WGN Morning News Blog

My daughter, Kaylin, turns 3 tomorrow. One thing is for sure, children make you see the world a lot differently.

For example, the impact of watching TV. Some have suggested over the years

that the Teletubbies' Tinky Winky is gay because the purple character

carries a woman's purse. I'll reserve judgment on Tinky Winky's impact on

children, but the issue is certainly more complex, and yet more subtle than when I was a

kid watching Bugs Bunny drop anvils on Elmer Fudd. (And to this day I have

yet to drop an anvil on anyone.)

However I am sensitive to my daughter's TV viewing. When Cookie Monster

yells "Me so hungry!" I think, "Hey, that's horrible grammar!" Here are a

few other things I've noticed as a parent.

>> We now have 52 stuffed animals. I don't know what that means for the

number of dust mites; but I do know that she 80 percent of the various

dogs, bears and dolls are named Elmo in her mind.

>> The chances of a child letting go of her mylar balloon and the balloon

getting tangled in the ceiling fan that is six inches higher than the

tallest person on the tallest ladder is 98 percent. The advice here is to

tie all balloons to a stuffed animal. If the balloon gets away, that's one

stuffed dinosaur and 10 million dust mites along for the ride.

>>Don't stifle creativity by questioning logic. Her favorite game is "Daddy

impersonates Goofy acting like a dinosaur, with a horse hand-puppet and

wearing a pointy purple birthday hat." It all makes sense. H.R.

Puff-N-Stuff would be proud of the randomness.

>> Flossing is important. But using the string from a helium balloon that's

tied to the high-chair is considered bad table manners by some.

>> Children are smarter than we give them credit for. A visit from the

Easter Bunny would be a cherished memory, in theory; unless the Easter

Bunny is 6-foot-3. I have to say I'm quite proud of her for thinking

that's nuts and running for cover.

>> I admire her optimism. Kaylin tried to eat fried rice using one

chopstick, when most adults have difficulty eating it with two.

>>She insists on hearing stories about the Australian super-group The

Wiggles. The Wiggles go to the zoo; Wiggles play soccer; Wiggles go to the

store to buy a stick of butter. Yes, at some point, the well of ideas runs

dry, but you realize kids just want a little quantity time with their

quality time.

> She was quite amazed upon seeing her first rainbow, but perplexed that it

was not there the next day or the next. I explained that the rainbow may

not always be there, but her parents would be.