scheming

In his cognitive theory of child development, Jean Piaget suggests that children learn by doing---action begets learning---and gradually incorporate new concepts into an ever-expanding and increasingly complex set of schema. During the "sensorimotor" stage, probably during endless games of peek-a-boo, children pick up the handy notion of object permanence: just because we can't see our favorite person hiding behind the blankie doesn't mean he no longer exists. But until we figure this out and remain in the suprising world of impermance, it's the miracle that keeps giving. Where's Daddy? There he is! Joy! Joy!

Sometimes, though, the miracle can be used for mischievous purposes. In the example below, a poor unsuspecting Schwister child has been lulled into a false sense of security during an intimate moment.



I can't see the thousands of cars passing on the freeway; therefore, they don't exist. Right? And since they don't exist, the people driving them surely aren't laughing at my bare bottom.

Dream on, kid. In a few years when you're ready for more sophisticated concepts, you'll learn to incorporate your father's sense of photographic humor into your cognitive schema.