--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Peter was 2 years and 10 months old when…" description: "\"Peter was 2 years and 10 months old when we began to study him. He was afraid of a white rat, and this fear extended to a rabbit, a fur coat, a feather..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/mary-c-jones-87395_afraid_peter-was-2-years-and-10-months-old-when_1992299.jpg" --- # Peter was 2 years and 10 months old when we began to study… ![“Peter was 2 years and 10 months old when we began to study him. He was afraid of a white rat, and this fear extended to a rabbit, a fur coat, a feather, cotton wool, etc., but not to wooden blocks and similar toys.” quote by Mary C. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/mary-c-jones-87395_afraid_peter-was-2-years-and-10-months-old-when_1992299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/mary-c-jones-87395_afraid_peter-was-2-years-and-10-months-old-when_1992299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b5d/mary-c-jones-87395_afraid_peter-was-2-years-and-10-months-old-when_1992299.jpg) > “Peter was 2 years and 10 months old when we began to study him. He was afraid of a white rat, and this fear extended to a rabbit, a fur coat, a feather, cotton wool, etc., but not to wooden blocks and similar toys.” Mary C. Jones ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A toddler’s specific animal fears show selective phobias, yet they can tolerate inanimate objects, indicating nuanced fear development. **In simple terms:** Kids fear some animals but not toys. Key Takeaway Observe fear patterns early. Themes development fear learning Mood observational clinical Type educational practical When to use this quote - parenting - early education - therapy - animal exposure Key Concepts Psychology behavioral science Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate normal fear from anxiety? - What strategies help expand a child's comfort zone? A Different Perspective Fear may generalize without careful handling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Rabbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rabbit/) [Toys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toys/) ## Related quotes > [“Peter, why do I get the idea that you are thinking of this as a golden opportunity for Peter Wiggin?” “For both of us,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/peter-why-do-i-get-the-idea-that-you-are-thinking-of-this-as-a-golden/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Peter, you're twelve years old. I'm ten. They have a word for people our age. They call us children and they treat us like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/peter-you-re-twelve-years-old-i-m-ten-they-have-a-word-for-people-our/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [I love the noise of my wooden clogs on my wooden floor. Dancers wear clogs. They're good for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/i-love-the-noise-of-my-wooden-clogs-on-my-wooden-floor-dancers-wear/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [My favourite room in my house is easily the top room, which is a bedroom but also a bathroom, with a big, wooden carved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-moggach/my-favourite-room-in-my-house-is-easily-the-top-room-which-is-a/) [Deborah Moggach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-moggach/) > [Say Konichiwa umm, all you niggas know who I am I rock diamond wooden? 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I've taken a lot of things from him and his little blue book because to him, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-love/coach-wooden-when-he-speaks-you-listen-i-ve-taken-a-lot-of-things/) [Kevin Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-love/) > [The first trick I bought at Macy's was a little wooden board where a quarter would appear and disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-copperfield/the-first-trick-i-bought-at-macy-s-was-a-little-wooden-board-where-a/) [David Copperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-copperfield/) > [This hits wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jontron/this-hits-wooden/) JonTron > [A dedication is a wooden leg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/a-dedication-is-a-wooden-leg/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [My mom beat us until she started breaking clothes hangers. Wooden clothes hangers! Once we started laughing back at her, then your spankings were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-harvey/my-mom-beat-us-until-she-started-breaking-clothes-hangers-wooden/) [Doug Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-harvey/) > [Obama's dense as a doorbell; not much going on up there - it's a wooden top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/obama-s-dense-as-a-doorbell-not-much-going-on-up-there-it-s-a-wooden/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [By the year 1670, wooden chimneys and log houses of the Plymouth and Bay colonies were replaced by more sightly houses of two stories,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-morse-earle/by-the-year-1670-wooden-chimneys-and-log-houses-of-the-plymouth-and/) [Alice Morse Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-morse-earle/) > [“It is just that I don’t know how I could live without the hope of her. It would be like learning to live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-just-that-i-don-t-know-how-i-could-live-without-the-hope-of-her/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) ## More by Mary C. Jones > [New situations requiring closer contact with the rabbit had been gradually introduced and the degree to which these situations were avoided, tolerated, or welcomed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-jones/new-situations-requiring-closer-contact-with-the-rabbit-had-been/) Mary C. Jones > [From the test situations which were used to reveal fears, it was found that Peter showed even more marked fear responses to the rabbit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-jones/from-the-test-situations-which-were-used-to-reveal-fears-it-was-found/) Mary C. Jones Explore all 3 Mary C. Jones quotes ## More Afraid quotes > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [“Carrie Fisher. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/carrie-fisher-stay-afraid-but-do-it-anyway/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) > [I used to be afraid of my temper, but it turns out I don't really have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-bell/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-my-temper-but-it-turns-out-i-don-t-really-have/) [Zoe Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-bell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I'm a pretty fearless person. I'm afraid of, like, creepy men in white vans and sidewalks with no streetlights. But I'm not afraid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/i-m-a-pretty-fearless-person-i-m-afraid-of-like-creepy-men-in-white/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [I will support my party when they are right on an issue, but am not afraid to stand up to party bosses who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darlene-senger/i-will-support-my-party-when-they-are-right-on-an-issue-but-am-not/) Darlene Senger > [Why am I so afraid to loose you,when you're not even mine?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-am-i-so-afraid-to-loose-you-when-you-re-not-even-mine/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I want to tell you, but I cant, becuase I'm afraid if I do you'll never treat me same the again](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-orante/i-want-to-tell-you-but-i-cant-becuase-i-m-afraid-if-i-do-you-ll-never/) [Cristina Orante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-orante/) > [Mistakes I've made in the past make me afraid to try new things in the future. I want to be perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/mistakes-i-ve-made-in-the-past-make-me-afraid-to-try-new-things-in/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/) [Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/) > [If you are too afraid of failure, you cant possibly do what needs to be done to succeed in living a fulfilling life. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-you-are-too-afraid-of-failure-you-cant-possibly-do-what-needs-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“I think the reason we're cruel sometimes is that we're afraid we're going to like something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/i-think-the-reason-we-re-cruel-sometimes-is-that-we-re-afraid-we-re/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [I'm still with that feeling that I am afraid of doing the wrong thing, because somebody is going to punish me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eartha-kitt/i-m-still-with-that-feeling-that-i-am-afraid-of-doing-the-wrong-thing/) [Eartha Kitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eartha-kitt/) Browse all 5,519 Afraid quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Peter was 2 years and 10 months old when we began to study him. 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