Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Toddler Twins talking

I love our daycare.  They focus so well on infant through preschool intellectual, social and emotional development.  The hubs and I dropped the girls off for daycare the morning after tossing their pacis, and notified the lead teacher that they had done really well with dropping them off, and had processed it well.  She proceeded to tell us that toddlers can learn up to four new words a day.  Four.  Now I feel challenged to make sure I am introducing four words to them a day, in a context that they can understand the usage.

I don't want this post to seem braggy or preachy.  I know all kids are different.  But I also get tired of people who generalize that twins "talk late" or that twin parents shouldn't be worried if their twins aren't using many words by two "because they are twins".  A few weeks before SB and BW had their 18-month doctor appointment, I started writing down words that they spoke, because I wanted to have an idea of their word count if the doctor asked.  I had to keep pulling the list out frequently because they were adding words every day. By 18 months, they each were saying approximately 85-90 words, not counting animal sounds.

The downside?  They also easily pick up on my terrible speech habits and repeat them - most of which I am unaware of until two little minions in my house start using them frequently.  For a long time, SB and BW used "Yeah" as a reply instead of "yes".  I joked it was the German in them.  Now, when they are trying to assert their independence, they emphatically say "I do it, kay?" - apparently from the multitude of times they have heard me say, "Mommy will do it, okay?"  And my latest, least favorite, when I say their name, they will reply "What?" Argh. 

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