Toddler Sees, Toddler Does!

Many researchers believe that babies have the innate ability to imitate. This ability is seen in the form of reflexes when your child is first born.  Within your child’s first year, reflexes develop into controlled movements that make it possible for your baby to imitate.  As your  child reaches the seventh month, she will be able to imitate some of the sounds you made and also a simple gesture like patting your leg or a surface.  Now, as your child is a year old, you have observed that she has been imitating quite a bit.   

Within this month, your child will start to imitate your gestures such as waving hi and good-bye.  Waving is a gesture that your baby sees quite often whether it’s people visiting or you and your partner leaving/returning.  She probably sees it on a daily basis. We always waved at my daughter from the time she could hold her head up independently.  It was something we always made a point to do in hopes that it would be one of her first gestures.  The first time she waved, I came home from work and there she was sitting across the living room floor.  I greeted her with a “hi sweetheart” and waved.  She stared at me and I saw her watch my hand.  She paused for a few seconds and then waved with the same enthusiasm as someone trying to hail a taxi!  I was so excited and happy that I continued praising her for achieving that milestone!

If you haven’t attempted scribbling using crayons (non-toxic of course) with your child, give it a try.  Lay out a big piece of paper on the floor and give your toddler a crayon.  She will not hold a crayon like you do since she doesn’t have the fine motor skills to do that yet.  But show her a fast scribble first and then let her give it a go. This can be a fun activity that you can enjoy with the rest of the family.