3V0556.01 Toothbrush: 08/01/79;

Playing on my bed, looking at the older children’s pictures, Peggy saw
my ‘traveling’ toothbrush on the adjacent dresser top. “Have that, have
that” was her cry and I did not stop her from taking it.

Peggy picked up the toothbrush by the handle, examined the bristles,
then tentatively opened her mouth and put the brush sideways on her
tongue. (This mouth insertion was definitely NOT the lip-exploration-
mouthing Peggy usually applies to objects.) When she looked at me, I
laughed, ‘that’s right, Peggy.” She moved the brush a little in her
mouth then brought it out, rubbing the bristles once against her
stomach; she then replaced the toothbrush on the dresser.

Peggy did NOT confuse this brush with any hairbrush (though she is
used to some small ones). The children have not given Peggy any
instruction or practice in brushing teeth. Gretchen and I have not done
so. This is clearly a case of function definition of a specific object
based on observation. (This should not surprise us. Peggy obtrudes into
bathrooms whenever she can to watch people do strange things where
she has nothing to do but rip toilet paper off the roll.)

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