as the budget and resources allow, we will enlist native speakers to edit and synchronize the Spanish and Thai translations. In this way, we can ensure that Blue's stories are conveyed in an authentic and culturally appropriate manner.
Audio-Only Option as an Interim Solution
In the meantime, we are considering releasing the Spanish and Thai stories as audio-only versions, such as podcasts or audiobooks. This allows us to reach a wider audience without the complications of video synchronization. Audio allows children to use their imagination and can be a valuable addition to our current offerings.
Transparency and Engagement
We find it important to be transparent about these changes and to share our choices with you. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work on improving “Blue the Unicorn”. Your feedback and support are essential to us, and we invite you to share your experiences and suggestions with us.
Deep Dive into “Blue the Unicorn”: Patience, Making Choices, and Responsibility
In the stories of “Blue the Unicorn”, I aim not only to entertain children but also to include important life lessons that help them in their development. A wonderful example of this is seen in the episode where Blue goes shopping with her mother for the first time. Here, Blue learns valuable lessons about patience, making choices, and taking responsibility for her health. This episode offers a rich palette of insights that parents can explore together with their children.
The Importance of Patience and Making Choices
In the story, Blue is tempted by a rack full of colorful candies in the supermarket. She wants to buy a candy, but her mother explains that essential groceries come first. If there is money left over, she might choose a small bag of candy. Situations like this often occur in children's daily lives, and learning to wait for a reward is a valuable lesson. Patience is not only important in the moment but also affects the development of self-control and conscious choices.
Patience as a Foundation for Self-Control
Practicing patience can be difficult, especially for young children. The famous Marshmallow Experiment by Stanford researcher Walter Mischel showed that children who learned to wait for a reward later in life exhibited better self-control and higher academic performance. In Blue's story, we see a similar principle: by waiting and not immediately choosing the candy, Blue learns an important lesson about self-control. She discovers that not everything has to be immediate and that waiting can ultimately give her even more satisfaction.
Source: Mischel, W., Shoda, Y., & Rodriguez, M. L. (1989). Delay of gratification in children. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(2), 209–217.
Self-Regulation and Patience: A Foundation for Success
The American Psychological Association (APA) has shown that patience and self-regulation are crucial for children's emotional development. The ability to control impulses and wait for a reward can help children better handle their emotions and desires in other situations. In the story, Blue’s mother offers her the chance to choose and wait, which helps her develop self-regulation. This not only strengthens her self-confidence but also her decisiveness.
Source: Rueda, M. R., Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2005). The development of executive attention: Contributions to the emergence of self-regulation. Developmental Neuropsychology, 28(2), 573–594.
Educational Tips for Parents: Practicing Patience and Self-Control
• Ask questions after the story: Ask your child how it felt for Blue to have to wait. What would they have done in that situation? This helps children understand their emotions.
• Practice making choices: Create moments where your child has to choose between different options, such as making a shopping list. This helps develop self-control and priorities.
• Introduce the idea of long-term reward: Discuss with your child that waiting often brings something good, such as a healthy snack or a joint outing.
Candy, Health, and Responsible Choices
Apart from the challenge of practicing patience, in this story Blue also learns about the consequences of her choice for candy. Candy is attractive to children because of the bright colors and sweet taste but also brings health risks, especially for the teeth. By using candy as temptation in the story, “Blue the Unicorn” provides an opportunity to make children aware of both the benefits of healthier snacks and the impact of sugary snacks on their teeth.
Candy and Dental Health: Why Patience Helps
Sticky candy, like toffees, can have a direct impact on dental health. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), sticky candies often stay on the teeth longer, giving bacteria the chance to produce acids that attack tooth enamel and cause cavities. In the story, Blue can learn that eating a candy also brings responsibility, namely extra tooth brushing. By waiting and taking time to reconsider her choice, she can learn that a healthier alternative like an apple can also be satisfying without extra brushing moments.
Source: American Dental Association. (2017). Diet and dental health: Understanding the impact of sugary and sticky foods on oral health. American Dental Association.
Healthy Alternatives and Fewer Brushing Moments
By consciously choosing a healthier snack, a child can also learn that not every snack requires extra tooth brushing. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises, for example, that children limit their sugar intake to prevent tooth decay and develop healthy oral care habits. By waiting and considering alternatives, a child can learn to appreciate the benefits of an apple or banana and discover that these snacks can be just as satisfying without harmful effects on their teeth.
Source: World Health Organization. (2015). Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children. World Health Organization.
Tips for Parents: Discussing Dental Health and Healthy Choices
• Discuss alternatives: Explain that candy is okay occasionally, but that fruit doesn't require extra tooth brushing. This helps children make more conscious choices and understand that some snacks need extra care.
• Discuss consequences: Talk to your child about the necessity of tooth brushing after sugary snacks. This helps them understand the consequences of their choice.
• Practice patience and alternatives: Encourage your child to wait before snacking and offer a healthy alternative in the meantime. This teaches them that patience sometimes leads to better choices.
Conclusion of the Deep Dive
With this addition to our deep dive blog, we hope to give you a complete picture of both the substantive themes in “Blue the Unicorn” and the practical decisions we make to ensure the quality of our stories. Patience, making choices, health, and responsibility are not only themes in our stories but also values that we as a team strive for in our work process.
We look forward to offering fully, high-quality synchronized versions in Spanish and Thai again in the future. Until then, we hope you continue to enjoy Blue's adventures in Dutch and English, and possibly through our audio-only options.