Self-Motivated Babies

When we see babies as moving scientists, expansive explorers, eager investigators, delightful communicators and improvisers in play, we share in the joy of their self-motivated actions and interactions in their environment.

I have been promoting this view for many years in my published materials and workshops as a reminder of just how aware babies are.

A typical example is when a ten month old baby keeps dropping toys from his high chair and keeps you busy picking them up. But you may not have noticed him also dropping toys and taking them in and out of the wastepaper basket. Dropping toys from his high chair takes longer before he hears the sound of his toy hitting the floor. This is one of the many actions your baby performs every day that leads to his understanding the concept of “time through space”.

A budding scientist, he is busy experimenting in his environment and making new connections and discoveries that are the physical foundation of many future cognitive concepts.

• Please note: An earlier draft with a working title was inadvertently published today by mistake.