You realize it, your child constantly imitates you ! Whether it is Alizée who follows her Daddy with his little mower when he mows the lawn or Joshua who says to his younger brother who is crying: “My love, it’s going to be fine, Joshua is here, you want to nurse?”, Your little one reproduces any of your behaviors. Why is he so eager to imitate you like this? This process begins as soon as he can intentionally direct his actions: say hello or hello, for example. Around 18 months, the symbolic game phase begins. At this age, the child only thinks of one thing: re-stage what he sees and what he records, whether through toys, mime or role playing, all while having fun, of course!
Baby’s talents as an imitator
Long before their first start to school, your little one is working their brain. He observes his entourage with great attention, and his learning begins. At the beginning, he copies the actions that are performed on him, such as dressing, feeding, washing. Then he mimics the way you take his plays, taking them exactly the same way, and finally, he reproduces the situations he sees around him. By doing so, he apprehends them, understands them, and little by little integrates concepts. Your child therefore performs experiments to check that he has understood what he has seen. And it is through play that he will assimilate all these situations concrete projects that he attends.
You parents are kind of a role model, just like his big siblings can be. The heroes of cartoons and especially of tales are also serious references and engines of imitation. This is how your kid will be stimulated and gradually become aware of his identity. He will try to imitate what he sees doing at home, in the park, at the bakery… You therefore have the green light to bring some games to his room, which will help him to put into situation what he can observe.
Also be prepared to see your lipstick suddenly disappear… only to find it in your lovely little girl’s toy box, a smile traced from ear to ear. Likewise, your little man will start rolling his toy cars in your hallway, imitating his Daddy’s (or Noddy’s) remarks. Conversely, he can also cook for his blanket, or iron, like his mother. At that age, what matters is trying, there are so many new things!
The importance of role playing
Your child is an actor who can play all the roles of life without limit of gender or social level. Observation arouses in him a desire to stage through play everything that comes into his field of vision and that arouses his interest. Imitation will also allow him to understand the relationships that can exist between individuals, and the different social roles: mistress, police, nurse, etc. To help him in this process, do not hesitate to multiply the role plays, without criticizing his choices.
Baby’s blanket: a perfect outlet
In imitation, there is also emotion! Your child will get involved in his games to try to stage what he may have felt. In fact, he needsintegrate what is good and what is forbidden, what makes him happy or not and for that, he must relive it. If he hugs his blanket, it’s because he likes it when you give him a hug, it reminds him of good times. If he scolds his doll, it’s to understand why you scolded him the day before, and to know where the limits are on what he can or cannot do. The game is above all constructive, because it allows him to internalize the prohibitions, be it dolls, Lego, dinette games, but also role-playing games. Indeed, mimes and disguises are a big part of the fun for them: owl, this is the opportunity to change their personality!
The stories you tell him and the cartoons will especially stimulate him. Prepare to hear your little girl claim crowns, magic wands and princess dresses “like Sleeping Beauty” for you. The little ones like to spend hours taking care of their doll, their blanket, saying sentences strangely similar to yours and repeating the rituals they experience every day. All of this is part of the process of imitation, the goal of which is nothing other than to build oneself little by little, by differentiating oneself from the other.