Until a child is nine months old, he believes that objects and People exist only if he can see them. At six months, if you take a toy away from your child and hide it behind your hack as he watches, he’ll act as though there no longer is a toy. In the same Way, when you leave his side to go into another room, he may believe you no longer exist. Your disappearance frightens him, which explains the anxiety and tears you see.
When you play peek-a-boo with your baby, you reenact the anxiety and relief he feels each time you leave and return. You hide behind your hands or a blanket and he believes you are no longer there. He may even become momentarily upset and whimper. When you suddenly reappear and say peek-a-boo, he laughs with delight to have you back.
By nine or ten months, a child begins to have some idea that objects exist even when he can’t see them. At this age, he may look for a hidden toy if he saw you put it behind your back or under a pillow. But at times he may still react with fear and uncertainty when you leave him because his understanding of people’s permanence is not fully developed and won’t be until he’s two or two and one-half years old.
Picture Credit : Google