In just a few days, my granddaughter will be eighteen months old. I won’t be with her, but I ask my daughter regularly about the toddler’s accomplishments. Plus, my daughter and son-in-law are good about sending us frequent pictures on our Aura frame. So I can attest, she is growing up so fast!
Recently, my daughter informed me that toddler granddaughter can now do all the hand motions for “The Wheels on the Bus”. We’ve been singing that song to her since she was born, though I’ve never used the hand motions with her. But apparently, in the toddler room at her day care, kids are shown the hand motions, and she has picked them up.
I was amazed when I last saw my granddaughter in late May how much she understood. And how much she could communicate, even without words. We knew what she wanted to eat and how she wanted to play. But when I heard she knew the hand motions to the song, I was still impressed.
Many years ago, a friend said about his two-year-old son, “I knew he was intelligent when he pointed at a McDonald’s sign and said ‘E-I-E-I-O’.” And I agreed that was a sign of intelligence—the kid’s ability to make connections and to communicate that understanding indicated how fast his little brain had developed. That little boy connected two McDonalds; similarly, my granddaughter can now connect lyrics and actions. Things these babies certainly could not do at birth.
My granddaughter is only beginning to say words. At this point, only her parents understand what she says. But that will change. By the next time I see her, I hope to have an actual conversation with her, even if all I do is nod in agreement with her prattle.
A lawyer I used to work with told me the best way to get information out of someone was to simply say “Oh” to everything the witness said. Or “Oh?” Or “Oh!” Vary the intonation to show you’re paying attention. Most people will keep talking, and you don’t have to question them. Maybe that will work on my granddaughter.
Of course, soon after she starts talking, she will talk all the time. Wanting to know “why?” about everything. Wanting to talk about everything she sees. Wanting to make sense of the world as her perceptions of her surroundings grow.
There will come a point when her parents will need a break from chatter and questions. That’s when grandparents come in handy. We are fresh ears for the toddler’s need to communicate. I want to be those fresh ears for my granddaughter.
What do you remember about your kids’ toddler years?
