Transitions? When to Stop Talking to your Child Like a Baby

OK, so I don't think we've really been too bad at talking to our children like they are babies. Yes, I admit I still say, "oh you got an owee?" or "no, that's ca ca!" to our 21 month old, but at what point does that stop?

We don't talk to our 4, 6, and 9 year old that way, but when did it transition?

The reason I ask is because I've seen a lot of baby talk out there to other children by their parents and the children are 5, 6, 7, and older. Does it matter? I'm not saying it is bad or good because I don't want all the ugly comments to come my way, but I will tell you what I have observed.

For instance, we will be playing at a park or a pool and another child, usually taller than my kids (no surprise there!) will come up and we'll ask him his name, how old he is, and what grade he's going into so my kids can relate more with them to play, and then we are surprised by what comes out. More often than none it might be a 7 year old who says, "My name Luke. I seven year old. My school is be done. Me gonna be first grade."

Now I'm really not sure how to react. I don't judge the kids like there is anything different. I actually think it is kind of cute, but I just wonder why they are still talking like they are so so young. I may meet the parents and more than less again these are the parents that are like, "oh Johnny, wow! You ARE such a BIG boy! Yes! You found a friend YES YOU DID! Johnny go play a little longer, Mommy and Daddy need to do this and then we can go home and go pee pee in the potty and nappie time."

OK, so I might be a tad exaggerating, but really, I am all for positive talk and enthusiasm, but some of these parents just sound so funny! Especially when they are saying it to an 8 year old! I often wonder if their children are talking the way they are because the parents aren't having normal conversations with them.

No, I don't think we need to discuss politics or problems of the world with our young kids, but I do think they can be mature enough to have a normal social conversation with normal words rather than adding an E to the end of it or making everything sound so cutesy all the time.

Once again, though, when do we make the transition? I always refer myself as "Mommy" and my husband as "Daddy". And I have a hard time talking to my youngest child saying "Mommy needs to go to the store" as opposed to when it's my 9 year old and I just say "I need to go to the store." And really, why do I talk in 3rd person anyway? I think it is a teaching tool in the early days, so that our young children can identify names and connect people with words. Ok, I'm just making this up as I go, but it sounds good.

It would be interesting to actually have some sort of study that showed how childrens' communication evolved depending on the communicative environment they were surrounded by.

As for now, I'm still Mommy, and I still think things are ca ca and I don't like getting owees.

6 Years Old, Finished with 1st Grade, Are We Ready for 2nd?

Well, our little 6 year old finished the school year. He's actually going to be in 2nd grade next year! How is that going to be?

It's been interesting to watch him this past year so small and so young in his classroom of 6-8 year olds when he started out as a 5 year old who was supposed to be just in Kindergarten.

How did he do?
Well, academically he was perfect. He had all good marks and scores.
Behavior-wise he was also great. His teacher raved at how much everyone loved him.
Socially he seemed alright. He told me he had some friends and I watched him with his classmates.

But now, the big question is developmentally, how is he there? This is the one that will take some time. Sure he is smart and creative and friendly, but then here is an about to be 2nd grader who just barely figured out how to tie shoes and not very well. He can kind of ride a 2 wheeler bike, but he still can't start by himself. He still likes Sesame Street and Elmo's World, and he is still pretty clueless to how the world is.

I know this was a big issue when we were debating skipping him Kindergarten, but I think he will catch up in the end. I see all he has accomplished this year in school and I can't imagine what he would have been doing still coloring pictures about the ABC's in Kindergarten. I've seen him along his classmates and he is still pretty far advanced than many of them in terms of reading, writing, and math. And these are the year older kids. I still feel good about what we chose to do. I know he absolutely loved 1st grade and is happy he went there.

Who is to know what would have happened if we left things alone and had him go to Kindergarten? We look forward to next year where 2nd grade seems so old to a little 6 year old. I hope things will be alright.

Out of anything, I believe his gifted abilities take a more creative focus. He was always reading and writing at a very young age being that he wanted to create stories and little mini books. He found such joy in piano when he could take his reading to teach himself to read music and play.

Also ending the school year, he had his first piano recital from only 2 1/2 months of piano lessons and he was spectacular. We couldn't be more proud. If you are interested in that, here is the video:

Stop Reading the Dictionary!?

So, recently I'm having a hard time getting the boys' attention or getting them to listen. And why, you may ask? Well, they won't stop reading the dictionary! Really, the dictionary! I don't know what is so exciting about the dictionary, but it must be so fascinating, that it is even causing wars between them.

They'll bring it in the van and then they are both fighting over who had it first and who was reading it.

Yes, the dictionary is following us everywhere. Into the stores and out on a walk.

I suppose this is a new thing. Before it was the brain teasers, atlases, and phone books that followed us everywhere we went. Alas, now it is the dictionary.

Our Little Piano Player

I don't often post videos on this blog, but we have talked about our little piano prodigy, and so we decided to add a video. He has now officially been taking piano lessons for 2 months. It is a lot of work being that mostly he is assigned finger exercises when he would rather just play songs, but we are seeing a difference.

We're so used to seeing him play that we take his gift for granted now a days. We have to keep telling ourselves, "Oh yeah, he's only 6!"



You can always hear all his latest songs if you go to his piano blog by clicking here.