You aren’t just loving your child. You’re setting the example that teaches them how to love. The concept is on such vivid display in this video, shared to IG by mariaagrazia. Watch how dad’s playful and affectionate interactions translate to his daughter’s subsequent “caregiving” behaviors as she tends to her favorite baby doll. There’s little question: She’s dad’s little apprentice. And will continue to be. Young children are the world’s keenest observers, mimicking the behaviors and words of those they love and trust. It’s a huge responsibility. In our best moments and our worst, we are constant role models to our children. So be the one you want your child to reflect back into the world.

There once was a time that you didn’t yet realize you had hands. It’s a funny thought, but 100% true. In fact it’s not until somewhere between 2-4 months of age that babies fully “discover” their hands. Stranger still, thanks in part to the Palmar (or grasping) reflex, infants actually use their hands (involuntarily) well before they realize they exist. Once the discovery is made, scenes like this one - shared to IG by epicpsychology - become common. Your baby may stare at their hands in wonder for prolonged periods, soaking in not only their presence but their ability to control their movement (clumsy though these earliest attempts may be). This discovery marks the dawn of a whole new set of usages. What began as involuntary and haphazard, becomes increasingly deliberate and controlled - as your baby begins purposefully grasping and reaching for objects in their field of vision. You can support the development of these skills by providing safe toys and objects within arm’s length for them to reach for, grasp, and manipulate. Just don’t forget that almost any such object will be headed straight toward your baby’s mouth (as a primary means of exploration), so be particularly mindful of both their cleanliness and potential choking hazards during this exploratory phase.

In honor of April Fool’s Day, check out this little prankster! At their core, practical jokes are a complicated business. For toddlers, such pranks involve the ability to imagine the world from someone else’s perspective - something psychologists call “theory of mind.” This ability lies at the heart of empathy, but it’s also key to some forms of humor - as this clever little one has figured out. As a parent comes to rescue her from her predicament, we learn that our hero isn’t actually stuck at all. She gets a good laugh out of the game - and immediately puts her arm back into the bottle, feigning signs of distress. Research suggests that infants may begin making such jokes as early as 9 months. This little one knows exactly what will get Mom and Dad’s attention and expertly uses this knowledge to pull their legs. How’s that for advanced thinking? This video was shared to TT by fofrescuecenter.

If you’ve ever had a toddler, you can probably guess where this conversation is “headed.” Young children are famous for their literal thinking - which is partly a function of their emergent language learning. Put simply, as we learn words, it takes time and exposure to understand that many have multiple meanings. Our language is, likewise, chock full of expressions and metaphors the meaning of which can be quite different from what their literal interpretation might entail. So when you ask a toddler to “face the table,” don’t be surprised when you get a result that looks something like this. So great! Can you think of similar examples in your family? This adorably compliant little one was posted to IG by melwire.

Your toddler is egocentric. But that’s not a judgement on their character. In fact it’s a completely normal developmental stage. Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget is credited with defining egocentrism as related to child development. And what it means is simply that young children have difficulty time seeing the world from the perspective of others. This video, shared to IG by maggie_robertson, is a perfect example. Watch as this little guy plays hide and seek with his mom. While his eyes are covered - making him hidden from his perspective - he’s not yet able to effectively consider the fact that he’s “hiding” in plain sight of his mother. He lacks what is often referred to as “theory of mind” when it comes to putting himself in mom’s shoes. In his own writing, Piaget described egocentrism as resolving by around age seven. But this tendency isn’t controlled by an on-off switch - it’s more like a dimmer switch through which children’s self-centered outlook fades over time. Indeed, you’ll note more and more examples of your little one displaying theory of mind over time.