Distracted Dad
Richard Hearn on all creatures great and small
Creatures play a big part in a child’s life. Our new baby is only five weeks old, has hardly left the house, but has definitely met more than his fair share of creatures. Or at least depictions of them. I spent part of last week sterilising an octopus. This is not as dangerous as it sounds. It wasn’t a real octopus. Although if it had been, it would have appealed to The Boy, combining as it does his love of sea creatures and the eradication of germs. No, what’s actually happened is I’ve retrieved some baby toys from the attic and a select few have now been bathed in Milton.
These colourful toys comprise a menagerie of creatures that, if taken at face value – and surely a newborn hasn’t developed irony or doubt yet – will give him a disturbing view of the world. Let’s consider the aforementioned octopus; there is a fish hanging down on a cord from deep amongst its tentacles. Pull the cord and a cheery tune plays as the poor fish is sucked in. Is this is a healthy, formative image for the baby?
“It is still technically an insect as big as your own head. I wondered why he wasn’t settling…”
Thing is, it isn’t an isolated example of disturbing representation. We also have a ladybird as big as the baby’s head which I sometimes position alongside him when he needs calming. Thinking about it, would it calm me? It might be brightly coloured but it is still technically an insect as big as your own head. I wondered why he wasn’t settling…
Next up, a cloth piano. On each key is an oval face – at first they look identical, albeit different colours, but on closer inspection, they are, from left to right, a monkey, a bear, a cat, a dog and an elephant. The only differences are in the ears, yet somehow this defines the creatures. I should admire the artistic skill, but instead find myself worrying that the baby will grow up only looking at ears to try and distinguish between species.
Perhaps this is a whole new branch of science or at the very least, a game show. (Am I also imagining that the elephant’s smile is slightly false? It knows that if it encourages children to love pianos, the adult version involves ivory).
Maybe it’s healthy these toys are giving our newborn a glimpse into the harsh world of nature. Although The Boy enjoys the Blue Planet video, you have to be careful as some beautiful images of dolphins are followed by sharks circling a whale calf. Likewise, the newborn is already learning that nature is red (and yellow and green and blue ) in tooth and claw, and from now on will constantly be on the lookout for primary-coloured peril.
