This is the Takaro tribe. They live in the internet/TV land and I am delegating to them Helena learning te reo Māori. I have made attempts but they flop – not directed by her, and we aren’t good at making habits. I just haven’t worked out the best formula for making it work. I want to learn but I want to think about art and quilting more. These guys are great. Pronunciation, spelling, new kupu… she will be reading in te reo Māori better than me, no unlearning to do. Helena likes that they look like todlers but are not consistent as sometimes they do things like adults do. It’s predictable. I suspect the infatuation won’t last long enough but Heihei has others. Not that I’m convinced TV is the best way to learn but it’s hard finding a natural way to teach/learn when you are both learners and one’s nearly 8 and the other is middle aged. I’m not delegating for ever just in a sort of holding pattern. Helena writes down the kupu that the Takaro tribe gives her.

Strangely just after I’d written this she came up to me saying she wanted to do 10 minutes of only speaking te reo and then 10 minutes doing sign language. Unfortunately her Māori dictionary wasn’t up to saying “I love you mummy”.

We have also started listening to the excellent Hataitai Playcentre CD again over and over. I have hope. And she’s asked every morning this week to watch an episode and even gets dressed before she watches it.