Of kids and interactions…

Kids interact in the most wonderful ways.

I observe a lot when my son is around other kids – the dynamics of their (sometimes non) interaction says a lot about us as a species. He used to respond much faster to new infants when he was an infant himself, but now is a bit guarded in his approach. I guess the “learning phase” is making him a bit distant from them, and like the others, this will grow with time, until he becomes an adult and by then, interactions are too complex to go back to the childlike innocence that made people closer.

Here is what I had written a couple of years back…


So my friend landed today, with his 20-month old in tow.

I watched carefully as she met my son for the first time – engaging to see the dynamics of their interaction.

A cautious approach, but warm, and observing each other before the elder one protectively laid her hand on the younger’s head. The younger one responded in kind, and they became friends in a minute.

Beautiful, watching young ones interact socially for the first time.

Kids do that to you – make you wish that things were as simple. As adults, we meet people with a lot of baggage on both sides – judgments, prejudices, assumptions…The outcome of such meetings is already pre-ordained in our heads…we just go through the formalities of completing the task.

Infants, on the other hand, have no such prejudices. They depend on visual cues, and don’t have the “education” to judge others. All the do is feel the vibes, and embrace the positives and stay away from the negatives. Simple.

I also observed how they share stuff. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. I guess somethings are hard-wired into humankind:)) Jokes apart, encouraging sharing is the first thing we do as parents, but how many of us actually practice what we preach? It’s one thing telling your kid to do it, it is another thing to do it yourself.

But then, the kid is too young to know how you conduct your dealings, and so you get off easily.

Setting an example is tough, when you have to do it yourself as well. Kids are impressionable, and they look to adults to follow their lead, but there is a lot that they teach us albeit unknowingly.

The issue is – in most cases, we fail to observe:)

See you tomorrow!