Little Mimics

I am a parrot. I will repeat everything you say.

I never cease to be amazed at the "copy cat" quality that preschool children possess. truly miniature adults. or attempting to be. The fact that children are like sponges and pick up little nuances from their environments as well as habits and mannerisms from the adults who are important in their lives is a bit....daunting...to say the least. I've observed some not-so-positive results of children emulating behaviors that are not desirable; however, today I was thinking of some instances in which this characteristic is quite amusing and endearing.

Last week one little two year-old at the daycare center was sitting beside her friend, squishing up against her and causing the other little girl to scoot away. "Honey, I don't bite!" this little tiny toddler exclaimed to her friend.

Another two year-old arranged her grapes on her napkin at snack time in the same way that they sit at group time: all the grapes were in a line (like the kids sit against the wall) with one grape in front of them (the teacher). She proceeded to sing, "The More We Get Together" just like we do at the beginning of group time.

One time my friend's four year-old niece told me I was pregnant and should lie down on the bed. After I laid down, she went to the foot of the bed and proceeded to pretend to "catch the baby"...from my feet.

While children's attempts in mimicking after learning by observation are not always completely accurate, I love observing them and being amazed at their memories, what experiences make an impact on them, and how they view the world that they live in.