You Say Tomato..

Is it wrong to purposely not correct your child’s pronunciation when their version of the word is SO cute. Having kids in Kindergarten and First Grade, I absolutely understand the importance of pronunciation. Sounding out words is particularly impossible when you pronounce vanilla, “a-nill-uh”. However, instead of correcting my one year old when he calls water, “wah-doo”, I encourage it by adopting his version of the word. For that matter, the entire family has started calling water, “wah-doo”(my one year old has us well trained). Experts say that when your child mispronounces a word, you should positively reinforce it with the correct word. For example:

Jordan (My 1 year old): I want wahdoo! (picture a mini tyrant ((minus mustache)), demanding water with furrowed eyebrows)

Mom: I will give you some water.

The result of this interaction supposedly teaches your kid to properly pronounce the word. I absolutely will not be doing this. Aside from the fact that mini tyrants in my house are made to say please and thank you before getting anything (regardless of age), “wah-doo” sounds way cuter than water (and slightly more sophisticated than wah wah. My baby’s got class.) Why would I want to “fix” it?

Kids grow up at light speed (effectively making us parents age faster than our peers), I see no harm in holding on to words that remind you that no matter how big they get, they will always be your baby.
What words do your kids mispronounce? Do you plan on correcting them?