Barbie on the toilet

I was clearing the lunch table yeaterday, becoming an invisible presence as my two daughters played with Ryan, the son of our farm employee, who is at kindergatren with them. They were playing with Barbie...when girls play with Barbie she usually goes shopping or gets married...a boy added to the mix, she is on an imaginary toilet making farting noises amid raucous hilarity.

I reflect on the advantage of learning a second language early on. Ryan started learning English this year in January when he was plunged in at the deep end, coming to our English medium kindergarten. Afrikaans is his mother tongue and his father wanted him to have the chance to learn English well. Already in May he is fully integrated into their play, taking part in most of their games and initiating some himself.

Todays play gives me a few ideas for advice to parents whose children are starting school in a foreign language – teach them the following few words to enable them to have a grasp of kindergarten humour – this is all you need to be hailed as a wit of the first order: poo, toilet, vomit and a repertoire of farty noises. Your child will then be fully equipped to hold their own in kindergarten society.

I guess there are some comedians on the stand-up circuit that haven’t felt the need to acquire a wider vocabulary than that!