do 2 year olds always copy other children adults??

[herbgarden]

I know kids copy but ds will do things like, copy what other kids are doing in the playground, they take their shoes off, he does, they take their coat off, he does, they have a drink, he wants one. It's like this when I'm at home with him too. If he's taken his off and I've not yet done the same, he says "Mummy shoes off".....

Is he ever going to have a mind of his own or is this just very common behaviour for a just over 2 year old

sounds totally normal to me. We have to take shoes and jackets off in the hall so if I walk into the kitchen with my shoes on then I get in trouble!!

Yes, copy and parrot

Totally normal.

It always looks like a good idea when they see someone else do it

At 2 they love to copy everyone and repeat what they hear (especially what they shouldn't have heard).

It's part of the learning process

oh yes, forgot to mention we get that too - he'll listen to an adult conversation and then get the last few words of each sentence and copy it. He'll then also laugh if someone else laughs (even though he has no idea what he's laughing at ...)

It's best when they listen in, store the new word or info for later and decide to use it at the most inappropriate time.

DS heard my friend who was a new mum say she was knackered when someone asked how she was.
A few days later his very straightlaced grandma asked him how he was and he innocently responded 'knackered' with a dead pan expression.

She was horrified but everyone else in the room fell about laughing