I feel like I want to write down every word that Monkey Says at the moment as most of it is really adorable! His vocabulary is coming on leaps and bounds all the time and his pronunciation is getting so much clearer too. He can pronounce his L’s now sometimes and is learning th rather than f. There is still plenty of cute mispronunciations though and some very cute sayings and phrases.
Manners
We have been working a lot on his manners over the last couple of months. I was always bought up to believe that manners were important (Manners Maketh Man my Mum always said :)) and actually because most of my day to day conversation is between Monkey and I it became really important to me to be treated with a bit of respect. Obviously when little ones first learn to talk the things they say are simple – want this, need that, give me this. After a while though as the main carer I started to feel like I was more of a slave. Being shouted at and ordered around by my toddler every day was not enjoyable. We had obviously been working on please and thank you for a long time but we have started to elaborate on it now and he is doing really well.
Now when he would like something he knows he has to ask nicely (sometimes he needs reminding but he is saying it more and more on his own too) “Please can I have some milk?” “Please watch Toy Story again?” etc. etc. He is doing very well and also says “thank you,” “no thanks” and when we thank him for things it is “You’re most welcome!” It just makes our home a nicer place to be and I think it is so important to ask for things nicely and say thank you. One of my friends always says that Monkey doesn’t have to say thank you to her if she gives him something, but I don’t think there are any exemptions to the rule, personally.
It is so cute hearing him be so polite though he is learning to try it on – saying please over and over when he wants a biscuit “twease can I have a biscuit, twease, twease, twease” and “no fanks” when he doesn’t want to do something, like eat his vegetables or have a nappy change! We try not to let him get away with it but occasionally he does get something because we can’t resist him asking for something so nicely.
Conversations
We have some lovely little conversations with him at the moment. I was getting LM ready for bed and listening to Monkey and Daddy at bathytime and heard this cute convo.
Daddy: Its teethy clean time then story time
Monkey: And sleeping time and wake up and playing and eating
Daddy: Is that your day?
Monkey: (very happily) yeah
I just felt it was a really nice indication of how much he loves his little life at the moment!
We’ve also noticed how we are really having little conversations. Now when we pick him up from playgroup and ask what he has done, he doesn’t always say “I don’t know” and will now often tell us what he has got up to.
Mr Potato Head
He has such an imagination now too which is lovely and since watching Toy Story a few times he is now in love with his Mr Potato Head toy and is currently carrying him everywhere. He couldnt find his hat the other day and kept asking for it. I said he should look in his toy boxes, to which he replied ” I can’t, I not a good looker” really despondently. I helped him look (and he decided he was a good “looker” after all and once Mr Potato head was completed he shouted “Look! Like on the TV!”
Then we were sat at the table and he was chatting to Mr Potato Head and then he got cross and said “he not talking Mummy” lol. Despite the lack of response he is talking to him a lot “Come a me Mr tato head” and “it’s ok Mr Tato head, Mummy gone to get Monkey’s drink.” He is such a cutie with him!
Other sayings
Another thing that he says all the time is “Got that at…” pointing at objects, books, toys at home, in the shops, on the TV. Most of the time it is “got that at playgroup” as they have some of the same books and the same step for the sink, and various other bits. Then there is “got that at Nanny Pop’s house!” and “Got that at home!” which is very cute.
We are also very much in the “Why” phase at the moment. There are lots of “why” and “who not” though I am sure we are only just entering this phase and will have more um fun with this over the coming months!
He also likes to talk basically all the time and narrates everything he is doing and often will repeat things over and over until we say it too, which drives me potty. We can answer him in a hundred different ways but sometimes unless we repeat what he says he will keep going!
Ah, he’s saying so much now! Lovely to get that insight into how happy he is with his days, too. Little Man is just getting interested in Toy Story, too – a Woody awaits him for Easter 🙂 x
Aww that’s so sweet – I love his “twease” – and the why phase is a lot of fun, and occasionally intensely frustrating!!
Lovely!!!! My little girl is 20 months old and starting to talk more. I love it though realise it will also bring the annoying ‘why’s too!!!! x #ordinarymoments
Aaah I loved reading this as Monkey is the same age as Sasha, and we too are working on the ‘pleases’ and ‘thank yous’ and it’s surprising how quickly they can pick them up (although we have still have a lot of bossing around too!). #ordinarymoments
Ah that’s so lovely. My LO is really coming along with her vocab too and, like you, we are really pushing for her manners which seems to be working. x
Ah this is lovely Caroline, it sounds like he is really doing great. I really pride myself on my girls manners although they do go through stages, especially now they are older. But for the most part they are very polite and say please and thank you to everything. We also have two that are obsessed with Mr Potato Head too!
Aw good girls! I do think manners are so important though little ones will never be perfect! haha good old Mr Potato Head 🙂 xx
Such a lovely little update hon, Monkey is coming on in leaps and bounds isn’t he. I find that language tends to develop at a rate of knots between 2½ and 3. Sounds like he has fab manners, go Monkey xx #ftmob
thanks lovely you’re so right, his has come on so much since LM was born it’s amazing! He is getting there with the manners though still needs reminding a lot lol! xx
What a cute post! It’s fascinating to see how kids’ language skills develop and it sounds like you’ve got a fab little chatterbox on your hands. Good for you for insisting on good manners. My little boy is 26 months now, and while his speech is coming on in leaps and bounds I also feel like his slave most of the time. Please and thank you is not such an issue (for which I am grateful!). Instead we are having a hard time getting him to listen – often he will whine and whine and whine for something without stopping to listen whether you’ve actually said yes! It frazzles me no end… Still, we’re working on it!
Thanks for joining in with the #sharethejoylinky
haha oh dear that sounds exhausting! Having already said yes while he carries on whining, hope he grows out of that one for you soon! xx
Such a lovely update and so lovely when they ask so nicely for things isn’t it – does make you more inclined to give in a little sometimes! I love the way Monkey talks to “Mr Tato Head” and his summary of his day – that sounds rather nice to me! Thank you for sharing with #ftmob 🙂
Thanks honey and me too, I wish my day was that relaxed and fun 🙂 xx
This is just so lovely, and so like the wee girl! I love that I can have proper little conversations with her now, and you’re right, them asking nicely rather than demanding makes a big difference to your day, I was also starting to feel like a slave! #ftmob
Thanks lovely, it is so great to really chat with them isn’t it? And ooh yes being asked nicely makes such a difference, I get very grumpy when I am being ordered around 🙂 xx
Oh my Caroline – manners are our thing right now too! I hear ya! I thought we taught them please and thank you AGES ago and this weekend everything they have asked for has been repeated back to them with “what?” at the end of it haha Its been quite embarrassing really sometimes! BTW I absolutely love the quote your mum used to say (#deepstuff) !
So glad to hear his speech is coming on its always exciting x
haha thank you, I always used to roll my eyes when she said it but it certainly stuck with me! I know what you mean and it’s worse when you know that they know what to say! 🙂 xx
Oh isn’t it the most exciting time when they begin having proper conversations with you (and role playing a bit with their toys too!) We seem to have totally missed the “why” phase, I keep waiting for it but it doesn’t seem to be coming… we do have a lot of the “yes please” and “no thanks” though when he wants (or doesn’t want) something.
How lovely that you are documenting all of this, it means you’ll be able to look back and remember all the sweet ways in which his personality and character has developed 🙂
Popping over from #sharethejoy
Thank you and that is my hope – that one day we can look back on it all as my memory is atrocious! xx
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Aw, I think that’s one of the best things about the age Monkey is at the moment, hearing him talk, listening to all the cute things said, I love it!
Thanks for sharing #LetKidsBeKids
Awww how lovely, and so cute that he has such good manners, Boo is still a bit hit and miss with ‘ta’ though she is only 15 months so I will let her off for now! I do keep repeating it though and then she thinks it’s a game!
Aww bless her, I think she’s doing pretty well and I will only get better as she gets older 🙂 x
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