Have you ever thought about how hard it is to learn pronouns? As a mother of a two year old it is becoming ever more apparent. How do WE learn that when YOU say YOU YOU mean ME and when I say YOU I really mean YOU, not ME? I means ME unless YOU say it and then it means YOU, but when I say YOU to YOU but really mean ME how do YOU explain to ME the difference?
E: May I help YOU, please?
Mom: Not right now, the stove is hot. (Thinking his manners are impeccable.)
E: May I help YOU, pleeeeeeeaase!
Mom: YOU can help ME set the table!
E: No, may I help YOU, please!
Mom: (lightbulb flashes overhead) YOU want ME to help YOU?
E: Yes! (with a little happy dance!)
Mom: When YOU want ME to help YOU say this "Will YOU help ME, please."
E: nodding, May I help YOU, please!
This happens at least once a day. And the only reason he gets "May I" right and not "May ME" is thanks to his daddy's west Texas manners! Most times I catch on a little faster that he is confusing the pronouns. It's hard to transfer the "YOU" I say to him back to a ME, making YOU a ME and ME a YOU. Amazingly he rarely ever confuses the word MINE!
One of my favorites is when my niece was being left behind by Garmmy and E and she said, "Hey guys, wait for I!"
Imagine that as hard as this post was to understand, YOU probably eventually did. As for ME and my son, WE'll keep working on it!
1 comment:
That brought a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing the little frustration that is learning in a young child's life. I enjoyed reading it once I finally understood.
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