Little Katie is learning the power of language. Before, if she didn’t want to do something, she’d just yell “NO!” and run away. Now, she’ll say “I can’t! I’m too little.” Then if you say “You’re not too little” she says “I’m too big.”

“I’m too grumpy” is the new one. Who told her how to make excuses? She probably learned a lot just by watching her parents.

Also, now instead of saying she wants something, she always says “I need it.” “I need a piece of candy”. She has discovered that “need” is a more powerful concept than “want”, and uses it to try to get her way. And if we tell her no, or spank her, she tells us “we have to be nice.”

Two and a half years old, and already language is something used primarily to manipulate others into doing what you want them to do. She’s a walking illustration right now of the sinful use of language.

But she also knows her Lord’s Prayer, Apostles’ Creed and the first question of the Heidelberg. Hopefully we can teach her the right use of language as well.