My Mom, bless her soul, was a true packrat. She saved everything. Maybe it was that she grew up during the Great Depression (if so, what’s my excuse?)… No matter; I’m grateful for some of the things she saved and was able to pass along to me. One of them is a packet of stuff from my time in Romper Room.
Romper, bomper, stomper boo.
Tell me, tell me, tell me, do.
Magic mirror, tell me today.
Have all my friends had fun at play?
Romper Room was a franchised program that was produced & broadcast by KELO-TV in Sioux Falls. My recollection of the program is pretty sketchy; I remember Mom making a big deal out of it, and having to be on my best behavior. I think my time on the show was cut short by getting sick with the mumps or some other dread disease, but I was not yet 5 years old at the time, and that was a long, long time ago (especially for a 29 year old!)
My diploma says that I attended from May 9 through May 20, but doesn’t show the year — there is also a letter from Miss Martha postmarked October 29, 1965 telling me that I was on the list to get into the show, so that places it at 1966.
This postcard gives an idea of what the set looked like; the lady in the middle I guess is Miss Martha; no idea what her last name is. You can see the happy Do-Bee and the sad Don’t-Bee on the sign above her.
Tags: do bee, kelo, preschool, romper room
Miss Martha later became my mother. Glad there is a picture of her doing the show.
That’s her handwriting too. Cool.
[…] learned how to do the guilt thing. She controlled my behavior by praising me whenever I was a good Do-Bee. She’s a little […]