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Pronoun reversal at 2.5

82 replies

Babymad1234 · 29/07/2025 10:52

How common is pronoun reversal at 2.5 , specifically you and I . She has a lot of spontaneous conversations and answers to a lot of questions but she doesn’t get you and I correct no matter how I correct her . She has some set phrases like “ I don’t want “ I got “ I have etc .
the reason I ask is because this particular pronoun mix up with you and I is not that common in a normal language acquisition process

OP posts:
Denimrules · 30/07/2025 10:26

SootherSue · 30/07/2025 10:14

That's what you thought was happening. Meanwhile, Bono is still waiting for his biscuit.

He'll be wearing those jammy dodger coloured sunglasses he has

CantFollowInstructions · 30/07/2025 10:28

My daughter did this for a while. I can't remember when she stopped, but she's 3.5 now and uses them correctly. I did English language A-level, including a module on child language acquisition, and I remember the confusing you/I being specifically mentioned as a phase children go through, along with referring to themselves in the third person i.e. "Sally do it".

CantFollowInstructions · 30/07/2025 10:32

ErrolTheDragon · 30/07/2025 00:21

This is one of the few cases where it’s hard to model correctly because the ‘you’ and ‘I’ swap. Unless maybe you’ve another person so the child can observe you addressing each other.

We modelled it for my daughter using her stuffed toys: "I want the green cup," says penguin. "Okay," says fluffy kitty, "I will give it to you. Look, now you have got the green cup and I have got the red one." I'm not sure whether it helped or she just figured it out naturally but it definitely didn't do any harm.

Latenightreader · 30/07/2025 10:33

My daughter called herself 'noo' (you) for several months. "No Mummy, Noo will do it!". She had figured it out by the time she turned three. It was very sweet.

TinyTeachr · 30/07/2025 10:49

Very normal. It makes sense to them as that is what they hear you say.

IthinkIsawahairbrushbackthere · 30/07/2025 11:25

My DS would lay the table and put out the plates: "Mummy, Daddy, Yours!"

Babymad1234 · 30/07/2025 13:36

DownWhichOfLate · 30/07/2025 09:38

Just out of interest: how’s her number / letters / shape recognition?

I really wouldn’t worry about autism though.

She can count to 10 and recognise those numbers but no letters , yes to shapes

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