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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

I've been thinking about cave babies and crying and leopards.

18 replies

HuffwardlyRudge · 26/05/2009 11:34

When I leave my 12 month old so I can go and peg the washing out, he shrieks blue murder until I comeback and get him and awkwardly peg out the washing with him either biting my thighs, wiping snot on my knees or awkwardly balanced on my hip.

So, how did that work in cave times then?

If I need to go out and gather berries or kill an antelope it's no good ds wailing like a siren and alerting all the mountain leopards that there's a delicious plump helpless snack in the cave, is it?

Does this mean that we are supposed to keep our babies with us at all times?

In which case, why have we rejected that idea?

And anyway, what's with the crying? It's so loud. Sometimes when ds is howling about something and I'm struggling to comfort him I tell him that we'd have been eaten by leopards long ago if it were down to him.

Other mammals don't do this.

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Sheeta · 26/05/2009 11:37

The men would have been going out killing antelopes. You would have been in the cave cooking it

ugg.

CaptainKarvol · 26/05/2009 11:37

I tell DD she would have been eaten by lions if she was a cave baby because she doesn't cry to be held all the time. Cave mummy would have put her down, the next thing you know...

DS on the other hand would have thrived, he always needed to be held. Unless he had attracted the lions with the crying, of course.

PuppyMonkey · 26/05/2009 11:38

Well, all the other members of your tribe would have looked after the nipper while you went off fighting dinosaurs and stuff, that's what I reckon.

Themasterandmargaritas · 26/05/2009 11:41

We evolved from monkeys, they always keep their babies on them, especially when pegging out the washing, leopards love baby monkeys.

I keep my ds2 with me at all times when we are in leopard country.

Original poster

HuffwardlyRudge · 26/05/2009 11:46

Ahh. Communal living Puppymonkey. That'll be it. I'd have my Mil and my Sil and all my cousins and sisters and so on to look after my tasty baby while I pegged out the washing or battled a dinosaur.

OP posts:

bohemianbint · 26/05/2009 11:51

I often wonder this kind of thing, and am also with Puppy. Further proof that we are not designed to live in isolated units and struggle with children alone without support.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 26/05/2009 11:55

Surely you would have tied you baby to you with a bit of animal skin and so the wrap sling was born.

foxytocin · 26/05/2009 11:57

a baby that is held a lot hardly cries, the theory goes.

human breastmilk is high in sugar low in fat and proteins - we are designed to feed them often hence have to carry them everywhere if they are to survive. so they cry if they are left alone.

breastmilk from the big cats is high in fat and protein low in sugars. their babies are stashed for safety and they remain real quiet when left on their own.

Original poster

HuffwardlyRudge · 26/05/2009 11:57

Very true BohemianB.

I have never felt that more overwhelmingly than the day my dd was eight days old and my dh went back to work. And there I was. Just me. In a house. With a baby. I'd never even held one before I had my own. No one would be coming round. Dh wouldn't be home for 10 hours or so. And tomorrow would be the same. And the day after. And the day after that...

I remember sitting on the stairs and thinking that it was just BARKING that somehow this was the norm. I thought about all the other women who must have been sitting in their houses with their new babies. It seemed so insane it was almost funny.

OP posts:

nickytwotimes · 26/05/2009 11:58

Well, lets face it, the majority of infants didn't make it in cave days, did they?

nickytwotimes · 26/05/2009 11:59

ANd I agree with the point that being alone with the kid(s) is not good.

bohemianbint · 26/05/2009 12:00

Sounds like you dealt with it better than me, I literally was barking! One of the most hideous days of my life...

stoppinattwo · 26/05/2009 12:35

what about smelly nappies....surely a leopard would have smelt a stinky nappy from a few miles away!!!!

purplemonkeydishwasher · 26/05/2009 12:40

see that's the part i don't get. so you strap your little cave baby to you so you can go out to gather or pound rocks or whatever. but pampers weren't invented yet so did the baby just shit everywhere? i can't imagine that fur is very absorbent.

phdlife · 26/05/2009 12:45

course fur isn't absorbent pm, you wouldn't want the crap sticking to it would you? it just sliiiiiiides right off!

RoseOfTheOrient · 26/05/2009 12:46

no, they would hold the babies away from them when they wee'd and poo'd - they instinctively know when the baby is going to go. They do this in lots of countries even now - check out Elemination Communication

RoseOfTheOrient · 26/05/2009 12:47

that would be Elimination

phdlife · 26/05/2009 12:48

who is it, jared diamond? natalie angiers?who argues that relatively early menopause ensures aunties/grandmas who can help care for the tribe's kids?

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