Pronouns

It used to annoy me when people spoke about themselves in the third person and/or when they speak from the point of view of another being. I thought there was absolutely no excuse for people with serious pronoun deficiencies. Partially, I think, because it irks the editor in me. Too much repetition and too many passive sentences. But aha, oho, who's got pronoun problems now?

"Would Dexter like to have breakfast with Mommy," I'd ask Dex instead of "Would you like to have breakfast with me?" Throughout the day, I rarely say "I" or "me" or "you" to Dex.

A feminist analysis of this would probably say that this is contributing to my loss of identity but let's not go there for now and look at a more basic reason. Young kids don't get pronouns. They are barely aware of the difference between them and mommy and daddy. Think about it: the word "me" changes according to the person using it. When mommy uses it, it means mommy and when daddy uses it, it means daddy. What a strange word and quite a complex concept for a baby!

Part of the maturity experienced by the kid at the toddler stage is the growing awareness of this separation between them and caregivers -- a scary yet empowering time. I think understanding the concept of "I" and "me" precludes some understanding of volition, too, so as they get more aware of this separation plus their power to influence outcomes, the concept of "I" also starts to develop.

Back to pronouns, Dex said "me" the other day instead of "Dexter." I think he's starting to get it. He's certainly experimenting with the use of it so let's see where this goes. Sounds like mommy is really enjoying her little social science experiment.