terrible twos and threes?

so one thing we've been struggling with as new parents is getting a good understanding of what the child understands. the child can go on and on telling stories and seeming to know what she's being told but when tested it all falls apart. simple things like being able to tell whether or not she peed or pooped consistently are not things she can handle at this time.

i firmly believe that a child that is seemingly intelligent or overly verbal is at a disadvantage because the expectations for comprehension and clarity are so high. if she were a relatively mute child we'd be glad that she responded at all. as she weaves tales with an intricate yarn, we think she is not listening when in reality she just doesn't get it.

all in a days work as a parent. we have so much to learn!