Toddler love

My little girl, I think, fancies both my sister-in-law's neighbour and Mr Maker.

I'm both amused and amazed. Her enthusiasm when she sees either is without bounds, her whole being filled with excitement, her body jiggling, her face one huge big smile, on the top of her voice she will exclaim their names, again, and again, with increasing volume and urgency.

In general, we've had a bit of a Cbeebies situation. Which is odd, being a household with 5 TV stations where the TV is often forgotten about and should we relent the endless calls for Fernseh gucken and Pocoyo, it's the latter in German that is put on. There is no CBeebies in our house.

Of course, we're not in full control of her TV consumption. I know for certain that the TV is on during pick up time at the childminder's. I understand this, it makes things easy and gives her time to feedback to parents (not that there is a lot of feedback). I don't know how much time a day she is exposed to the box, and so far have not tested it by checking the channel's timetable and comparing it with Cubling's vast knowledge of TV characters. Suffice to say that she sings the theme tune of Ballymory all the time, called herself Bob the Builder today, went on a trip with Postman Pat and endlessly calls for Mister Maker, Mister Tumble and Show Me Show me whenever the laptop is in sight.

It's all educational I'm told, but I still think that I'd rather have her do stuff then sit on a sofa staring into the flicker of a box for hours on end. It made me reconsider our choice of childcare, until I heard that nurseries are not much better on the TV policy front. Of course I could complain. But here's the problem: the relationship with the childminder is much closer than with nursery staff and I simply don't want to imply that she's doing a bad job, because really, she's doing an excellent job. Cubling is polite, cheerful, happy and her boundless energy has been channelled in very positive ways, for which I'm forever endebted to the childminder. And I know that if the weather allows, the children spend most of the day outdoors, more than any nursery could ever offer (except for nature kindergartens which I would love to see in Glasgow).

I just wish that Cubling's enthusiasm for Mr Maker would not short change that of playing outside and exploring the colours, shapes and transformations of this wonderful season. So, I made her feel extra special by framing last week's leaf prints. She is a very proud and happy +
girl today.