A Grandaughter tale: Learning the language.

[Gyppo]

   Learning the language.

   My four year old grandaughter went to a recreation ground/park where she hasn't been for several months and was fascinated to see it had been upgraded.

   "Look, Mummy, it's been maintenanced."

   "Maintenanced?"

   "Yes.  That means the old stuff has been taken away and either mended or replaced with new equipment."

   My daughter told her the word was 'maintained' but was delighted with the explanation.

   This is what happens when you talk to children with real words and don't get stuck in baby talk.  Also when you explain things to them as you go along, and when they ask, even if you think they probably don't fully understand what you're saying.  Some of it nearly always sinks in.

   The little lass loves to explain things to us.   Usually prefaced with "Did you know..."

[JewelAS53]

Delightful, Gyppo.  That's a word that will be added to your family vocabulary   

My kids never learned baby talk, nor did they use walking rings. I figured teach them once.

[Gyppo]

Delightful, Gyppo.  That's a word that will be added to your family vocabulary   

My kids never learned baby talk, nor did they use walking rings. I figured teach them once.

She was also telling me she was going to have beans and sausages for tea, and was delighted when I told her that her Mum couldn't say sausage when she was a baby.  For  long time it came out as sissodge.  I could see her mentally filing that one away to tease her mum later.

Another favourite word of the moment is huge.  It gets used in place of bigger or older.  "When I'm huge I'm going to have a car."   It seems we are all grownups, but she is going to be huge ;-)

[fire-fly]

They learn so quick, some faster then others mate, she is the latter I think

[Cathy C]

How darling. Methinks Alma has her granddads love for words.

My granddaughter isn't quite two yet and she's just beginning to speak in short sentences. Most don't make sense, but she sure does love to say them. We have some fun conversations in our house

[Spell Chick]

I love the way small children play with the language. My older sister invented words which my mother passed along to us younger sisters.

Enjoy this while you can. All the "babies" are now too old for this. They have other tricks, but they aren't as endearing.

It took me into my teens to be able to say "memorial" because I just couldn't get the syllables in the right order. And then there was the President who couldn't say "nuclear" to save his ass. Sausage is a hard word to say.