Here are snapshots from the life of the cutest baby I’ve ever seen in my life. You will be surprised to see all the things Eteni does (and is allowed to do!) as a toddler. There isn’t much teaching in hunter-gatherers. Children learn by observing and mimicking adults and older siblings.
When I first saw Eteni, she wasn’t walking yet. A month later, when I found her in another camp she wasn’t only walking, but playing with knives and machetes.
If you’re interested in differences between how hunter-gatherer parents raise their children versus Western parents, I would recommend you to read Jared Diamond’s The World Until Yesterday.
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Su ana kadar gordugum en sevimli bebegin hayatindan kareler burada. Eteni’nin bebek haliyle neler yaptigini (ve neler yapmak icin izni oldugunu!) gorunce sasiracaksiniz. Avci-toplayicilarda sozlu ogretim pek yok. Cocuklar, yetiskinleri ve buyuk kardeslerini gozlemleyerek ve taklit ederek ogreniyorlar.
Eteni’yi ilk gordugumde henuz yurumeyi bilmiyordu. Bir ay sonra O’nu baska bir kampta buldugumda, kucuk kiz yalnizca yurumuyor ayni zamanda bicak ve palalarla da oynuyordu!
Stories from Congo and beyond 
This is an incredible illustration of how babies are wired to learn through relationships. So cool!
I see a normal inquisitive toddler, mimicking others in much the same way as our son does.
I get what you say when you contrast this child versus Western parenting, but… I really don’t see this child being much more self sufficient than a Western child at the same age?
I agree. We’re just not used to seeing a toddler with a machete. But the skill level and abilities are exactly the same as a western child. It’s just the environment is different. You can find toddlers flying through an iPad UI with ease…or even starting a car. Because that’s their environment.
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