Mia's Room. Before I put Mia in her crib for the night, I kneel down and gently move her face to look at mine. "Mia say I....Love....You" Her face is pointed towards mine but her eyes are looking at all the knick knacks that she has on her shelves. "Come on honey, say I...Love...You." "Ah" the sound is so short its sounds chopped off at the end. "Good" I say. "Now say Love". "E" "M" "Ch" she stutters. "Honey look at my mouth" I hold her cheeks in my hands as I slowly mouth the "L" sound. Mia sticks her tongue out making the facial gestures as if she was saying something but no sound is coming out. "Good job honey" I say. I know the "L" sound is really hard for kids to master.

I was talking with one of her teachers yesterday and she mentioned that there are five year olds who can't say it correctly. Considering that Mia is still trying to master the easy words I don't want to frustrate her too much. "Ok Mia, now say "You". "Ooo" that one is the easiest for her. Mia has yet to consistently say any one word or phrase. She has proven to have the ability and comprehension, but I think she just can't make her body do what her brain tells it to. I always have to be aware of Mia's limits when working on a skill. She tends to have a pretty short fuse and wants to give up quickly. I don't want to push her so hard that she just shuts down but also if it were up to her she wouldn't have to work on anything.