why is it bad for a baby to look in the mirror?

wife2

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 12:35 pm

a few ppl have told me that babies shouldnt look in a mirror until 6 months. I know it is superstitious, but are there any real reasons why they shouldn't? is it important to do this?

sequoia

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 12:37 pm

The other day I saw a kitty have a conversation with his reflection!

/off-topic

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 1:39 pm

I never heard of this, and can't think of why it would be a (real) problem. Babies usually like mirrors.

gp2.0

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 1:39 pm

Your baby is allowed to look in the mirror but only if you tie a red string around their wrist and knock on wood first. If you don't do this then a parallel world will be destroyed and it will be 100% your fault. I know this is true because it happened to my neighbor's adopted brother's great-great-great-great uncle in a dream.

Faigy86

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 1:41 pm

gp2.0 wrote:

You got the story wrong, it happened to my neighbor's adopted brother's great great great great uncles, great great great great nephew's sister's neighbor.

bigsis144

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 2:05 pm

I heard a baby shouldn't look into a mirror until they cut their first tooth.

No source, of course. Rolling Eyes

Miri1

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 2:06 pm

Actually, I heard something about this from a developmental point of view, in my college psychology class... but can't remember the details. Anyone else heard of it from the developmental angle?

bigsis144

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 2:32 pm

Miri1 wrote:

Actually, I heard something about this from a developmental point of view, in my college psychology class... but can't remember the details. Anyone else heard of it from the developmental angle?

Not that looking in a mirror would do anything BAD... what harm could it possibly cause?

Recognizing yourself in a mirror (as opposed to thinking it's another person) is considered a major cognitive milestone, though. It's also as a measure of intelligence/self-awareness in animals. Great apes, dolphins, elephants and magpies have all passed the "mirror test".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirror_test

whirlwind

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 2:45 pm

I've heard of this. My mother didn't let any of her kids look in the mirror until they started talking. Not sure where it came from and since I follow dh's minhagim I never researched the source but to her it was a serious thing she learned from her parents who saw it that way in "der alter heim". I'm thinking maybe it's a chassidish thing since her ancestors were chassidish before the war? Anyone chassidish ever hear of it?

yogabird

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 2:49 pm

yogabird wrote:

Lillith

The female queen of sheidim and the incarnation of lust. She is said to hide under beds, and lurk in mirrors.

yogabird

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 2:50 pm

yogabird wrote:

Lillith

The female queen of sheidim and the incarnation of lust. She is said to hide under beds, and lurk in mirrors.

Given that chassidim tend to keep many practices that are based on kabbalah, it would make sense that this is a "chassidish thing".

I'm chassidish and I did hear about this at my granparents' home. They are into this stuff.

My husband is also chassidish, but subscribes to the 'poilish' views that were in general more nigle/rational, and not so into kabbalah, and he has never even heard of these kinds of "chassidishe 'amaratzishe' mishegassen"

Isramom8

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 3:13 pm

Miri1 wrote:

Actually, I heard something about this from a developmental point of view, in my college psychology class... but can't remember the details. Anyone else heard of it from the developmental angle?

My friend's identical twins each actually thought the reflection was his brother.

I was told (about a baby) to wait till he or she has a tooth. My Hungarian grandmother passed on a lot of superstitions that I don't care all that much to uphold!

theoneandonly

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 3:27 pm

bigsis144 wrote:

I heard a baby shouldn't look into a mirror until they cut their first tooth.

No source, of course. Rolling Eyes

Yes, the inyan is to wait until they get their first tooth. FIL saw it in some esoteric sefer somewhere. DH spoke to his Rav who said it's not such a crazy thing to try to do. I wasn't so makpid because babies love mirrors but wtvr...

bigsis144

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 3:28 pm

I've got it -- vanity. Looking in a mirror too soon will make you vain.

And it will make male babies gay.

seeker

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 3:30 pm

There is a mitzvah de'oraisa not to believe in this stuff... I wonder if this falls under "lo sinachashu" or "tomim tihiye" or possibly depending on the origin even darkei emori...

Maya

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 3:39 pm

I heard the child is not supposed to look in the mirror until his or her first birthday. Never heard of the tooth cutting thing.

I even did it with my first one, but had given up most of the crazy nonsense by the time my second one was born, so he was allowed to giggle to his "friend in the mirror" whenever he wanted to.

hbf

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 3:40 pm

I heard that its either once the baby turns one or cuts the first tooth, something about ayin horah...