"I want some cookie don't"

My Jenny is trying really hard to express herself just like her big sisters and brother. She often repeats full sentences just so she can practice. Rather than say, "I wake up, Mom!" she says, "Mommy, I wake up in the morning!"

She'll also repeat things twice. "Hi Daddy, Hi!" or "Get my bottle, Mom! Get my bottle, Mom! Get my bottle, Mom!" (In fact, I can hear her saying that right now from her crib. Better go get it. . . Okay, I'm back.)

Jenny will also take communication risks--she'll try to say anything without fear of failure. Often, her sentences are completely intelligible; but she knows what she's saying, and she's quick to rephrase when we tell her what she should say. As a result, her speech is becoming more clear every day.

Today, Lizzy and Jenny wanted a snack. Lizzy's favorite treat is cookie dough, so she asked me if I could make some. "Mom," she said. "Can you make me some cookie dough after dinner?" Jenny knew exactly what Lizzy was talking about, so she chimed in with a slight variation. "Cookie don't! Cookie don't! I want some cookie don't!"

One of the main things I learned in school is that most relationship problems are caused by a lack of communication. More specifically, sometimes we say things we don't mean--or say them in a way we don't intend--just because we don't have the tools to express ourselves well. Just like Jenny's "cookie don't," we often include errors in our communication that can actually present the opposite of what we intend. The trick is to be like Jenny: self-reflective enough to discover them and fearless enough to change them. I'm working on that.