I have a two-year-old daughter. A two-year-old daughter with an active imagination. A two-year-old daughter with an active imagination during dinner-time. So yeah, sometimes I’m a frustrated Dad, trying to get my daughter to eat her food.

Things usually start out well enough. She’ll sit on her chair, on top of a few pillows so she can see the top of the table (she’s sitting in a “big girl chair now”), and wearing her bib. Her food will be cut for her and her drink will be placed with care beside her plate. She may even eat a bit of food. Soon, however, the fidgeting begins. My usual line for this is “bummies on chairs”. Sometimes I hear a laughing response of “bummies on ducks” (everything is ducks lately).

It’s not all bad, though. Sometimes my wife and I are audience to elaborate plays. Maybe a french fry will be talking to a tomato, or maybe she’ll stick her finger through her pickle slice and say “big man in a little coat” (don’t ask). Either way, I can’t be too upset with her imagination, even if I’d rather some of the food we prepared end up in her little belly.

Last week, the theater took a literary turn. Sometimes we pretend our fingers are people and have them interact. The other day, my daughter’s fingers walked over to mine and said, “Do you like my hat?” quoting the ongoing line from Go Dog Go!
by P.D. Eastman. Luckily, I remembered the response from the book.

I should also mention we haven’t read this book in at least a month. The point is, even when you think you’re just reading to your child to get them to go to sleep, or because someone said it’s good for them, realize that they are learning and remembering. Also realize, you may be called to perform, even during dinner. So, when the little one is asleep, you may want to puck up the book and study, lest you forget your lines.