"You, alright?! I learned it by watching you!"
Who doesn't remember that quote from the classic 80's anti-drug commercial (video if you haven't seen it or simply care to reminisce)? Drug use is just one example of learned behavior, but as I alluded to in this week's Wordless Wednesday post, today we will focus on innate baby tendencies, those behaviors which aren't learned and instead seem to be hardwired from birth. Disclaimer: my evidence is anecdotal, at best. But for each of the four points below, I can't recall A. being taught to act/react a certain way. On the contrary, her behavior seemed to come from somewhere within her.
. Since she was more interested in chewing the shapes than trying to put them in the right hole, I started stacking them. And lo and behold, she started knocking them down. Stack, knock, stack, knock--without fail. We never taught her this game; she innately knew the rules. 2. Peek-a-Boo Street. A. discovered peek-a-boo a few weeks ago. The first time we tried it, she gave us one of her beautiful smiles. The response has been the same every time since. According to this article, babies love peek-a-boo for a number of reasons, including the smiles, the undivided attention; the sing-song quality of "peek-a-boo"; and the element of surprise. Whatever the reasons, it's a perennial all-star for keeping baby amused and I've never seen a baby who didn't love a game of peek-a-boo, A. included.
3. Achtung, Crawling Baby! A. learning to crawl was a big milestone, but it's a double-edged sword for Steph and me. We can no longer sit idly by while she plays, especially because she's innately driven to crawl to the dangerous spots in a room: the section of hardwood floor not covered by rug, the pointed edge of a TV stand or coffee table, a baseboard heater, stairs, the fireplace, etc. I'm not sure what it is about these spots -- perhaps they're all on the edge of the room and A. is just exploring
4. Taking names and grabbing glasses. I wear glasses every waking moment -- one morning, A. literally didn't recognize me until I put them on -- and when I hold her, she loves to grab for them. I've seen other babies with the same fascination, perhaps because glasses are an interesting object within reach. But glasses are only the beginning. A. also loves to grab and pull hair my hair. And for some twisted reason, she laughs whenever she does. It's one game I'm not very fond of, but if she's fussy and needs to be calmed down, I'll tilt my head towards her and play anyway. Whatever it takes to get the job done!
What are some other innate baby tendencies that you have observed with your kids?
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PSAs were so great back then. Any PSA w/ Mr. T or the TMNT one where the kid says, "I'm not chicken; you're a turkey!"
ReplyDeleteI hear ya on all of these things, esp. the crawling. Just wait until A starts walking. Don't get me wrong - you will be thrilled. Initially.
I've noticed that both of my girls had a MEAN kung fu grip. Especially when it comes to my wife's hair. D2's grip is especially good and we have to PRY her hands apart.
Another thing that's innate? Nursing. Though that action may have contributed to the birth of D1 and D2, I certainly never showed them the technique. I apologize if that comment is TMI :-P
That's a classic PSA! Nothing like that these days, it seems.
ReplyDeleteNo worries, there's not much that's TMI when you're a parent!
Another innate behaviour is caution around edges - I'm not saying close your eyes as she wonders the stairs but if she's only just started crawling, she won't go over them.
ReplyDeleteA second one is - babies won't go too far away from their parent. If you go to a park, the kid will crawl, but not too far. Try it, it's bizarre.
Between you and me, it's not the innate behaviour that freaks me out - it's the obviously learned. Just wait until she starts talking... :)
I've definitely noticed the one about babies not going too far from their parents. When A. crawls, she'll stop and look back once in a while to see if I'm following her.
ReplyDelete