Toddler Talk

Sweet Pea has been adding new vocabulary on a daily basis. She can say:

• jump
• Nana
• step
• boat
• bike
• nose
• eye
• cheeks
• knees
• toes

And many others. In the last few days she has started repeating things all the time. This is the point at which we realize "we REALLY need to watch what we say!" I have never been one to throw curse words around, and while Average used to, he doesn't much anymore, at home at least. This new stage of mimicry has just reinforced to me that I need to be mindful of what I say and how I say things to her and to everyone around me. Our children really do learn most from observing us. I am proud that Sweet Pea says "no" sweetly instead of angrily, and enjoys giving hugs and kisses. I think her dad and I can attribute those things at least partly to a positive example, but I cringe when I hear her pretending to talk on the phone with her sharp and to the point "uh, yeah, no, uh" noises. That is pretty much how Average and I sound on the phone to each other at times. At least she has recently added a nice "Heh-woe" at the beginning of her phone talk, which is super cute!


My idea is that we should try to be kind and gentle with each other, and use good words that we would want our children to use, and they will follow our model for them. I'm sure a few curse words will get thrown in when Sweet Pea hears them, but planning to try to ignore them when they do. My parents told me I went through a "cussing" stage when I was little but they ignored it and I stopped. For people without kids, do you watch your language around kids? Why or why not? For people with babies and toddlers, have you been thinking about changing how you talk in front of your kids? Or would you not need to? For people with older kids, what have you seen happen as they grow?