Experimenting with Fake Crying

Max bent over without paying attention and smacked his head on the corner of the TV stand. The sharp point left a goose egg on his forehead. He straightened, grabbed his head, and started to cry. In tears, he turned to me for comfort, reaching up so that I would pick him up.

"Oh!" I said. "Poor boy!" I picked him up and kissed his owie and then held him close while he cried.

One-year-old Third observed all of this. He had been standing right next to Max when the accident happened. Turning to face the TV, Third bent forward and deliberately hit his head on the screen. He looked back at me and gave an experimental "Waaah."

When that elicited no response from me, he turned back to the TV and hit his head against it again, a solid thunk on the glass. Then he looked to see if I had noticed and voiced a fake cry once more.

He was so cute that I just laughed at him. Funny baby!