My daughter has been asking lots of questions ever since she turned two in January. Of course, the most common question always starts with, "Why..?" While driving recently, her latest question was, "Why the car go like that?" I answered simply and truthfully, "The car is being bumpy because the road is rough because they are fixing it." My daughter is learning what "bumpy" means and why. Sometimes I even remind her of an experience that relates to the current one, "Remember when you were riding your tricycle on the grass, and the ride was bumpy?" Maybe next time she'll say, "Whoa, the car is on a bumpy road!"
As parents, we are constantly answering questions. Answer the questions, and answer them directly and truthfully, with the understanding of course, that your child is not going to understand the whole answer. They will gain some vocabulary to help them understand their questions later on, and they will respect you for respecting their question. As their vocabulary develops, start asking them, "What do you think?" with your goal to have them tell your their thoughts in complete ideas and sentences.
Even if your child is not asking tons of questions, talk with your child. Constantly. You are their model for their language development. If you don't communicate well with your child, they most likely won't communicate well with you. Talk with your kids while driving the car, while shopping at the store, and while eating dinner. Think of it as (almost) saying everything that is going on in your head. Try to have conversations, even though it seems like you are only talking to yourself. You can help your child develop a great vocabulary, be able to describe events in detail, or even understand how decisions are being made.
Try to reflect on the type of talk you have been having with your child. Do you mostly give commands? "Get your pajamas on." "Turn the T.V. off." "It's time to brush your teeth." "Go wash your hands, please." Instead of giving commands, maybe it's time you ask the questions. "Which pajamas are you going to wear tonight?" "What happened on the show you watched on T.V.?" "What books do you want to read tonight?"
Our bedtime ritual includes choosing two books to read, recapping the highlights of the day, and talking about "What are we going to do tomorrow?" I can't tell you how valuable I find this time of the day to be. Most of the time. Of course, I can't wait for her to go to bed sometimes and I do a little rush job...but most of the time I do enjoy reading the two books, talking about what she did during the day, and sending her off to sleep, looking forward to another day. "See you tomorrow. I love you!"
