Tonight, I realised something. It is not that I haven't noticed it before but it hit home today. My daughter learns way, way too fast for me. By this I mean that if I do something, before I have the time to error correct, she is already copying my actions.
Where I saw this most clearly was when she has to do something for the first time she hasn't really seen before. Today, that was brushing her teeth. All two of them.
My wife and I took her into the bathroom and stood her on the counter so she could see herself in the mirror. We have found that if we have to do something to her face like put cream on, if she can see herself, she happily lets us. If not, her curiosity in what is going on means she will struggle making it impossible.
So there we were, with a tiny little brush and her watching all that was happening in the mirror. I may have mentioned before but I will say again, nothing gets by her. She had already picked that something new was happening as we entered the bathroom. She probably has a mental checklist; bathed? check. No poo? check. Her eyes narrowed, carefully assessing our reflected faces to see if there is any hint of trickery.
I wet the brush and handed it to my wife as my daughter's eyes followed every motion. In the mornings, she gets vitamin D and it comes in a spray. My wife makes an 'aaaah' sound and my daughter opens her mouth for it. So, my wife says 'aaaaaah'
Vitamin D today? Check. The lips pressed together a little tighter.
I grabbed my brush and went through the exaggerated motions of making my mouth wide and saying 'aaaaah' and brushing my teeth. She watched intently for two seconds, smiled and opened her mouth to have her teeth brushed.
That was all it took. Scary.
With the speed of that behaviour, I have to be more careful than ever in my actions and with my words. Today she learned the word rabbit (Raa Raa) and Bear (without the R). My wife was reading a book and made a tiger noise and she copied and if I could bottle that cuteness and sell it, I would be a rich man.
Much to the annoyance of my wife though, she doesn't say mother but, in my daughter's defence my wife insists on the Finnish 'Äiti' which sounds like a person saying eighty except they haven't spoken for 20 years prior yet have been drinking whisky the entire time.
This sponge like mind and mirroring has me worried. I have bad habits like anyone and I wonder if I can catch at least some of them before she picks them up. I wonder how many of the little quirky behaviours that are passed from parent to child and explained as nature are actually nurture and mimicry?
I don't know about it all but I do know I am going to have to learn a few things from my daughter.
Didn't pick nose? Check. Didn't swear? Ffffff...ail.
Taraz
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