It is only between 18 months and 2 years that your child realizes that it is indeed him in the reflection of the mirror.
Called the “mirror stage,” becoming aware of their own reflection is a normal process that allows your child to become aware of themselves. Letting him explore and play with a mirror allows him to develop emotionally.
The mirror as a tool for recognizing oneself and others
Becoming aware of yourself, both physically and emotionally, is a gradual process during the first two years of life. Up to 4 months, it is the expressions of his parents that send him back his own identity. From 6 months, he thinks he sees another child in the mirror and does not understand that it is his reflection.
It is only around the age of 15 months that he begins to feel embarrassed in front of the mirror and wonders about his reflection. Awareness only occurs from 18 months when he becomes able to recognize himself, he becomes aware and that he is a distinct person in his own right.
How to play with the mirror
To find out where your child is developing, you can play at placing a sticker or makeup on his face without him realizing it and then have him observe his reflection. In general around 12 months he will notice it without acting, around 15 months he rubs the surface of the mirror and it is only around the age of 18 months that he understands that it is on his face.
You can also make his curiosity work by showing him the parts of his face both on him and on his reflection in the form of a game, or cover the mirror, make him look for his reflection and then discover it by telling him that he is the.
Do not hesitate to let him explore on his own to stimulate his bodily and emotional understanding.
Find out more: “The emotional security of the child: The emotional security of the child is an essential condition for its development” by Dr Anne Raynaud, Marabout editions.
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