I recall some research I studied while in college that reported on how it is in the nature of young children to mimic the behavior of those a couple of years older. There was film of kids at play, and the follow-the-just-a-bit-older-leader compulsion was remarkable ... and very funny.

With no little awareness of the power they had over the littler ones, the older kids were often tempted toward silly extremes to encourage monkey see/monkey do, and the smaller monkeys never failed to comply.

Apparently, this is not only a natural part of the learning process, but also has a great deal to do with socialization and the impact birth order has on the development and personalities of those involved.

I'm the oldest child in my family, so ostensibly I did all of my early modeling on my parents, the other adults in my world and the occasional child I happened to come across, where my younger sibs copied me, and then each other.

You might think this puts the eldest in danger of becoming staid, rigid and boring, but that assumption ignores that fact that most children are, fortunately, silly at heart.

It takes only another child to bring out the full manifestation of the goof guru that lives inside many of even the more "adult" kids. Even the five-year-old who has grown up dining with Heads of State and conversing on childhood development issues, suitable television programming for tots and climate change goes all silly when deposited into the company of a four-year-old prone to serious hero worship for anyone just that much older.

Bring on a younger sibling, and the goofing around is promoted to an art form.

With an age gap of close to two-and-a-half-years, my two are perfectly positioned for Follow the Goofball, and both willingly embrace their roles in the game. Sam is adept at thinking of funny things to do that are easy for Cj to modify to her own capabilities, but that feature him as the true master. With an apprentice as willing and appreciative as his sister is ... she's very generous with her, "Bravo, Brother!" ... he is continually inspired to come up with faces, postures and activities that will get her working overtime to perfect some version of, and crack him up in the process.

Of course, it is Mark and me that get the full benefit. They're funnier than Mr. Bean and put on a show for us wherever we happen to be.