Say what?
You’re almost two. You’re babbling away. The person you are talking too just looks at you and says “Huh?” So you repeat yourself. Again, a blank stare from the other person. You repeat yourself again. The other person finally says “I don’t understand what you want, little buddy.” You want to bang you’re head against something.
I’m sure it’s frustrating for a child to not be understood. I’ve heard and read that’s what is partially to blame for the terrible two’s. Toddlers get frustrated by not being able to communicate their wants and needs. I’ve found something even more frustrating though; Being the person they’re talking too.
I feel so bad when Jack starts talking and I think I know what he’s saying, but in actuality I don’t. Why do I feel bad? I hear him talk all day and teach him new words, so shouldn’t I be able to understand him. It’s one thing when he has a pacifier in his mouth, but after he takes it out, sometimes I still don’t know what he is saying.
The other day he started talking about something during lunch. I had no idea what it was that he was saying (and still don’t). When he would say the word, I’d listen and then offer my interpretation, frantically trying to think of words that sound similar to what he was vocalizing. This only resulted in him saying “no” and repeating his word. This went on for 5 minutes. I was frustrated. He was frustrated. What could I do?
I did the only thing I could think of. I changed the subject. I changed the subject to something that I knew he knows how to say an something that I kow I can understand when he talks about it. “Thomas, Henry, James, Gordon, Edward, ………”
‘Til next time.