There has been a lot of talk about new pets in this house of late, Toby is going to become the proud owner of a pair of guinea pigs, after winning #guineapigsgate against his dad late last month. As it transpires, Reuben is not as much of a “pet lover” as Toby, he doesn’t want the responsibility of a Guinea Pig, but feels left out.
He’s old enough to realise that he doesn’t want to pick up the guinea pig poo, and to fully appreciate what it means to own a pet, he’s listened to myself and Adam talking about everything from Petplan pet insurance for our Chihuahua Barbie (though not Yoda, who is virtually uninsurable because he is a Shar Pei) to ordering the right food and making sure that he is walked. Toby is still very naive, but he is also animal obsessed so to him anything that he can do for or with an animal is fun and something he’s desperate to get on with… Reuben not so much.
Yet he still feels left out.
I asked him if he could tell me what kind of pet he would love, and if he could draw it for me. He did and I sneakily set out to get the drawing turned into a “pet of his dreams” for him by PetPlan. His pet is spotted and fast like a cheetah, has big ears for listening out for danger and is all of his favourite colours because he “doesn’t need to blend in, he can stick out like a power ranger!”
Reuben is every bit as much obsessed with his new toy as Toby is with the idea of getting his New Guinea friends, or ensuring that Yoda is given *just* the right amount of running up and down the kitchen with the toy fox as he needs. I’m also pretty chuffed that I will be able to count this towards Reuben’s children’s university as well, as he has designed the toy and then seen it brought to life – his wonderful imagination is plain for all to see.
It’s funny isn’t it? The differences in our children. Reuben, very much loving the world of imagination but not the biggest fan of responsibility- whether that be for a pet or doing his homework – compared with Toby who is so looking forward to putting his “guinea-winnies” in their run every morning, and giving them lots of cuddles after school. He’s even excited about cleaning them out on a weekend!
Both boys are super affectionate, just in their own beautiful ways. I do wonder what kind of relationships Edith will develop with animals, will she be like Toby, obsessed and willing to take it all on, or like Reuben, loving but much preferring of an easy-to-care-for teddy?
What about your kids, are they animal lovers or teddy lovers and would they like to design their own toy too?
H 🙂
My two boys are like chalk and cheese. It’s so lovely have a mix of personalities in the house.