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Expert Q&A
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| By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist | ||
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My 33-month-old says "me" instead of "I." For example, she says "me want to go bye bye," "me love you," and "me need to go potty." Is this normal at this age? How do we transition our daughter from saying "me" to saying "I" where appropriate?
It is not uncommon for preschoolers to confuse pronouns or other grammatical structures. The English language is complex and requires knowledge of the many rules that can change based on the structure of the sentence. It is confusing enough for adults to learn English. Imagine how challenging it is for a child trying to learn that it is fine to use "me" here, but sometimes you have to use "I" It is amazing that children actually learn these rules without the help of a college professor!
The best way to help your daughter is to model the correct sentence back to her by saying, "I want to go bye bye" or "I love you." Exaggerate the "I" as you are modeling. Also, while playing a game, try to have her model "I want a turn." If she makes an error, gently correct her by saying, "I" in place of "me" with exaggeration. If she models you, give her lots of praise. If she makes and error, don't say "NO," because you don't want her to think that you are angry with her for making a mistake. Have fun and enjoy watching your daughter learn how to use language to communicate with the world.
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