Amaya's version of Christmas:
"Did you get a present for you?"
Amaya got a lot of fun stuff, especially stuff that is eensy teensy and gets lost the second she takes it out. I am stressed trying to keep it all together because I assume she will have so much more fun if there are two Ariel shoes instead of one, and cups for Polly Pocket's kitchen instead of none. I think Amaya believes her gifts to be the disposable versions, like the paper cups at nursery we buy from Costco.
One thing I love about the way Amaya speaks is that she sprinkles in articles like furikake on rice. Unmistakable and fishy, taking the place of something more meaty.
"I want a go a Turtle Bay."
"I want a go a party."
I guess I should enunciate my prepositions better.
After Da told me how Enzo was answering all her questions about nursery on Sunday, I asked Amaya. "Did you go to Nursery?"
"Nursery."
"Amaya, who was your teacher at nursery?"
"Nursery. Teacher."
"Amaya, what did you do at nursery?"
"Nursery. Yeah," she said, while bobbing her head up and down in agreement.
The other thing Amaya mixes up is pronouns. She assumes "you" is herself. Because of Enzo's amazing ability with puzzles, I thought I would help Amaya with a puzzle. We spent several minutes on a puzzle, mostly with me telling her to turn the pieces around and her trying to force the piece into an obviously incorrectly shaped hole. After we finally got the pieces in I told her to put the puzzle away in the cupboard. She walked up there and tried to force the puzzle into the cupboard, which was too skinny width wise, which meant, she needed to turn the puzzle to fit it on the shelf. She backed up, walked up again, and hit the puzzle against the cupboard again. She did this several times, backing up, slamming, backing up, slamming, never once turning the puzzle to fit it in. She looked at me, who was laughing in a pained way, and said, "Help you?"
I think she's trying to tell me something: I am not allowed to be her teacher. She wants to learn everything herself, and if she doesn't want to learn it, she wants me to do it for her. This is probably why she closes the book any time I try to point out letters, colors, or numbers. It is an immediate show-stopper for her. So tell me, can kids learn all of these things without us, our flashcards, baby einstein DVD's, counting drills, and cultural field trips?
12 comments:
I get to be first for once! hee hee I beat Kristina P.
Hi Kristina P! Lurve You!
What an adorable photo. And yes, they can learn it without us. I know that puzzle would have gone in if she had just kept backing up and slamming.
How was your food porn party that I wasn't invited to?
OMGosh, I can't see that verifier. Should I just take a stab at it?
After taking 13 stabs at it, I decided to cut and paste this comment to another box.
First, I have to check to make sure I can see the word verifier. I had to replace my template today including all my widgets and I have done enough copying and pasting for one day, thank you very much! Okay--it's there. Good. Ahem! Amaya sounds delightful! Or, she will be when she gets older. hee hee. It could be a long few years for you but she will be a grand adult!
woah you think Enzo is smart huh? I think he's smart too but that's because I'm his mom and not the next door neighbor who has the 3 year old who knows all the state capitals.
Amaya is plenty smart. Plus she has great emotional intelligence. I like her hugs and we all know that being able to give someone hugs at the right time is much more useful than knowing how to do long division.
Dang you Dummy!!! And Mariko, does she talk like that in real life? I sort of picture her on meth/crack.
Anyway, back to the post. I love when little kids start talking. Nothing is cuter that they way the mispronounce words, and she is so cute!
Da--
I could care less if she could do long division. Put things away? Now that's a useful skill that I never learned myself. Jake says I'm spatially retarded.
Meth/crack? Grrrreat. I guess she just has a natural high.
>So tell me, can kids learn all of these things without us, our flashcards, baby einstein DVD's, counting drills, and cultural field trips?
Yes, yes, yes, and yes, amen. (What do you think PBSKids TV is for, anyway?) Older siblings help, too, not that you can do much about that factor.
I never remember specifics about kids' linguistic development, but I do remember something about how they learn to generalize before they learn specific exceptions. So using "a" for everything shows she's learned one language rule; she just hasn't yet learned when it *doesn't* apply. (I hope that made any sense.)
I hate that I had to remember to come back to say how adorable and gorgeous she is, since obviously that's the *first* thing I should have said.
oh yeah put things away...
I can't take any credit for enzo putting things away since I don't put my own things away.
My answer to your final question is "absolutely not." Children cannot possibly learn without us shoving DVDs, flashcards, and all other forms of learning down their throats. If we didn't "participate in the process", we would have no purpose as parents, right? :)
Amaya is a beautiful name. Is it Hawaiian?
-Francesca
Amaya is actually a Japanese name, but not really. It's an invented Japanese name that means night rain. My mother would be trying to clap her hand over my mouth right now if she was here. It's very auspicious to name your child after the weather, according to her.
Oh yeah. TV, I forgot about TV. Well, she definitely knows everything about Kung Fu from Dreamworks.
You mean inauspicious, right. Miriam was not interested in reading forever, even though we knew she'd love it once she figured it out. In like three months we went from, "S. . .ee. .. See.. . Dick . . . r . . un... run." to "Miriam, put that book away right now and come to dinner." Gwyn really wanted to learn to read in Japan when Miriam was, and now she isn't interested. For Miriam, I think the social aspect of learning at school is a way bigger motivator than pleasing her parents.
I wish I had some anecdote (big word! I know!!) about Aaron and learning and talking. right now, he thinks everything round is a ball and will point it out and repeat the word ball several times. ooh. does that count as one? and btw, Aaron loves Super Why on TV, not the whole reading and changing words but the music, he likes to dance to it. He likes the Backyardigans theme song, he can watch that over and over again without actually watching the rest of the show. wow. sorry so long. ;D
and Amaya...at least she's independent and doesn't want you to do EVERYTHING for her...right?
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