Categories: uncategorized
Date: 18 April 2008 13:38:55
Like most parents of young children we've created a bedtime routine that involves reading Toddler and Crawler a bedtime story. This last week I suddenly realised what an influence the books were having on Toddler. And it's not all good.
Toddler got new shoes on Tuesday. Daddy took him into town. The nice lady in the show measured his feet (large) and gave him a choice of three styles. He tried the first pair on. “Want those”. He reluctantly tired the second pair (with diggers on). “No, want those” (pointing at the first pair he'd tried). He refused to try the third pair. Daddy left the shop with Toddler wearing the wanted pair of Jungle ‘Doodles' shoes. They have lion & tiger print sides, ants marching around the sole, and a velcro snake fastening. Mummy was suitably impressed when shown them.
Later that evening Toddler asked: “What snakes eat?”
Daddy: “mice, like in The Gruffalo.”
Mummy: “rats and baby rabbits, like Uncle Mark's snake” (yes, Uncle Mark has a ‘pet' Boa Constrictor).
Toddler: “NO Mummy, snakes eat mice”.
Another morning we're having one of our usual conversations about imaginary beings while I'm trying to juggle breastfeeding Crawler and getting Toddler dressed without making myself late for work.
Toddler (pointing): “There's a bear in the corner there”
Mummy: “Is it a scary bear?”
Toddler (thinking): “Ummm... yes”.
He pauses... then says, “Quick shut the door, Mummy!”
Mummy (shutting imaginary door in middle of room): “OK, it's shut”
Toddler: “NO Mummy, it's friendly bear. He's just looking for friend”.
Mummy (remembering that Daddy often adds an extra bit at the end of “We're going on a bear hunt” saying that the bear follows them home because he wants to make friends): “Sorry”.
So, there you have it. Mummy is always wrong. The books are always right.
Maybe I need to start writing my own stories to read to Toddler at bedtime.