"hey MO-O-O-O-O-OM"

[mommatooth]

Ok my 3yo dd has a friend (her only friend really- it's rural), who is bilingual and they speak spanish primarily in front of us.  My daughter has started "speaking spanish" at home which sounds creative and wonderful right?  Well it goes like this- I am downstairs doing laundry- a scream from her room "hey MOM!"  ok I come up all "what do you need honey"  and I get "vanga-voo" "no-vango buka" GREAT.  I explain that I can't help her if I don't know what she means- she continues in very demanding gibberish- I retreat.  I have tried playing along I can vanga-voo right back at her for fun, but it has been going on for weeks and it really drives me nuts to be running all over the house just to get gibbered at.  The thing is we already went through the no screaming at me from the other end of the house stage- and have laerned to be in the same room (mostly) if we need something.  So I usually respond to the initial scream because I think it is important- or she might be hurt or something, and get pretty ticked with the nonsense.  

The obvious solution is to just ignore it, but I am having a hard time training myself to ignore her screaming for me- and an equally difficult time not killing her when she vanga's at me.

[honeybunmom]

I think she might be trying to tell you "ven aca", which is to say, "come here".  We were in an apartment when my daughter was 3, so, not a big deal then.  Now, she's 5 and we're in a 2 story home with a basement.  Now, I just don't respond.  That's how it was when I was younger.  I could not scream for my mom.  Or, if she called me, I was not to yell a response.  I had to go to where she was.  I do get that you're concerned that she may be hurt, so, it's a little tough.  I do think I can tell my daughter's "I'm in pain/hurt/scared" scream from the "I'm just trying to get your attention" yell. 

Anyway, it may be helpful to know that she may actually be asking you to come to her and just trying on the language and seeing how it works.