Self-Motivated Babies

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Revised | Originally Published: July 7, 2021 @ 10:42 am

My six-month-old grandson, Ryker, is a self-motivated learning machine. He’s on an epic quest to know the world. He’s nothing special in this regard. Like other healthy babies, he’s always been active in managing his own learning, but over the last month or so, he’s become much more mobile and in control of his body. That means he’s having a bigger impact on his physical space and the people around him.

For instance, he’s learned how to wave. He’s found the frantic flapping of his little arm when someone enters his field of vision, which is a very powerful tool. His waves invite engagement. They start conversations. They bring snuggles and hugs and attention.

His ability to wave has also brought him closer to new tastes–he waves at people and waves vigorously at people with food. That’s led to encounters with lemons, bacon, and other yummy things. I guess he’s self-motivated and hungry.

Ryker explores a lemon

Speaking of things, he’s also now able to get to Things. His not-really-crawling-but-it-works-for-him manner of locomotion has made it possible for him to explore previously uncharted worlds. It’s amazing to watch.

His eager engagement with his environment and love of learning reminded me of this great post from Janet Lansbury, where she writes:

“Babies discover that learning is about making mistakes and risking failures to make progress. It’s exciting, rewarding and frustrating. It takes enormous effort and persistence. It means being flexible, open to trying another way. Sometimes it means straining to reach an object an inch away, finally getting traction, only to find you’re scooting backwards instead. Typically, it’s taking two steps forward and then kerplunk! But as parents we must realize: this process of struggle comes naturally to infants.”