Tonight I decided that it was silly to get hung-up on whether or not I’d posted my blog before going to bed. I’ll always be chasing my tail – the same happens if I go out on the lash and stumble in at 3am, or when we’re on holiday, or away from a computer for a night.
As long as I have an entry for every day, that’s fine. When it is composed is of less importance, I feel. And, with that, here’s today’s (yesterday’s) entry:
Thursdays are becoming my new favourite weekday, I think. Work is usually ok – it’s approaching the end of the week, and the downhill into Friday is in full effect. Also, I leave early on a Thursday as I have to pick up Aimee from nursery, as Emma works late.
I enjoy this little extra time I get to spend with Aimee – on other weekdays I tend to get home from work too late to see her before she goes to bed, and the only real quality time I get with her is at the weekend, and our little Thursday afternoon play.
Before, when I’d bring her home on a Thursday, she’d want to go directly to bed. No messing. As soon as we’d get in through the front door, she’d be crying and gesturing for me to take her up to bed. Not now. Nowadays we get in and we have a play with her toys and watch the last hour of CBeebies before bed.
This is almost always The Storymakers followed by possibly the best pre-school television show ever created – In The Night Garden.
Those of you unfamiliar with CBeebies programming, or without a child under the age of 4 in the household will probably dismiss In The Night Garden as a ‘Tellytubbies rip-off’ and more non-sensical bollocks that kids are spoon-fed by TV. And, twelve months ago, I’dve agreed.
Now, however, I’d declare it to be absolutely wonderful television – enchanting and comforting and the only televisual content that can hold Aimee’s full attention for its entire length. Aimee will ‘watch’ other stuff, like Lazytown and Tommy Zoom, but she’ll give up after a minute or two and want to play. With the Night Garden, she’s utterly transfixed and it enables us to calm her down after a tiring day, get her ready for bed and fed.
Her great grandmother bought her an Igglepiggle (the lead character of the show) speaking toy for Christmas last year – this is now a permanent fixture in the living room – which is cuddled incessantly when the Night Garden is on. We bought her Makka Pakka and Upsy Daisy (other characters) dolls to go with it, and now she plays with all three – together – holding make-believe Night Garden shows in her imagination.
Unlike the Tellytubbies (also created by the same production company), which seemed to be seemingly random happenings occurring to a quartet of fat, weird looking animals with ‘televisions’ on their tummies, with little or no bearing on teaching the child viewer anything, other than acting as a colourful, musical distraction to keep children entertained – In The Night Garden features events and happenings which teach kids moral and life lessons. Cause and effect is explored, as is love, loss and family, and key to it all – it’s all geared up to calming and soothing kids down – preparing them for their trip to the Night Garden – bedtime.
It is, if you are a parent of a pre-school child, essential television. I highly recommend it, and Aimee does too.
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