Complete sense of self

I have read so many times (and been told) that babies have 'no sense of self', that they do not realise that they are individual entities. That when they look in a mirror they do not realise that they are seeing their own reflection and they think they are looking at another baby.

I (of course) have my own theory on this - they have complete sense of self.

Babies figure out from a very early age that when they cry they get attention, when they are hungry they get fed and when they are not happy the people around them go to great lengths to make them smile.

So if they have no sense of self, how do they figure out that they can get satisfaction by calling out to those around them?

M34tb4LL showed me an article the other day about how babies lie. It basically confirmed what I (and I am sure millions of other mother in the world) had been suspecting, that a baby will cry (with or without tears) to get attention. Even if there is nothing wrong, what baby wants - baby gets!

So back to the mirror theory, that when a baby looks into the mirror he thinks he is looking at another baby -

From the first time I held Peanut in front of the mirror, he would look at my reflection and give me a smile of acknowledgment. He would then turn around and look directly at me, showing the same amount of acknowledgment. So that got me thinking. Does he think that he has two mummies, one holding him and one holding another baby? Or is he fully aware that the other baby IS him and is just fascinated with his own reflection.

And while I am rambling on about a baby's sense or no sense of self - I get into the whole thing of 'they must have the concept that it ALL about them, that every thing that happens is for them'. In other word, a rather selfish attitude. But then I think that 'a selfish attitude is an adult concept, and it's not like a baby knows any better than to demand the attention he does'. So he would not have any sense of self if he were not aware that everything that happens is not about him.

So do babies have sense of self or not? Well with this brief insight into the mind of G (or the loops that I tend to go in), I have come to the conclusion that they do!!!

(: Reggie