Beyond the Endless „Whats“
An eye-opening realisation that took me way too long.
Ever told your 4-year-old something only to hear "What?" five times in a row?
Yeah, me too. And it's super annoying.
My Lightbulb Moment
My daughter developed this habit of asking "what?" over and over when I'd tell her something. She'd do it in all our languages - Polish, English, you name it. Drove me crazy.
Then one day it hit me – she might actually not understand what I'm saying!
I have no idea why it took me so long to figure this out. But once I did, it completely changed how I talk to her.
The Challenge
When kids are learning multiple languages at once, they might seem fluent but still miss things — not that different from us adults actually.
Even though my daughter can chat away, she sometimes gets lost when:
My sentences get too long
I use uncommon words
I talk too fast
I give multiple instructions at once
For multilingual kids, this is extra challenging because they're juggling different language systems in their little brains.
Quick Tips That Actually Help
When I realized those "whats" weren't just to annoy me, I started:
Using shorter, simpler sentences
Speaking more slowly (when I remember!)
Adding gestures to help explain
Breaking instructions into single steps
Taking a deep breath instead of getting frustrated
It's Not Just You
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.
Many parents experience this, but it's especially common in multilingual families. Even when kids have good vocabulary, they might struggle with fully understanding everything we say.
When they're getting more talkative, we start assuming they understand everything. It's easy to get frustrated and think they're just being difficult. But sometimes they genuinely don't get it.
Your Turn
I'm curious about your experiences:
📊 Quick Poll: When your child asks "what?" repeatedly, what do you usually do?
💭 Reflection: Has your child had similar "what?" phases? How did you handle it?
Drop me a reply - I'd love to hear what works in your house!
Know someone that needs a little support on their multilingual journey?
Stay strong,
Magda