Thursday, July 1, 2010

Toddler Speak?

My toddler is having a really tough time with some particular elements of the English language. Specifically, with pronouns –and they are confusing her to no end. Here’s the course of a recent conversation we had while driving in the car:

DD: Mom, I saw a boy on a bike back there.
Me: Wow, that’s pretty cool.
DD: Where was him’s mommy?
Me: Not him’s. Where was his mommy.
DD: Yeah, where was him’s mommy.
Me: His mommy, sweetie. Say it with me –where-was-his-mommy?
DD: (complying to shut me up) Where-was-his-mommy. I didn’t see she. Him was all by himself.
Me: No sweetie –he was all by himself. Say it right.
DD: He-was-all-by-him’s-self. Where was her?
Me: (sigh) Where-was-she. (!) I’m starting to see why this is so confusing to she, er, her.
DD: Where-was-she.
Me: Very good. I think she was standing by the door but you just couldn’t see her.
DD: Mom, please turn up the radio.
(sigh)

I don’t know how many times we’ve had similar, confusing conversations and it just hasn’t clicked for her yet. I’m sure it will, but until it does, the he/him’s, she/her’s, and we’s (as in, we have a pool at we’s house) are absolutely maddening.

I’m starting to feel a bit of sympathy for people that are attempting to learn English as a second language.

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