Lamaze Monkey in the Mirror

For the first 15 months of life, a mirror is seen as furniture. A baby's reflection is often confusing, "who is this?." At 18 months, differentiation occurs as the baby learns to individuate. How a baby perceives reflection marks beginnings of self-consciousness.

This is the first sign that the individual is not oblivious of mirrors as reflection. At this level, there is a sense that what is perceived in the mirror is different from what is perceived in the surrounding environment. More specifically, when perceiving the own specular image, the individual picks up the fact that there is something unique about the experience, namely that there is a perfect contingency between seen and felt movements. The individual is aware that what is seen on the mirror is unique to the self. In addition, the individual is also aware that what is seen is ‘‘out there,’’ on a surface that is spatially situated in relation to the body: a situated self.

The child learns that the mirror reflection is ‘‘Me,’’ not another individual staring and shadowing the self. The self is identified beyond the here and now of mirror experience. It can be identified in pictures and movies taken in the past, where the self might be significantly younger, at a different location and dressed in different cloths.

For babies, tummy time is an important exercise in the development of growing muscles. Perfect for tummy time fun as well as self-discovery, the adorable Lamaze Monkey in the Mirror features a cute monkey face. The mirror play helps baby learn how to focus, track images and explore the face. With a high-quality, unbreakable, baby-safe mirror, brightly-colored fabric and high contrast patterns for visual development, Lamaze Monkey in the Mirror also easily converts from an easel to a hanging mirror in two simple steps, allowing it to attach to a crib or be taken on the go.

Furniture or development toy? Depends on age used. Monkey in the Mirror is perfect for earlier stages.