Monkey See, Monkey Do

Let me set the scene:
Sunday afternoon at Grandma's house. Grandma is vacuuming the living room. LB is on GeoMama's lap on the couch. GeoDaddy is on the loveseat finishing his coffee. Monkey is helping to push the vacuum and making vacuum like sounds 'bbbbbbbbssssssssssshhhhhhhhhh' or something like that. 

Grandma vacuums near GeoDaddy, GeoDaddy lifts his feet so she can vacuum under them. Grandma vacuums near GeoMama, GeoMama lifts her feet so Grandma can vacuum under them. 

Monkey runs around. Grandma gets near Monkey with the vacuum. Monkey sits down on the floor and lifts her feet so Grandma can vacuum under them. 

This reminded me how much children learn from watching the world around them. Monkey was keen to start using her potty because she watched me using the toilet. She went through a faze where we had to trade forks at dinner because she wanted to use mine. She wants a travel mug (of water) in the morning while GeoDaddy and I drink coffee. She wants to put diapers on her stuffed animals, and wants wet wipes when she changes them. When the dogs barks outside she runs to patio door and bangs on it, wagging her finger at them . Back at home if we let her into the fridge she would open the crisper drawer to get peas out, then try to push it shut with her foot, just like she has seen us do countless times.

Today was just a healthy reminder to keep what I do to things that I wouldn't mind seeing repeated in public by Monkey (and eventually LB) and to model behavior that I want them to repeat.

GeoMama