My daughter has lots of toys, and her fixation and fascination changes from week to week, sometimes daily. Between stuffed animals, coloring books, stickers, and tiny cars, there’s no shortage of options.
At one point, Mr. Potato Head grabbed her attention. I think most people are familiar with this toy, but for those of you who aren’t, Mr. Potato Head is a potato-shaped hunk of plastic that you plug body parts into: crazy eyes, clown nose, toothy smile, a tongue, and other appendages.
While we were playing together one day, she held up our little plastic buddy and said, “I love Mr. Potato Head.”
“You love Mr. Potato Head?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You love him?” I asked again. It seemed like a strong reaction to an inanimate hunk of plastic.
“Yes, I love him.”
I don’t know what prompted me to ask – maybe I just resented this big, brown bean, maybe I was just being silly – but I asked: “What about Daddy? Do you love Daddy?” No harm in asking, right? Surely, this was a no-brainer. She may only be three years old, but she knows where her bread is buttered, or at least who butters it.
She didn’t look up. She was busy fixing Potato Head’s glasses. “Umm… Yes.”
Wait a second. Was that hesitation? She jumped right into the deep end the when it came to Mr. Potato Head, but mention my name and she had to think about it? She loves us both, but she loves Mr. Potato Head more? I get less affection than a dirty tuber? How can that be? At least in the old days he was an actual potato. You could ingest him. Now? The only advantage I could see was that he had a tiny compartment that opened in the back. I had to concede on that point.
I thought about it some more. What about her other toys? How did I measure up? I had to confess I had a few questions. What about Neckles the neckless giraffe, Cornelius kangaroo, or Mr. Ribbits the frog? She spends a lot of time with them. She even sleeps with them. Does Daddy stack up?
I have to confess I’m worried about her recent affinity for her Spiderman doll. Sure, I read to her at night and tuck her in, but he slings webs. And Mr. Potato Head? He has a removable moustache. How can I keep up? Give me some advice.
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