Ben and Holly and Gaston the Ladybird

Ben and Holly is a children's 10 minute cartoon on TV and You Tube, for ages 3-5. Ben is an elf, Holly is a fairy, but it's not too icky and has some good humour.

This particular episode is about their ladybird friend, Gaston, who loves the comfort of his messy, dirty burrow, and so is mortified when Ben and Holly mistakenly tidy it up for him thinking it would make a lovely surprise. In the process they learn the principle that George Bernard Shaw loved to espouse: do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you: they may have different tastes. 

This is the difference between the Golden Rule (treat others as you would like to be treated) and the Platinum Rule (treat others as you think they would like to be treated). I talk about the difference between the golden and platinum rules - and when to use it -  with my five year old twins and, odd though it may sound, they love it and absolutely get it. When you are buying a birthday present for someone would you use the golden or platinum rule? "Platinum!" they reply. When they were watching this episode of Ben and Holly they were wriggling with anticipation because they could see Ben and Holly using the golden rule in tidying Gaston's den when if fact they needed the platinum.

I would never have guessed that I'd be talking with my five year olds about this kind of distinction but it has become part of family life (and it can be very useful when they disagree with each other, given the very different tastes that they have in life...)

Here's a direct link to the episode:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysOoeFH_C9E