Friday, July 08, 2005

Are behaviors inherited?

I am wondering this because my baby girl is making the same scooby doo-like "hmmph" sounds as her cousin. These are not the same sounds that her older brother made as a baby. Likewise my son exhibits other behaviors that mimic his older cousin. I assumed that my son and his older cousin had learned these behaviors from each other. These two cousins are brothers.

What's even more interesting is that my baby girl could pass for her baby cousin's sister. My son could pass for their older cousin's brother. Temperment wise, my baby girl is more like her baby cousin. My son is more like his older cousin.

But the behaviors don't stop at cousins. My daughter has a characteristic high pitched squeel that apparently I so gleefully tortured my mother with when I was a baby. Well they say, "what goes around comes around", or as we like to call this 'The Payback Child'. My son has a habit of wanting to run into the street, just like his dad did. So far we have drilled into him the consequences of getting hit by a car. I just hope those lessons stick.

Anyway, I used to think I had the my sister's payback child. However, as I talk to my mom she tells me that I did the same things. So much for thinking I was an absolute angel and my sister was the demon child who tortured my mom [insert evil witch laugh here] . Apparently my mom had forgotten how I would 'drive her crazy' once my sister came along. My sister's behaviors sure seem less aggravating then the mini-me I share our home with... ;p

Don't get me wrong, I love my baby girl. She's pretty fun and somewhat more advanced than what I recall her brother to be at this age. Of course that will change once the teenage years strike. So for right now I am learning how to laugh at the behaviors of my daughter and wonder how my mom went ahead and had two more!
:)



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