how do you help your kids...

[schelmischekitty]

talk better??  aiden is talking like a champ now, but sometimes blurs words, gets them mixed up, etc.  like peanut is "no nuts" or "numb nuts"...  nobody taught him that, he just started saying calling him that.  i tell him his name is peanut and he tells me "nu uhhhhh!" and continues to do as he was.  he's very hardheaded.  should i just keep on correcting him?

[kathryn]

I don't know if this will work for you but it worked on my friend's little sister.  Get ready for a long story.  Anyway, when Laura was little she wouldn't use the actual name for food like when they would go out to eat and her mom asked what she wanted she would say Bak Bak because that's the sound the chicken makes and they would get her chicken.  So they take her to the doctor thinking she has a speech problem or a learning disability but she doesn't.  The doctor said that she doesn't have to talk correctly because everyone understands her and her language.  So they eventually would just act like they didn't understand what she was saying so that she had to use the actual words. 

[schelmischekitty]

we do that already, when he does "blabber" all we have to do is say "stop mumbling" and he starts talking like a grown kid with no problems at all.  there's just some things that he doesn't understand he's calling it the wrong thing, and will literally argue with you over who's right (i love the terrible two's that last forever!).  maybe i should start asking him, "who are you asking about?" though?  maybe that would help.  thanks for the input!

[schelmischekitty]

thanks for the link!  aiden definately knows what words he's supposed to use!  he even says please and thank you every time he gives / receives anything, and can hold 30 minute long conversations with you (if he wants).  he talks better than most 4 year olds i've met, even.  he's just very hard headed and is still trying to be a "baby."  he'll even tell you that he wants to be THE baby!