We have to keep R constantly engaged especially while changing his diapers else he would run off. So we come up with newer things to “teach” him and ask him to repeat after us only so he has his mind off the fact that he is lying still for a few minutes of diaper-change. During one such occasion we taught him the months of the year. It would have been just a couple of times we did that but R now says them all (of course in his baby “mazhalai” language).
He can count numbers one to ten in Hindi, English and Tamil. Of the three languages, he says it the best in Tamil. The way he stresses on “anjju” and “ombanddu” always brings a smile on my face. In English he generally skips the numbers seven and eight. Hindi version needs some practice..;-)
His recitation of the Alphabets is amusing. He says A, B, C, D, F, G, H, Y, Z, “H” and “X” being phonetically similar.
He enacts these nursery rhymes while I recite it- two little hands go clap clap.., teddy bear teddy bear, twinkle twinkle, finger rhyme. He has about 70 words in his vocab list though most of it sound similar to one another and only Amma, not even Appa, can understand it.
He currently loves the act of opening and closing any bottle or container. He is trying to master the turning of the cap on to the bottle/container and this can keep him busy for at least 10-15 mins. That’s a huge amount of “me time” I can get at one go.
When asked, “Onnodu paer enna?” (What is your name?), he points to himself and says, “ichab”. He has no knowledge of colours but says geen and boo. Ask the colour of any random object and you would first get a geen for an answer. If you say that’s not right, he will say boo. He loves the water but hates the bath session.
He is still the friendly kid and just about stops short of smiling and waving at every random person. He is drawn towards other kids – all ages. He tries to reach out to them by smiling and approaching them saying paapa paapa. (Even if the kid is older than him by 4-5 years, he is paapa :-))
He has entered the tantrum throwing phase. If he is reprimanded or doesn’t get his way, he bawls, lying on the floor and howls with tears - marble-sized- in his eyes. Mostly he doesn’t get any attention for such dramatic expression and those tears magically dry up the next second.
He is also mastering the bore-a-hole-in-amma’s-head strategy. It is a strategy in which he repeats a word-could be anything from asking something to eat or pointing to a toy he has or just saying amma amma amma- until amma has abandoned all that she is doing currently to focus solely on him. This strategy is successfully employed when amma is at her busiest either cooking or writing a post. Even as I write this, R is applying this strategy and amma has to quickly draw this post to a close.
Awwww! That's adorable. The tantrum phase is a long lasting one but around 2 and a 1/2 they start "really" listening to us. And the non-stop demands get really irritating sometimes. I sit down at N's level, look at him in the eye and then talk to him. Once he gets that attention he quiets down. Love to R and enjoy the phase before all the big-time talking begins :)
ReplyDeleteHahaha Uma.. the Amma amma amma phase lasts quite a while .. they are the experts at knowing just when to interrupt conversations or any activity that we are most interested in ;). Took a very long time for my kids to understand that when amma is talking on the phone, I would actually like to talk on the phone :) !!
ReplyDeletewow, Uma! All this for 18 months is really impressive!! all the best to R with learning new vocab! and yes, that victorious claim of "most of it sound similar to one another and only Amma, not even Appa" made me laugh! :)
ReplyDeleteSimram: will pass on your love to R..thanks a ton! am dreading the tantrum phase..does talking actually help? I try talking..he looks at me attentively for the time I talk and the next minute he is back!
ReplyDeleteAparna: it last a while, is it??..:-( I suspect I have quite a few holes already in my head..
Purnima: hey thanks so much! and amma is special na..;-)
i got to spend 5 days with my nephew roughly the same age as R, and he too experiments with cans and bottles. But his fav sport is falling down and crying to his heart's content.
ReplyDeleteReminded me of him:)
Perception: lol @ falling down and crying to his heart's content..kids are so similar yet so unique...
ReplyDeleteSo CUTE!!! I love toddlers!! R seems like such a lovely friendly child, I like the fact that he calls even older children "paapa" :) My daughter does that too. Oh and u will have quite a few holes in that head of yours over the next few years. Believe me "amma-amma" does not stop that easily. My son (almost 6 years) still does it :(
ReplyDeleteAparna: thanks:-) R is a friendly kid..and ya..abt the holes, many have told me the same..:-(
ReplyDelete