What if...

[jcribb16]

Since when is an occasion of "peek-a-boo" causing "pain"?  It's not as if they were being indoctrinated at an early into a religious superstition which could painfully scar them for life.

Since when is an adult fake sobbing/crying a part of 'peek-a-boo'?

[jcribb16]

Since when is an occasion of "peek-a-boo" causing "pain"?  It's not as if they were being indoctrinated at an early into a religious superstition which could painfully scar them for life.

Since when is an adult fake sobbing/crying a part of 'peek-a-boo'?

I didn't realize that you were the official arbitor of the official rules of "peek-a-boo" ... naturally, you have the official reference site link?
It's a game for babies, the adult's "crying" was fake, no actual "harm", (either physical or psychological), can be unamiguously proven to be caused by the game* and, if that's the worse 'pseudo-trauma' one ever has, they've lived an over-protected life.

*- http://www.squidoo.com/peek_a_boo

So fake crying behind the hands on face constitutes a definition for "peek-a-boo?"  I disagree with you on this.

[jcribb16]

I guess it would depend on whether the adult thought they were playing a game with the child.  But fake crying to the point of the child really tearing up to cry, only to be suddenly laughed at, is not something I would take to very kindly with my child like that. 

[jcribb16]

Suppose you walked into a room and discovered an adult was talking to your 16-month old child.  This person had their hands up over their face pretending to be sobbing/crying aloud.  The child begins to get upset, their eyes fill with tears as they begin to cry too.....and then this adult begins to laugh at the child.

What would be your thoughts/reaction???     

My reaction would be that the child has successfully duplicated a common human behaviour.  After that, it won't be long until the child learns when their 'chain is being yanked' and laughs back.

I agree with this as a possibility of a couple of reactions.

[SherylsShado]

Thanks all for the feedback, and sorry it took so long for me to post back (my dog totally destroyed the computer).  This incident really did happen.  It first happened to a lady several years ago (by her mother) and then a few months ago she walked into a room to find her mother carrying out the same behavior with her child.  She remembered how this behavior made her feel as a child (it wasn't a simple game of "peek-a-boo") and she had an angry outburst at her mother which involved her saying that she felt that kind of behavior was emotional abuse.  The grandmother will admit to no wrong-doing on her part, so offered no apologies.  Her solution is to just stay away from the grandchild permanently then so she won't be "blamed" for anything else.  It's a shame the child will be losing a grandmother but I guess if this is the way she is then he'll be better off for it in the long run.  It makes me wonder what kind of grandmother can just dismiss/cut a grandchild permanently from her life so easily....   

     The mother had been upset wondering if her way of thinking was "wrong" and the way she reacted to the situation with her child.  She has talked to many people who have told her it was wrong for an adult to treat a little child that way.  She still had some doubts so getting some feedback from others on-line that don't know her really helped to clarify the matter. 

     Thanks BUNCHES!!

[jcribb16]

Thank you for the update with that.  I hate to hear the grandmother just cut the relationship off, too, but that in itself may explain a bit how her personality is.  Hope all works out for the best for the child.