There's something utterly delightful (and, it must be said, sometimes infuriating, especially when you're in a hurry) about the toddler's determination to be independent. Scrambling along using any handy piece of furniture or, if they don't move fast enough, the family pet as a prop, exploring cupboards full of the most enticing objects, and the daily struggle to get as much dinner in his or her own mouth as on the walls – all that requires grit and a refusal to fail which augurs well for the little one's future. That can-do attitude, so lauded by education, enterprise and big business, is a quality Chengdu the panda has in bucket-loads!