Are You One Finger?

We all do it. Ask our young ones "How old are you?" During that question we are sticking our fingers in the air waiting for them to become instant geniuses and answer us the first time we ask.

The most popular time we ask is when they just turn one. They are official a 'finger' a whole 'one finger' years old.

Today I was practicing this with Brandon. I would ask him the question and then hold up my one finger and wait for a reaction from him. Right away he repeated my actions which is what all of us moms want. Thinking, "My he is SO smart" I applauded his answer. The key to kids learning anything is repeating yourself over and over. A few minutes later I asked again, "How old are you?" and held up my one finger. Again, he knew exactly what to do. However, this time he stood starring at me waiting for my next action. I thought he was looking for praise from me but I was wrong. After a few brief moments later he ran over to me and grabbed my 'one' finger. With his other hand he dug for my other 'one' finger and then put them together.

I scared him with my laughing response.

You see, he doesn't think of just the 'Are you one finger' but thinks the 2 fingers that go together. He thinks this because I have been busy teaching him 'Cut the Pickle'. He kept putting my fingers together and apart. He could care less about the 'Are You One Finger' but rather the 'Cut the Pickle' finger because he knows it gets him a good laugh.

Not only does Brandon get his laugh with a 'tickle, tickle' to his belly mom gets a good laugh because he learned 'cut the pickle' before 'are you one' and his reaction to it is just perfect for a 'tickle, tickle' for mom.