Me: (picks up my toddler from daycare) “Alright, big girl, let’s go home and play!”
Toddler: “NO, MOMMY! WE GO TO NEW HOUSE! NEW HOUSE! NO HOME!”
(For reference, we recently moved, and she’s obsessed with the new place. She thinks “home” refers to our old house, so anytime we say it, she corrects us. Pretty amazing, right?)
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the miracle that is toddler speech. I feel like the first few years are one big checklist of milestones: eating solids, rolling over, crawling, walking, talking… just to name a few. There’s always something new to look forward to and celebrate, which, if you’re a parent, can feel like you’re constantly riding the excitement wave.
We introduced sign language to our daughter early—around 5 months—and she was signing “Milk” and “More” like a pro. At one point, I swear she knew at least 20-30 signs to communicate with us while she was still working on her spoken language. It was pretty mind-blowing to watch—this tiny human communicating effectively before she could form words. HOW? It was like watching a little wizard in action. Her “speech” at the time was mostly a mix of grunts, squeals, and gurgles—but they all had purpose. The intention behind the sounds was everything.
Now, fast-forward to her turning 3 (cue the happy birthday confetti!)🎂🎁🥳. As her parents, we can understand about 95% of what she says verbally. To a stranger, though, some of her words might sound like a secret language. We’ve had many discussions with my husband, wondering if she might need some speech therapy or extra support, but honestly, I’m still in shock at how much she gets and how much she can say. She’s got words coming out of her little mouth like a mini vocabulary machine.
With all that said… she is spicy. The better she gets at talking, the sassier she gets. She’s quick to correct us if we say anything wrong. Like, if I call the new house “home,” you can bet I’ll hear, “NO, MOMMMMMMY, NEW HOUSE!” Her go-to move is holding up her hand and saying, “Stop, please, I don’t like that,” especially when it’s time to brush her teeth or comb her hair.
I guess the reason I’m writing this blog post is simple: I’m so here for watching my daughter grow and develop her communication skills. Maybe it’s the teacher in me, but I can’t get enough of how she’s figuring out this language thing. It’s fascinating to see her gain confidence, independence, and start to express herself more clearly every day.
Stay fierce, baby girl. The world better get ready for you.