Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Pete and Repeat

I am really hoping this is a normal, natural part of learning a new language and not a methodical wearing down of the mommy through repetition. 

The littlest girls (6 and 7) have this habit of repeating the last word of whatever I say to them.

For instance... here was our pre-nap conversation today:

Me: "Why are you not in the bed?"
6: "bed?"
Me: "Come on...get in the bed... it's nap time!"
6: "time?"
Me: "Yes. Where is your sleep hat?"
6: "hat?"
Me: "Where did you put it when you woke up this morning?"
6: "morning?'
Me: "Please stop repeating what mommy says..."
6: "says?"
Me: "Oh good gracious."
6: "Gracious?"
Me: (trying not to scream...) "okay... go to sleep... do not get out of this bed."
6: "bed?"

I'm. Not. Kidding.
It's enough to make this mommy yank her hair out by the roots. Seriously.

Then I go to tuck in 5....

Me: "Where is YOUR hat?"
5: "hat?"
Me: "Seriously??"

They don't do it thinking it's funny...no one is giggling or smiling...
it's like they don't even realize they are doing it.
AND these are all words they use normally...
so it's not like they are words they just don't understand or that are just new to their ears.

But it's making me INSANE!!!

7 comments:

  1. Ha. Well that is what my husband does when he is stalling. "Teeth?" Yes. "Did I brush their teeth?" Yes. "Hmmm. Well it all depends on how recently you're talkin."

    I'm guessing it's just normal acquisition skills though ;)

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  2. This was the funniest post, I literally laughed out loud.

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  3. My 3-year-old Ethiopian boy does that too, so I think it's just language acquisition - or an Ethiopian thing! LOL.

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  4. Mine do this, too, especially my 9 year old! So annoying! And we all him "Pete, pete, repeat", too!

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  5. What is a sleep hat? Should I get one?

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  7. Our 3 year old (from ET) did this too! It drove me CRAZY, but Josh just thought it was hilarious. Actually it is a normal part of language acquisition. For a language learner, it is difficult to distinguish where a word begins and where it ends, unless.... you..... talk..... like..... this. The final word is the easiest to pick up on...


    That said, I do understand. They'll stop doing it after a while, and you'll actually miss it. I had already forgotten about our little guy doing this and it was probably only a few weeks ago that he stopped...

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