By — Dorie
Dear Dorie, My 2-year-old daughter seems to talk incessantly. The problem is, I can’t understand a lot of what she’s saying. What’s going on and what should I be doing? — Mommy of a Mumbler Dear Mommy, One of the great things about the “terrific twos” is language acquisition. Infant gibberish becomes toddler attempts at adult language. This is great camera footage (or baby book notes) along the lines of, “I tawt I taw a puddy tat.” You can encourage your toddler in a few ways: When speaking with your daughter, get down to her level. Kneel or sit and make eye-to-eye contact to improve your listening and let her know that you’re attempting to understand.
When your child mispronounces a word, do your best not to laugh or correct. If you understand the word, use it in your response. For example, your daughter points to the stove and says, “tot! No touch.” And you respond, “Yes, the stove is hot. We don’t touch it.” If you don’t understand the word, ask for clarification. For example, “Please point to the tot for me.” This helps your understanding without discouraging her use of new words.
Finally, look for every opportunity to ask a question and establish two-way conversation. The answer will come and the correct pronunciation will follow. Good luck. (Dorie Meek is director of the Infant & Family Support Program, provided by Saint John’s Health Center in partnership with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Meek answers questions concerning children ages birth to 5 years old. Submit your questions to “Dear Dorie” at, or call (310) 452-6132; fax (310) 452-6392).
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 25, 2005. Read the original PDF.