My son tends to talk freely when his bedroom lights are off, he’s comfortable in his bed with his blanket, just before falling asleep. These are recent conversations that had me amused.
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“Eh! Eh! Move over. Eh! Move over. EHHH! Please” (It wasn’t in a demanding tone, more like a statement)
“What?” (I pretended not to understand)
“Move over. I want to sleep here”. (He usually wants to be very close to me before falling asleep, sometimes sharing my pillow, as in this case)
“Oh, you want me to move. Why do you want to sleep here? This is MY pillow.”
“Because I like you.”
“Hmm, you mean you want to sleep close to me because you like me?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, you like me? Thanks! Why do you like me?”
(momentary silence) “Because I like you”
“Thanks, but why do you like me?”
(He moves around then repeats himself) “Because I like you.”
(Silence from both of us)
“I like cars, lorries, trucks, diggers, bus....I like trucks, lorries, cars....”
I was laughing inside my heart! The conversation jumped to something he likes, because he couldn’t answer.
We next talked a bit on something else, by which time I was already dozing off and couldn’t remember what he was saying. He however, was still tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable position.
(Suddenly, he gets up and makes an announcement) “I’m not tired anymore. I want to go outside. (he heads to the door) I’m going out now, bye bye!”
I was laughing inside my heart again, at the way he copied what I sometimes do. Sometimes, to get him to follow me when he’s too engrossed in some activity, I say “I’m going now. Bye bye!” and he usually stops whatever he was doing to follow me.
I was too sleepy to follow him out. I knew he’d be ok outside the room as my husband was in the TV lounge and my helper was in the dining area. Btw, I later heard a lot of laughter. The next day I found out that he was helping to wash a pot, and had carried it to show my husband how clean it was! LOL
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“Itchy...itchy” (scratching some part of his body)
“What?” (I couldn’t understand as he didn’t pronounce the word properly)
“Itchy....itchy...here” (it was dark so I couldn’t see where he was pointing to)
“Why is it itchy? Is it a mosquito bite or is your skin too dry?”
“Too dry”
“Ok, I’ll get the lotion” (I apply the lotion to his leg). “There, is it still itchy?”
“Yes, here...here” (I apply a bit more and rub it all over his leg, ankle, foot)
“Ok?”
“yeah”
(I keep the lotion and get back to bed) “Much better?”
“What does it mean – much?”
“Much? Much means “a lot”. So “much better” means “a lot better” Is it a lot better?”
“Butter?”
“No, bEtter, not bUtter!” (I emphasise the different vowel used, and spelt it out for him, and broke it down to the phonic sounds. It was strange the way he asked if it was butter cos it’s usual that I ask him if things were better e.g. when he falls, and I rub his bruise asking if it’s better. Maybe it was different this time because I added the word “much” before the word “better”.)
“What is butter?”
“Butter? That’s like margarine that we spread on bread. It’s made from milk, which comes from cows.”
“Oh”
“So, is it better?”
“It rhymes!”
(I pause a moment to figure out what he said cos he has never said the word “rhymes” before. I didn’t know that he knew what “rhymes” mean. I had pointed words that rhyme in nursery rhymes but it was just a handful of times.)
“Oh yeah, better and butter does rhyme!”
“Why? Why mama?”
“Why does it rhyme? Because the ending sounds are the same – “ter”” (I then emphasise the phonic sounds again of both words).
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I love the way he’s learning by asking questions. There’s been a lot of “why” questions and “what is (a new word)?” which also make me think of ways to explain it in simple terms and in ways he can relate to.
I love how he figured out that it rhymes. It shows me that stuff that I’m exposing him to, is going in!
There were other occasions where he says things spontaneously and I love the way his speech is beginning to reflect his personality.
I love it because it reflects the progress he’s making.
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