My youngest is a fledgling toddler. He has past his first birthday and mastered the art of standing upright and propelling himself forwards on two feet. It is an amazing thing to watch, the development of a small human. As someone who has researched and worked in the child development field for most of my career, it has still been amazing to watch my third child develop the small skills of life we take for granted. The ability to recognize voices, to get his needs met, to master the ability to point and touch with his forefinger and to hold and grasp and walk.
Now, as he heads towards being a toddler I am becoming aware of something. There is a point in every human life where the Jim Henson full-length feature film, The Dark Crystal, comes into play. It is a point somewhere between 15 months and 3 years. My little boy has all the physical trademarks of a Gelfling, but he isn’t. Beneath that soft, pudgy toddler exterior is an inner Skeksis only too happy to make its presence felt.
So, in the interest of child development theory – and for all new and expectant GeekDad’s out there - I would now like to present you with:
A Short Guide to Raising Your Skeksis Toddler
1. Time to Eat
Toddlers (like Skeksis) are very difficult beasts at the dinner table. You will recall that at the dinner table Skeksis preference using their hands over utensils, happily throw any unwanted and often half eaten food on the floor and the walls and may refuse to eat some foods altogether. Toddlers habits when it comes to meal time are very similar.
You will find toddlers delight in the Skeksis art of food smearing and flinging. They will decide that playing with food is more desirable than eating it. You are often best armed with a plastic sheet on the floor (and some spare for the Toddler if possible). Let the Toddler use their hands if they must, but do not wear your best clothing when it comes time to eat.
2. Behavior
Now, while Toddlers do not possess the evil and cruel intent of the Skesis. They do have a similar approach to communication and using their voice. Toddlers by the age of 18 months will have perfected the Skeksis screech or scream. They will use it, along with physical actions such as pointing, waving their arms furiously and flinging themselves on the floor as a way to try and gain your attention and explain some detailed and important piece of information that you will likely not be able to comprehend. Just as dealing with Skeksis, dealing with a Toddler in this situation is fraught with danger.
Toddlers can also adopt the Skeksis art of annoying sounds. This was best perfected by Chamberlain and his whimpering, but along with whimpering Toddlers may make other noises, or use words like “Why?” (Please note: the repeated use of the word why should be encouraged and is actually a positive outcome of such behaviors). Refer to the video below for examples of such repetitive behaviors.
3. Destruction
As my older children can attest, the Toddler is as much to be feared as a Skekses’ Garthim. In the same manner that the Garthim destroyed Aughra’s brain-shaped observatory and complex orrery of the suns, moons, stars and planets of their solar system, a Toddler can destroy a complex Lego construction in a manner of minutes.
Unlike the Garthim and their crab-like claws and hard shells, Toddlers can be more easily stopped by a door with a high handle or using a table for Lego, which is out of their reach. The destructive powers of the Toddler (like the Skesis) should not be under-estimated: fine china, flat screen TVs, laptops – all are potential Toddler targets.
The key lesson is to guide your Toddler through this challenging time, when the expectation is that they will behave like cute little Gelflings, but more often than not are struggling to master a body that isn’t developing as fast as their brain and won’t quite do what they ask. It can be frustrating, but be patient and like the Skeksis and the Mystics: the two will be made one.
