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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DD has started to mix up sentences

3 replies

rollerskaters · 25/01/2023 06:00

She's just turned 3.

She keeps saying:

'Don't I like it'

'Don't I want it'

Rather than I don't like it, or I don't want it.

She used to say it properly until a couple of weeks ago.

Whenever she says it wrong, I just repeat it correctly.

Is that what you're supposed to do ?

She started at a new preschool, perhaps some kids are speaking that way there ?

OP posts:
Desertbarncat · 25/01/2023 06:05

You are doing exactly what you should do. It’s a normal part of the process of learning a language.

JarByTheDoor · 25/01/2023 06:08

Disclaimer: I don't have kids and don't have any qualifications in child language development.

Children don't start out understanding how inversion changes the meaning of a sentence in English ("I am French" vs "Am I French"). Presumably they have to learn that at some point and that involves experimentation and getting it wrong. She's about in the right age range for it? I'd do what you're doing TBH.

snowlolo · 25/01/2023 06:08

It's OK, this is pretty normal in language learning. She's testing it out and getting to grips with word order.

Just keep modelling it and don't make a big deal out of correcting her.

If she's still doing it when she gets closer 4, then talk to nursery/ think about speech & language therapy referral, but I strongly suspect she will be past this in a few months if she's otherwise meeting normal developmental milestones etc.

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