Ish
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 9:22AM Baby T turns 2 tomorrow. He's a big guy with a wide, goofy smile, sparkly eyes, devilish personality and bountiful heart.
He's a man of infinite hugs but few words.
These days, he prefers "Osh" to describe the pillow, the wall, the chair, the lamp, his sisters, the plate, the EVERYTHING. His universal word used to be "Ish," something he yelled so often and so insistently that my mother turned it into his nickname.
I exaggerate, of course, but not much. He can say "Mama," "Papa," "Uma" and more than 30 other words in some form or fashion that the family understands. But even I need a few minutes on occasion to decipher his babbling which usually results in an exasperating conversation that unfolds thusly:
T: "Ba."
Me: "Ball?"
T: "Ba."
Me: "Block?"
T: "BA!" Points his finger. Shakes his head. Screams with his eyes "You're an idiot, Mama."
Me: "Oh? Boat?!"
T: "Yeah." Smiles. Runs off to bear hug a sibling.
Having watched four children grow from babies to toddlers and beyond, I'm well aware children hit milestones at wildly different times. Desmond recited Beatrix Potter story lines and strung together sentences at 18 months while Josephine's vocabulary consisted of fewer than a dozen words. On the other hand, she could run, climb and use a spoon light years before her twin brother.
In other words, I recognize Tobias is a late talker but I haven't worked myself into an anxious frenzy. His doctor mentioned at his 18-month check-up that she could send him for hearing tests if his speech delay lingers, and I planned to ask for the referral at his two-year appointment.
I also thought it was the perfect question to pose to the ParentsAsk experts. I'm especially glad I did because, well, watch for yourself.
First, don't you love the way Tobias says "poop?"
Second, fantastic tips, no? I've never been one to use baby talk and prefer, instead, to speak to the children like little adults, so the idea of over exaggerating the last sound is new to me. I especially love it when combined with the brilliant idea of reinforcing the sound with a tactile cue.
I have tried tying rewards to successful imitation but Tobias is a stubborn son of a gun. I got lots of footage of him flat out refusing to imitate my speech. It's too bad for you that it wasn't included because it's a hilarious battle of wills. So, I appreciate the expert's idea that I can try the imitation several times, then abandon the effort if Tobias gets frustrated. Sound, doable advice that we're already implementing.
Me: "Say 'milk.'"
T: "NO!"
Me: "You can't have your milk until you say 'milk.'"
T: "NO!"
Me: "Milk."
T: Silence.
Me: Give the milk cup to him.
T: Walks away to bear hug a sibling.
Again, apologies for the size constraints on my web page. They constrict the ParentsAsk video and cut off the text box. I'm working on a redesign. Well, in my head anyway.
Reader Comments (3)
I have no idea where he gets the idea that stubborn is a good tactic. Perhaps...from Uma.
It is quite heartening to see how well he has taken to having his own personal time to read books. Maybe books and out-loud reading will be his path to speech.
I'm not sure if you meant it, but I found the video quite funny. Cute kind of funny, but I chuckled watching. The cuts between you talking and you and Tobias interacting had comic timing. Anyway, good tips too. Glad you posted it.
Credit goes to Tobias -- he's a comedian and definite joker. Even at 2, he understands humor better than any of the older kids.