As our little ones come into the world, they start out with little gurgles, and then begin to add actual words to their vocabulary. They learn how to hook all the nouns together to form sentences, and as they get older, they communicate on a completely understandable level.
But on that journey, there’s a lot to learn, and sometimes the funniest things come out of their mouths. My niece used to call celery “lecery.” I think every child struggles to pronounce “spaghetti,” and my son used to call his wrist his “hand neck.” It makes sense, when you think about it.
But as teachers as well as parents, where do we draw the line between what’s adorable, and what needs to be corrected? When is the mispronunciation no longer cute?
I would take the following into consideration.
1. The age of the child. If he’s only two or three, it does no harm to enjoy his cute attempts at speaking. As he gets older, you’ll want to steer him toward the proper pronunciation.
2. Is he frequently cared for by others who perhaps don’t understand him? Is it causing miscommunication between him and those around him?
3. Are the other aspects of his vocabulary well developed? Is this one thing sticking out like a sore thumb?
4. Are you hanging on to those little vestiges of his childhood because it’s so hard to see him grow up?
I’ve been asking myself these questions practically since my children were born. I hate to see them move on from the little things they did as toddlers and young children. My five-year-old used to sing a little song whenever he needed to go to the bathroom, and I quote: “Peepee time, peepee time! Pee, pee, peepee time!” He outgrew it, and I miss it sometimes. Of course, I don’t want him singing it when he’s eighteen …
In the end, it’s something you as a parent need to decide. You want your child’s pronunciation to be good, and you want them to be easily understood by those around them. You want the absolute best for them in every aspect of their lives. But some of those little quirks are just so dang cute, it’s hard to let them go. Use your best judgment, that spark of intuition you’ve been given as a parent, and you’ll know what to do.
Related Blogs:
Encouraging Your Toddler to Talk
Building Your Child’s Vocabulary