Contents
When baby explores the world around him
We have to admit it: what pride the day our baby manages to grab his rattle all by himself, to fit the four pieces of his first puzzle! We applaud him if he throws his ball high in the sky. But we get annoyed when he shoots a shot on goal with the pretty little statuette brought back from our honeymoon! For him, however, no difference. Because what is stupidity for a child of 18-24 months? He has no idea yet.
Stupidity is nothing but a discovery for the baby
In fact, a stupidity, it is… a great discovery which does not always please his parents! Because it disturbs, because it causes damage, or because it simply does not happen. So that the very natural curiosity of the young child turns into stupidity, it is necessary to wait until he has acquired certain capacities of movement, displacement, grasping of objects. Since his birth, he has observed his immediate universe, he has toured it and now wants to see the backdrop.
He takes initiatives that resemble the experiments of a small engineer … with a strong interest in “forbidden” objects, more than for those he already knows. Now that he’s mobile, he’s just extending the concept of his toy box to the whole house. Parents are often surprised by this course. Where the first touching attempts turn into exhausting days of running behind the child to the sound of “No, no, no, don’t touch this, don’t do that!” ”Not to mention his recent passion for boxes, drawers, cupboards, that is to say all the places where you can lock something. This interest is again a specific phase of the development of the child.
The ritual of cuckoo and hide-and-seek games that you have shared for months has allowed him to gradually understand that behind a surface something can be hidden. Over time, he discovered that people and objects continue to exist even when he cannot see them. Hence this need to open doors, drawers, boxes, put away your teddy bear and then check that it is still there.
So, except in danger of course, it is then important not to move the object from its hiding place in its absence. He wouldn’t understand this disappearance. It must be said that, very observant, he has analyzed his universe as much as yourself in your every move … that he is able to reproduce in his own way.
The imitation phase
Imitation is indeed an extraordinary motor of his experiences. It is one of the great ways of learning for toddlers. Suddenly, everything you handle takes a considerable interest in him. He’s been around to his toys, but the kitchen now shines like a real enchanting palace. And if the family dog seems to be enjoying his kibble, why wouldn’t he do the same?
This is a period of alert for parents because everything becomes potentially dangerous. We can anticipate by removing from its passage what is a source of risk. It also remains to teach him the dangers he encounters during his eccentric explorations. Explain the prohibitions to him relentlessly. But normally, he is never alone for long. And under the constant supervision of an adult, the nonsense remains the game!
Also read our fileHow to protect children from domestic accidents?