How Do I Teach 17 Month Old to Say "Ow" Only When She's Actually Hurt?

Your little girl is quite smart, to tell you "hey, I know that putting my fingers here will result in pain".

When she starts to say "ow, ow", redirect her. Most kids are pretty savvy in figuring out great -- and sometimes alarming-- ways to get our attention, and your daughter is proving to be no exception to this. So, when she says "ow", distract her. "Oh, what do you want?" Find out if she's hungry, needing a toy (bored--they like to get our attention because we are their best playmates), offer her a few things. Give her the language for the toy she might want. Teach her to ask for what she's needing. Try not to respond in an alarmed or concerned manner. "oh, show me the owie" calmly and matter-of-fact. "oh, that's not an owie. Does your hand need a toy to hold?" etc.

And please, for your own sake, try not to worry so much about what other people are thinking-- it will help you be a better parent if you are paying more attention to what YOU think! :)

The best way to teach language is to talk to them constantly, and use lots of repitition. When she says "ow", you say "Ow? Did you hurt yourself? Does something hurt? We say ow when we get hurt".

She is using what she has as vocabulary.

She knows if she puts her hands in the door frame, that you all probably say, something about how she could get hurt if the door shuts.

So "Ow" is a way to let you all know this is an "Ow area" or "Ow situation" Or potential situation.

Pretty higher level concept, she just does not have the full vocabulary.

I remember telling our daughter, hands in your lap, before I would close the car door. She would say "hands!", when she was ready for me to close the car door.

The good news is you know her hearing is good, she is paying attention and she is connecting the words with actions, situations, and items..

When she puts her fingers near the door and says "ow," she is telling you she knows that that place will hurt her.

So when she says it, just say, " yes, that will hurt you." They are always conceptually ahead of their vocabulary. So help them with their vocab, try to stay ahead of them conceptually.

She will learn. She is processing this new information, so when she sees a situation where she COULD get hurt, she's saying ow and showing that she's understanding that. When she says it in a "non-injury" situation, talk to her - say "yes, you could pinch your finger in the door and it would hurt", or whatever seems to be the thing she's ow-commenting on.

Don't worry about what other people think. She'll stop soon.

Does it really matter. She is 17 months old and is just learning to talk.

She's telling you that she understands the door jam will hurt her if she puts her fingers there. Instead of telling her not to communicate that, reinforce that she got it right? And she may also be playing a game - she knows that when she yells ow, you give her attention, instead of looking at those bathmats you're there to peruse. She wants your attention. Don't reward that, but let her know a different way she can get your attention - teach her a gesture or word she can use instead.

it's a phase.
don't give it too much weight.
khairete
S.

Ditto what Nervy Girl said -- on this and everything. I *love* the phrase "Oh, does your hand need a toy to hold?"

She's just beginning to speak, and she doesn't yet have the words. This will pass when the words come in.

When my son was about that age -- maybe a little older -- he learned the word "mad." And "mad" pretty much meant "I have feelings/opinions about this subject." I remember once in the car, he saw one of those trucks that carry lots of new cars -- I guess they bring them to dealerships? And he was all, "Mad, mad, mad!" I guess the thought the cars were being lazy and not pulling their own weight ;).