Comprehension

Last week Sam was playing with a light-up toy while eating in his high chair. He was getting ready to throw a big handful of food on the ground, a habit we are trying to eradicate, so I searched for a distraction. I asked him, "Sam, can you show Daddy how to push the button on your toy to make it light up?" He immediately put the food back on his tray, grabbed the toy, turned it over and pushed the tiny button.

On Saturday we had some friends over to play. As is likely to happen when multiple toddlers are involved, there were multiple sippy cups around the room. Sam kept going for the green cup, which we told him about three times was not his to drink from. One more time he approached the green cup, but this time as he touched it he shook his head no and walked away. He repeated the action a few minutes later, as if he was now telling us that it was not his cup.

A little while later the owner of said green sippy cup was playing with a toy that Sam wanted. On first attempt, she was not willing to give him the toy. Sam walked away, picked up the green sippy cup and returned to offer it as a trade. He actually handed her the sipply cup and then tried again to take the toy from her. Unfortunately, she then walked away with both, but I was impressed with his ability to remember how we'd traded toys at playgroup.

So clearly Sam is now able to understand our instructions and some relational concepts. Since he doesn't yet have any words other than Dada and Mama (which is brand new), we weren't entirely sure. While this is encouraging, it also means we no longer have an excuse not to discipline...