[oceanbaby]

Ds is 2.5. When we're reading a book or flipping through a magazine he'll see a picture of something (like a piece of cake

: or a particular toy), and he'll start swiping at it like he wants to pick it up, making a kind of frustrated sound. I explain to him that it's just a picture, etc., but he still does it a lot. He seems to know in a way that it's not real, because if there was a real piece of cake on the counter that I wouldn't give to him, he would certainly be doing more than making a little frustrated sound. But it does make me wonder how much he understands, or how much he is supposed to understand at this age, about what is real and what isn't. (He doesn't talk yet, so I can't ask him!)

As a side note, I find it hysterical that he actually is able to recogize any variation of cake. He has had so little cake in his lifetime. The other day there was a picture of a chocolate cream pie on the cover of a cooking magazine, and he was trying to pick up or eat that cover for a long time. He was so bummed that it wasn't real. This kid has never even seen a chocolate cream pie, let alone actually had any, so how does he know he wants some so badly?

 

[guestmama9924]

My girl will be 3 next week, and while she does seem to know the differences of 2 and 3 dimensional objects, she will pretend to lick it or pick it up and put it in her pocket. Also she will go on and on about "McDonalds" when she sees an ad or something.

We are vegetarian for crying out loud, and don't stop there ever.
So why does my 3 year old say that she loves Happy Meals?

: I think junk food just seeps in via osmosis or something....