The Real Meaning of Hide and Seek

The Kid is a little under 18 months now and while he has been playing peekaboo for what seems like forever, actually hiding and is quite new. I was chasing him around the in-laws house, which has enough rooms and furniture to make things pretty interesting. There haven’t been any great crashes yet, but The Kid did offer a big surprise today. He kept on taking the same route from the living room to the kitchen. I would give him a little head start then follow the giggles down the hallway. But this time there was a twist. As I passed through the dining room I heard a scream. The Kid had hidden behind a corner for the express purpose of tricking me. Needless to say, he was rewarded for his efforts with a little jump from his dad. He had lulled me into a routine and pulled out the rug from under my feet at just the right time.

Besides getting stealthier, he can also play much better on his own these days. While he likes one of his parents in the room, he is really the one driving what we do at this point. Whether it is doing a puzzle, stacking blocks or arranging stuffed animals, The Parents are really there to make sure he doesn’t get frustrated. Otherwise, the show is all his own.

When a child starts to play hide and seek, he’s definitely playing a game, but more than anything, I think he is saying, I can do things on my own – catch me if you can.