I could write about cleaning poo off R’s back at 7am this morning. I could write about G’s world record 2.5 hour roaring session at bedtime last night. I could write about their photo session at nursery the other day. I could bang on about the lack of teeth despite all the symptoms. I’m not going to bore you with that. I’m going to write about the Olympics.
Most children watch cartoons, Baby TV or a music channel depending on the preference of the parent. R and G watch sport. They have already watched baseball, cricket and rugby and since last weekend they have been watching the Olympics with us.
They were absolutely fascinated by the synchronised diving and were reduced to girlish giggles at the sight of extremely buff young men tumbling (mostly) gracefully into a deep pit of water wearing nothing but a pair of tiny speedos and sporting an impressive array of tattoos and body jewellery. I feel they are a little too young to be introduced to the concept of ‘gaydar’, especially as mine is legendarily wonky.
Dh has refused to let them watch any of the equestrian events because he has an irrational fear of them becoming horsey girls. There’s no precedent for a predilection for horses in either family so he’s got nothing to worry about unless they pick up on his dislike and decide to rebel.
The girls have watched an American bag of muscles break all sorts of records and be declared the greatest Olympian EVER. He’s not. I’ve explained this to them. They have watched the British women wipe the floor with their male colleagues: ‘SEE! SEE! Girls can do ANYTHING!’. They have also watched cycling, archery, rowing, swimming and canoeing. I didn’t let them watch the boxing or shooting.
The most important thing they are getting from the Olympics is a sense of what it is to be English/British. We’re good at the sailing, rowing, cycling and equestrian events. We’re quite bad at judo, weight-lifting, athletics, diving and almost everything else. It’s good that they develop an acceptance of mediocrity, failure and the ‘It’s been a great experience and I’ll learn from it’ (NO IT’S NOT! YOU ARE TWENTY EIGHT!!) culture now so that they can avoid years of disappointment caused by faded hopes and crushed dreams.
Speaking of which, we’re taking them to watch a cricket match at Lord’s tomorrow. It’s scheduled to rain so it should be an interesting (stressful) day. I’m going as a neutral (my team didn’t make the final) but the team supported by dh and my dad is playing the team supported by my sister so fun and banter all-round and another experience for the girls.
