I am going to guess you never took a minute to check the development a human brain undergoes. It takes month until the human brain can form basic memories. Until then only things that they can actually see, exist. Understanding that consequences exist take another couple of month. Using them to their advantage consciously is a mental stunt infants can for sure not do. Seeing it as a correlation in these things is highly likely your human brain trying to rationalize the often irrational behavior of infants.

PS. I don’t want to imply your kids where not able to do such things. It would be a rare behavior though. PPS. Father of at least one