THE UNIQUE WONDERMENT OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT

One day while sitting with a toddler and observing the unique wonderment of child development, the toddler said “baugh”, that was as close to bottle pronounciation as she had developed. Holding her bottle out to me she said “baugh” again. The bottle was completely empty. She wanted a refill. Here I was relishing in the wonderment of her partial pronounciation of a new word. She was becoming impatient and said, “baugh” again. She had been forming more and more words. This was the first time I had heard this one. Her mother had tried many times to get that object away from her. I think now she was ready as her mother has been for quite some time. The forming of that word meant it was time for a toddler sipping cup. When they can ask for it , it is definitely time for the bottle crutch to go. The sipping cup had been introduced only to be tossed aside, nothing had been able to replace the bottle. Her mother agreed we would take this as a hint from nature, it was truly time to toss away the baby bottle. Nature was going to be taken as a definite que to be done with an object her mother no longer wanted her to use.

The one syllable word cup should easily replace that two syllable object. Money had been saved for this shopping event. Today we go to Walmart and shop for sipping cups. There will be no more of that two syllable object that has caused tantrums whenever a cup is offered. We’ll let little toddler fingers even choose which cups we buy. We will purchase some of all kinds. Some with handles and some without, some with faces and other interesting designs, even some with cartoon characters like Dora. We will be teaching the word cup everyday now, and no one will be allowed to say that two syllable word bottle. It has had its time and has to be put to rest. The bottle will not be placed in the sight of those child developing eyes again. That word will not be taught until many weeks have passed. But even though "baugh" has to go, it was still a joyous moment to hear it said by such a little person. The wonderment of their developing years has no end.