Tia and Tato

Our big little girl isn’t much into dolls or princesses, we’ve tried them both: dolls that are just dolls and princesses with tiaras and gowns. She takes one look at them, gives them a brief cuddle to check their consistency and then hurls them overboard to be mangled by the 12 wheeler stroller.
We were beginning to believe that our big little girl was not so into role play, caring or nurturing. Maybe she would be more career focused when she grew up, sacrificing her desires for children to give herself selflessly into running a giant corporation that would rid the world of all disease, or perhaps she would become an uber headteacher transforming a failing inner city school into the top school in the nation.
She would travel the world speaking about the merits of her techniques and many would be in awe at her wisdom and knowledge.
Of course she would do all of this by the age of 25.

Then we got her a ‘tato head’. More commonly known as Mr. Potato Head, the model we bought was actually a Mrs. She fell in love immediately, pulling Mrs. Tato’s nose off and putting it where her arm should have been. Tato was not one for the 12 wheeled mangler. She was a keeper.

Now suddenly our big little girl has started role playing. Tato is often crying and needs milk or a cuddle. Sometimes Tato even needs the doctors and some medicine.
Most often at bedtime Tato is upset, ill and needs her diaper changed all at once. It takes at least a half hour to get Tato fed, changed and healthy by which time she is normally hungry again. Because of the needs of Mrs. Tato sometimes our big little girl does not get to bed until an hour past her bedtime. What a giver.

In the midst of this we have noticed something deeper. Our big little girl has chosen to care for the poor and oppressed rather than the glamorous and gifted. She chose a rotten Mrs. Potato head with a big nose, sticky out ears and goofy teeth over a perfectly bronzed glitzy Princess with a sparkly tiara and botox.
It made me think that even at age two our kids are able to know God’s ways versus the worlds ways. The millions spent on marketing glamorous ‘Bratz’ can’t stop our kids from knowing who needs caring for in this world and who God would have them represent.

So although at times I may get a little embarrassed that my daughter cuddles a little Tato head to sleep at night, I’m glad that its made me think about how I teach her to care for the poor and how we are all called to reach out to them, here or abroad.

1Corinthians 1:27- 31 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."