Twenty-first century parents live in a world where parenting advice changes almost as quickly as the latest social media trends and influencers. For those who care for young children, however, take comfort in knowing that there is one constant: the power of peek-a-boo to impact early development in huge and wondrous ways.
“Why,” you ask, “is peek-a-boo so important to the developing child?” Well, we’ve all seen how anxious babies and young children become when a loved one “disappears.” When a parent leaves for work. When a caregiver drops the child off at day care.
A suspenseful roundelay of disappearance and reappearance, peek-a-boo helps young children learn that things – objects, people, pets — continue to exist even when they’re out of sight. In playing this game over months and even years, the child also begins to understand that, when someone is out of sight, they will return.
“Mommy will come back. Mommy always comes back.” The power of peek-a-boo is awesome…
Peek-a-boo helps babies learn that social interactions have norms and rules; engagement with others is pleasurable and can be mutually managed; and they can affect the actions of others through their own responses. As the enraptured baby engages with her partner, her body feels alive and joyful, almost bursting with pleasurable sensations.
This remarkable deluge of positive emotion serves as a connector to the partner and aids in the development of healthy attachment. Imagine that my friends!
Tips for Tapping the Power of Peek-a-Boo
It is easy to make it peek-a-boo both incredibly enjoyable and developmentally useful. My favorite? Get creative! For example, if the baby vocalizes “ba, ba, ba” in response to your disappearance, you could reappear with “ba, ba, ba, peek-a-boooo!” Or you could change the “screen” you use to cover your face. Try a pillow, a shiny and colorful scarf, or a beloved teddy bear.
When you know that the child understands the game, gradually increase the wait time before you reappear, heightening the game’s drama and increasing the hilarity. Finally, remember that peek-a-boo is a dialogue – an intimate and meaningful back-and-forth that is full of fun and incredibly satisfying.
Peekaboo Speaks!
Dear humans, my name is Peekaboo aka Boo Boo, Peekabooster, Boo Boo Baby, the Peekster, Boobs, and Mistress of the Sacred Palace (my personal favorite).
My authority figure wrote this ridiculous story about creatures who slither around on living room floors and poop in situ (that means in their pants) while humans scream, “peek-a-boo, peek-a-booooo…” like there’s a fire in the litter box. Everyone, even the creatures, looks unhinged. It’s embarrassing.
I mean it’s one hundred percent worse than when my idiot sister Fluffypuss spends three hours sniffing around for half-eaten Temptation treats (crack cocaine for cats); two hours running upstairs and downstairs clutching her ragged little mousey in her teeth; and, for the grand finale, twenty-four minutes barfing three times in the bathtub.
(Note: in between the barfs she has a snack. Don’t ask.) BTW, Fluffypuss responds to Fluffster, Pussy Wussy, Fluffernutter, F-Puss, Floofy Poosy, and Smellyfungus (my personal favorite).
In closing and before I go punch out my sister, I must ask you this, “if mommy wanted to write about peek-a-boo, why couldn’t she have written about me?”
Very sweet about the babies…
I love the alternative names for Peekaboo and Fluffypuss! Next time I need a new handle I’ll ask you!
Their names make people laff and we love that!
I also found this a great game that one of our cats likes to play.