Sentences

‘Arker? Nap…yesh.

That was one of the ‘sentences’ that Parker spouted off the other day when it was time for a nap. Sentences in the toddler would generally aren’t well structured or grammatically correct, but it’s more the ability to string together multiple thoughts at a single time, generally applying a verb to a noun or answering their own question.

It’s hard to believe how well he has started communicating with us. We actually have legitimate back-and-forths now (usually him simply telling us ‘no’ to something we ask, but that’s okay). He’s also started following verbal directions more. As I typed this, I yelled into the living room for Parker to come give me a kiss, and in he came and a kiss I got. He’s also starting to pick up on cues based on a situation he might be in. In church, he knows he can’t yell, and if he thinks what he just did was too loud for church, he’ll say “shhhhh”.

He likes to help out around the house now, pre-empting what he does with a “thank you”. For instance, he’ll hand us a dish from the dishwasher and say “thank you” as he hands it to us. He helps pick up toys, he’ll close the door for us.

You think a kid can’t change much more than from birth to age 1, but I’d say age 1 to age 2 gives it a run for its money. While most of the change that occurs in the first year is mostly physical, it seems the second year is mostly emotional and mental. You think of the milestones in the first year: holding their head up, rolling over, crawling, cruising, walking, and then the second year: words, puzzles, sentences, identification of objects.

And of course, for me, the understanding of his language. Of course his words aren’t completely clear yet, so translating becomes a big part of what I do, but on the bright side, he’s willing to keep saying what he wants to say until you understand.

This year has been a lot of fun, and next month, we’ll be halfway through the second year, on the downhill to age 2. What more can he learn in just four months?