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Original poster

Mixed up "me" and "you" pronouns - does anyone else's DC do this?

14 replies

mrsgboring · 19/12/2007 19:55

DS is 2.1 and a good talker. I know it's fairly early yet for pronouns, but he's got a quite entrenched habit of using "you" and "your" to mean "me" and "mine;" i.e. he says "Pick you up." "Don't want your coat on" etc. etc. He very occasionally uses "my" to mean "your"

Understanding is fine, so I don't know whether I should worry at all. Trouble is, there's no really good way of correcting it, because it's so unnatural to repeat the sentence back with "I"s instead - that's not what I mean once I'm saying it.

Has anyone else had this? Did it sort out on its own? And/or is there a good way of gently correcting DS without sounding either mad or constantly picking at him?

OP posts:

HabbiChristmasToBu · 19/12/2007 20:01

As I recall (from studying child language a long time ago) that's really common. The whole "me" and "you" thing is a tricky concept, and also, if you think about it, he's more used to hearing "pick you up" than "pick me up", he knows that first achieves his aims, so job done.

You'll miss it when he starts to get it right!

IdrisYouaMerryChristmas · 19/12/2007 20:04

DS used to do that at about that age. And hasn't done for quite a while (he's 4 now).
I didn't do anything specific about it - it just happened.

Not sure whether DD (2.2) does it or not .

BirthdayBabe · 19/12/2007 20:09

my 3.4y old dd still does it. She doesn't seem to understand the difference and as you say it's tricky to correct her. I was told at nursery that they get the concept at about her age but I'm getting slightly worried because all the children of her age I know get it right. Her teacher doesn't seem worried so I guess I should relax and wait

Kathyate6mincepies · 19/12/2007 20:18

MrsGboring, I don't think you really need to do any more than continue to talk normally to your child, but if you really do want to model the correct usage for him, maybe you could talk about what you're doing, eg:
'Do you want your coat on? Yes? And do I want my coat on? Yes, I want my coat on too.' instead of 'Does Mummy want her coat on?'

fludnelb · 19/12/2007 21:49

My DD is 2.5 - muddled it up a lot in the early days but getting much better at you and my etc etc on her own - like you I found it difficult to correct, so didn't - but she is getting the hang of it now (and I miss it!)

MrsDandOllie · 19/12/2007 21:57

My Ds does this too.. he's 2.2. If I say do you want me to carry you? He will say 'yes mummy carry you' to mean 'carry me' etc. I dont correct him. he gets his point across and he is still in very early stages of putting sentences together so I'm sure it will come together in its own time.

ExDhsNutsRoastingOnAnOpenFire · 19/12/2007 21:57

Ds hasn't been an early talker but is starting to say me and my and you now and gets it wrong. I reckon it will come with time and your dd is doing really well with his talking. He's so young to understand what is really a tricky concept i.e. if it's me saying me I mean me not you etc!!

Original poster

mrsgboring · 19/12/2007 22:34

Thanks all. Glad to know it's common - I don't know any other child IRL who does it, so it's good to hear it's not a worry and will go away on its own.

OP posts:

mumeeee · 20/12/2007 12:11

Normal for a 2 year old.

IorekByrnison · 20/12/2007 13:37

My dd did this too. She's 2.3 and said "carry you" for ages when she wanted picking up. After much gentle correction she advanced to "carry you me" and just in the last few weeks or so is getting the idea and using you and me and your and my quite emphatically and (mostly) correctly.

I love this kind of mistake. It gives you a real insight into the way we learn and use language. They seem to connect units of speech as they hear them (in this case "carryyou") with simple concepts, objects or events, before gradually recognising through example ever more sophisticated distinctions. And it's very cute.

One of dd's first words was "hat". She was obsessed with the word and used it to describe:

hats
hoods
antlers
lampshades

I love it!

mumof2pixies · 22/12/2007 11:11

Gosh, I had totally forgotten about this! My ds who is now 3 used to do this all the time, it was so infuriating as there was no way to correct it! Im actually amazed at myself that Id forgotten all about it, as it was so bloody annoying! Dont get me wrong, it was cute at first...but then it just seemed to go on forever! All the other mums used to look at us puzzled when he did it and I was always having to explain it to them...and then they would laugh thinking it was hilarious! Hmmm!
Anyway, we tried to explain how to use 'me' and 'you' etc, but he didnt get it, so had to just leave it. Really cant remember when it stopped...but dont worry it will!! We also had the 'carry you me' for quite a while!

LoveAngelGabriel · 22/12/2007 13:05

My son is 2.10 and has just stopped doing this quite recently. It's a totally normal stage of language development - don't worry, and don't try to correct it too much (hearing you and other adults talk is the best way your child will learn, rather than being told how to say something 'properly').

cruisemum1 · 22/12/2007 13:05

my dd was a very early speaker and speaking in sentences by about 20mths, but she would always say "let I do it" I rather missed it when she got it right

ladyGrinchingsoul · 22/12/2007 17:11

Passing on the advice we were given by a SALT for teaching pronouns:

When you use a pronoun, point to or touch the person you mean.

When modelling the use of pronouns for your child, take their hand and point it to or tpuch it to the person to whom the pronoun refers.

So you can correct your DS when he says "pick you up" like this:

"I, (DS' name) (taking his hand and holding it to his chest), want YOU, Mummy, (taking his hand and holding it to your chest) to pick ME (his chest again) up".

We also found the Hat Game useful (can you put the hat on my head, put the hat on your head, put the hat on his head), starting out by using the pointing and fading it out as he gets the idea.

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