I mentioned earlier this week that I have a great fondness for baby dolls. It’s got Mummy very excited that her toddler is playing with dolls and engaging with role play. Apparently another milestone, or something.
It doesn’t seem like make-believe to me, but at least my baby neither cries when she’s hungry not objects if I toss her aside when something more interesting comes up. I take my duties very seriously, shoving the bottle in the general direction of a plastic mouth that doesn’t open and wrapping them up in a towel if I can’t find a blanket when I need one.
The ‘developmental leap’ is that I, or any other toddler pretending when they play, is that I’ve learned to imagine something is something else. Like the box is a bed, or my bib is a face-cloth. I’m learning empathy and how it feels to be a mummy (it’s actually quite hard work!) and also that I can be anything I want; when I’ve had enough of being a mummy, I can go and get a hat and be a fireman or a builder. I don’t really know what either of them does yet, other than they wear cool hats!
I’ve been demanding my two babies every night for a while now, and I won’t sleep without them. They come everywhere with me, if I remember, including nursery. Imagine then my surprise and delight in seeing a room full of babies (dolls) when I arrived at ‘school’ this week, along with all the paraphernalia that goes with them; high chair, bed, blankies, nappies and clothes. I love clothes! I ditched my piddly little dolls over my shoulder without a second glance.
I was still busy caring for the plastic babies when Mummy collected me at the end of the day.
CB x
Oh dear! I hope you don't know something I've not heard yet!
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