Nick Drainey: Daddy cool

IT STARTED with a fear of bears and tigers. But then came the more amenable Dora, quickly followed by Maisy. Imaginary friends, and foes, are a part of many childhoods. But now that our first-born has started to experience them, it's a joy to watch – if a little bewildering.

It started the night the tigers entered the bedroom. Apparently, there was a tiger at the end of our two-year-old daughter's bed. I chased it out of the bedroom and down the stairs. But that wasn't enough.

Despite our little one being fully undressed, as she was about to get into the bath, there was no getting her away from an open front door on a winter's night as I ran up the street shouting, "Go away, tigers!" and gesticulating furiously.

Similar incidents with bears followed, but just when I thought every conversation would have to start with the shouted words "Go away tiger/bear!", along came Dora.

I'm sure the name comes from the children's cartoon character, but never have the publishers teamed her up with Maisy. This is a couple who have hogged the chairs in our living room for weeks. Woe betide you if you try to sit on an empty seat. "No, don't sit there Daddy, you're squashing Dora/Maisy!" is the usual command.

Why I did it, I don't know. But one morning, when we had finally made it into the car and I had just turned the key, I had to go back into the house and help Dora into the passenger seat because she wanted to go to nursery too.

Having just about got used to these two unseen house guests, the bears have made a return. But this time they come in peace. "Arrrgh, it's big brown bear," my darling daughter will scream before planting a big kiss on the cuddly pink soft toy she is lugging through the house.

But real-pretend bears – I think I'm starting to believe – have now entered the car as well. On a long journey down the A1, I sought to pass the time by telling our daughter to keep a look out for bears that live in the trees by the roadside. Needless to say, she soon screamed in delight on seeing one. But it didn't stop there. Within minutes, I found myself winding down the window even though it was below freezing outside and inviting a family of bears inside.

Quickly, our little treasure had them all sitting down on the back seat while she fed them porridge. Meanwhile, I was giving Dora and Maisy biscuits as they got comfy on the front passenger seat.

It's a good job (and probably no wonder) Mum was travelling separately – she would have had nowhere to sit.

• This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday, March 14, 2010