Jul
2008
Alert, alert! Effusive kid bragging ahead!
Posted by Amish Prom Queen
Family Ties
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(1) Comments
Hey, give me a break. How many times in the past 2.5 years have I talked about what Emerson does?
People ask me if Emerson talks a lot for his age. Frankly, I have nothing to compare it to, so I don’t know what is considered “a lot of language” for a two and a half year old. I know we are always talking to him and around him. We tried to never use baby talk. The talking thing was something Michael and I both had to really work at. We’re usually pretty quiet around the house and don’t readily chatter about every little thing, so it took a real effort for us to realize that Emerson wasn’t going to spontaneously burst into language through osmosis. But I guess our efforts have had some effect. Emerson has a decent vocabulary, usually talks in full sentences, even if his pronouns are a bit mixed up. (He refers to himself as “you” rather than “I”)
He also does and says things that we didn’t know he either knew about, or was paying attention to. Including all the stuff we’d rather he didn’t. One big lesson we’ve learned…you can’t slip up ONCE on the things you say and do around toddlers. Especially the naughty things. Casually toss a piece of track onto the train table? Henceforth, all toys need to be thrown onto every surface. Surreptitiously lick the edge of your plate of the last delicious morsel of strawberry pie? Prepare for all plates to be licked. Use a bad word? Except to hear it. OFTEN. But ask them not to flush the toilet without permission? Somehow that information doesn’t compute, even after the 72nd reminder.
Yesterday we were curled up on his favorite place, my bed, and he laid his head down on my belly. “Baby brother.” He said, giving my belly a pat and a kiss. “Yep, that’s your baby brother.” He nodded solemnly, “When baby comes home to the people’s house…baby fusses and cries?”
I answered yes, that your brother will come home to our house and babies often cry because that’s how they tell you what they want. But I couldn’t figure out where the hell he learned that. I asked Michael, did you teach him that? He says no, thinks for a minute, then hits on it. Apparently, there is a show on Noggin about a family bringing a new baby home and all the things that go on with the baby and the big brother. Emerson picked it up and applied it to HIS baby brother. And they say toddlers don’t pick up new language from television.
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