A twist to a toddler classic

Isn’t it funny how toddlers learn to talk? One day, there isn’t a discernible word in the babble; the next, there’s a very obvious “bye-bye.”

Ladybug’s word choices so far have revolved around food, sleep, body parts and manners. Right now she’s obsessed with “bless you,” and you don’t have to just sneeze to earn one. Any unusual sound emitted – including a stranger’s toots in the grocery store – will attract Ladybug’s attention and a very loud “bless you!”

But the latest addition to her word lineup has me stumped. I have no idea where it originated, particularly since I have made a conscientious effort to avoid using it: “Mine.” I always figured that “mine” would naturally find its way into her vocabulary. After all, what’s that phrase emblazoned on every toddler T-shirt? – “What’s mine is mine, what’s yours is mine.” It’s innate toddler philosophy.

Knowing that, we’ve tried to establish boundaries with Ladybug ever since she started crawling and getting into everything. It’s a balancing act because we also want to teach her to share. So when Ladybug heads to my desk to start emptying out the drawer, for example, I don’t say, “Stop, that’s mine.” Instead, I opt for something along the lines of, “That belongs to Mommy and I need it to stay there so I can find it. But would you like to look at the sticky notes with me?” It satisfies my need to keep Ladybug out of my stuff but it also satisfies her curiosity. Well, at least that’s the theory.

So I was a bit surprised when I was trying to sneak in a quick lunch the other day. I was standing at the island in the kitchen, a fork headed for my mouth when Ladybug showed up at my legs. Her arm was extended upward, hand open.

“Mine,” she said, pointing at my fork.

It wasn’t as if she was hungry; she had just finished a big meal. It’s just that she wanted what was in my hand. Since then, everything is “hers” – the TV remote my husband is holding, the laptop when I’m typing, the food a random shopper is placing in their shopping cart. I guess it’s a part of toddlerhood that I can’t escape.

But at least I can be comforted by one thing: Ladybug’s politeness. She’s added a new word to her demands.

“Mine …. Please.”

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