Why peek-a-boo is such a fascinating game

Our grandson, by us called Golden Boy, is today 17 months old. He has recently learned how to answer the question “How old are you?”. He then puts up one finger in the air – and we give him an applause.
He is very fond of several peek-a-boo-games, particularly opening and closing doors. If I stand on one side of the door he wants to close it – to immediately open it again to see if I am still there. Then he closes the door again, opening it once more – and so it goes. This is the old game of trying to master the separation anxiety. He knows by now, very well, that his parents now and then are gone to their work stations. He knows about the feelings of being left to the day care unit – or to his grandparents. It is absolutlely nothing wrong with neither the day care institution nor being with us, but being left to other people without his own control sends normal anxiety signals in his mind and body. Separation is separation and anxiety comes and goes. Life is a scary business – even though it is in the same time quite amusing. In this sense he is getting older.