Show Dont Don't I Interpret Your Chi Childs Child's Ids Id's Behavior Wrongly Learn D Development Need S By MYRTLE MEYER ELDRED The over-imaginative over parent parentis parentI is inclined to interpret her I baby's behavior as like behavior behavior behavior beha beha- vior might be interpreted if the conduct were that of an adult She may say of her month- month old baby for instance The minute I came into the room he pulled the covers over his head When I pulled them down he grinned at me so slyly He knew he was being cute the rascal trying to hide from me Throughout the childs child's life she goes on making up dramatic stories which highlight the childs child's average behavior and make it seem purposeful and meaningful This may be amusing if no noone noone noone one takes it too seriously But the parent who sees her child realistically is both enraged and discouraged because she cannot read into her childs child's conduct any such adult inferences Is her child just dumb or is she being victimized by her neighbor What will comfort her is to know the average speed at which children develop She will wll know then that old month-old babies do donot donot donot not hide from their parents I but might if their hands grasp grasped d the cover pull it over their heads as they lifted their little hands She will know that newborn babies can do many things many things but none of them purposefully They can protrude their tongues turn their faces from side to side wrinkle eyes and forehead wave hands in the air spread their toes like fans if the sole is touched cry cough sneeze yawn and stretch These are instinctive instinctive in instinctive in- in reflexes reflex s and do hot indicate indicate in indicate in- in moods and emotions but merely behavior which serves a useful purpose At three weeks the child will listen to an approaching sound and will from birth jump wildly if an unexpected sound hits his sensitive ears |