Wednesday I took my daughter Elise to the doctor for her 15-month checkup. I'm pleased to report that she is growing and developing right on schedule for a child her age, but there was one blemish on her medical report card.
As the doctor was asking me questions I saw him putting check marks on the page for her file until he asked me about her language development. He asked me if she was talking yet and I said she really only has one or two words right now. That's a bit behind for the "average" 15-month-old, but is not unexpected for a child with two older siblings. Simply put, she doesn't have to speak because her big sisters do all her talking for her.
While this isn't really unusual, I did notice that the doctor put an X on that line rather than a check mark. All intellectual understanding aside, no parent wants to see his baby get one of those on a developmental checklist.
Later that evening after I had relayed the events of the doctor visit to my wife the following conversation occurred.
Barbie: "She really has about 15 words. She can say 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' and 'Abby' and…
Me: (interrupting) "Are these real words, or just sounds you're calling words?"
Barbie: "They're things that she can say and I know what they mean."
Me: "Those aren't words, baby. Words are things that she can say to anyone who speaks English and they'll know what she means."
Barbie: (long pause) "She can say 'Cup.'"
Those pesky definitions. They change everything.