Speak Up

Ever since Finley started speaking, we’ve been anticipating that next word.

We’re always wondering what she will say next. And almost every day, it seems like Finley comes up with some new word or phrase that makes us laugh.

Of course most of what she says comes from what she picks up at school. Then there are the things she can only have heard at home. Case in point: Last week, Finley was VERY busy doing important doll-related business, when I was trying to get her attention. I decided to try some funny voices and after a few seconds of silence, she didn’t even look up and said, “You know what? You’re a freak!”

Obviously, this isn’t something she got from me. And obviously, it was something she’d heard at home. That leaves only one person responsible. The same person responsible for many of the little smart alec remarks Finley has been spouting these days.

It’s funny how you really don’t realize how much you say something until a two year old repeats it back to you. And although it’s usually something funny, you start to realize how much you need to watch what you say.

And lately, as I’ve been thinking about what NOT to say, a funny thing has happened… I’ve been noticing all the things I HAVE been saying. As Finley’s speech has evolved, so has mine.

Maybe not evolved, but I find myself saying a lot of the same phrases over and over. In fact, I’m pretty sure my daddy-daughter dialogue is really only five or six phrases that shift and expand, according to the subject. And the majority of subjects center on some sort of deal-making or coercing.

Lately, I’ve been saying things like “Here’s the deal” and “Why don’t we do this?” or “What did I just say?” and “If you do X, I’ll let you have Y.” Counting seems to be very popular, too. Somehow we expect her to understand that by the time I get to three, whatever it is she should be doing or not be doing should either happen or cease to happen. Of course it seems like it takes us longer to get to three than it used to.

Then there are the things I know I will eventually say, but I’m fighting. “Because I said so,” is one I’m trying to avoid. There are others. You all know them. You’re parents said them. Their parents said them.

The good part about all of this is that there are other things she’s picked up. “Please” and “thank you” are becoming more popular in her vocabulary. But the best part is the random “I love you’s” that pop up from time to time.It’s interesting how we spend a good portion of our lives making sure people hear what we have to say, only to edit ourselves when little ones are around. But maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe we should always speak to others as if a toddler was listening. A few more “please” and “thank you’s and “I love you’s” might make life a little more enjoyable.