First Word and Experiments

L's been saying mama and dada for a while now, and she actually knows what they mean, she's not just babbling. So this is her first word other than those.

OW!

For days she's been coming up to E and bopping her on the head and saying "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Obviously, I don't want to encourage her hitting her sister, but E thinks it's hilarious. It is really cute the way she says it!

This morning she pulled my hair and said "Ow!" I didn't laugh, and moved her hand and said "Ow! That hurts mommy." She looked real serious and thoughtful. I can see the wheels turning as she's learning this new word and putting it together with actions. She's experimenting.

What happens when I do this? What if I do it to sister? What if I do it to mommy? Their faces look different. Sister laughs. Mommy doesn't. Sister doesn't always laugh. What if I do it a little differently? On their heads? On their legs? On the couch? Hard? Soft?

It's a good reminder for me that E is also still experimenting in the same way about a lot of things. That's how they learn. They try something, see what the reaction is, try it a different way, see the new reaction. They want to find the actions and words that help them be successful in the world, but that takes a lot of tries and a lot of mistakes. And that's what my next post is about...