You are 20 months old. After your bath today, you wanted the sponge. When I gave it to you while your mummy was drying you, you squeezed it in the middle and said "ba". "Ba" is the Mandarin word for 8, which a squashed-in-the-middle sponge looks like. However, you still say "ba" for a butterfly, which I've been trying (especially in the last couple of days) to get you to say the whole word for (and you've done so very well). I asked whether you meant "butterfly" and you replied "ocho" (Spanish for 8). You are not only multilingual and creative, but able to adapt to what you understand my perception of what your understanding is.
Your mum has called you a genius for a long time. I have been more cautious (babies learn lots and fast). Today I thought your mum could well be right. You can count to 10 in 4 languages and know colours and body parts in the same. We use your the names of your "teachers" to get you to speak different languages. For example, "What colour is the sofa?" "ojo" (your "R" is not very good, yet). "Ayaka (your Japanese teacher) iu to?" and you answer "aka". We just need to keep the stimuli going. You are doing amazingly, son.
Your mum has called you a genius for a long time. I have been more cautious (babies learn lots and fast). Today I thought your mum could well be right. You can count to 10 in 4 languages and know colours and body parts in the same. We use your the names of your "teachers" to get you to speak different languages. For example, "What colour is the sofa?" "ojo" (your "R" is not very good, yet). "Ayaka (your Japanese teacher) iu to?" and you answer "aka". We just need to keep the stimuli going. You are doing amazingly, son.
