Welcome to the vine...RU sure you notthinly disguised Alan Titchmarch?
...so glad you have you daughter with you I really think it is impotant that children learn where food comes from and it is such a good way to spend time with them.
Aphids can be a real pain on lettuce. You need to grow stuff to encourage their predators to your garden. I bet there are some good threads here on that but try Bob flowerdews bible. Also ants farm aphids- protect them to gather 'honeydew'