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A GUIDE TO THE LANGUAGE OF CHILDREN
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| When They Say... | They Mean... | ||
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My head hurts. |
I
don't want to do whatever you are about to ask
me to do.
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| I can't eat this-it tastes funny. | I
am aware of the concern you and Dad have about
the freshness of food, and in an attempt to
get something to eat that more suits my taste,
like Raviolios, I am implying that this dish
is spoiled.
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| It wasn't me. | It
was me.
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| Can I have a drink of water? | Can
I stay up four more minutes?
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| Can I go to the bathroom? | Can
I stay up four more minutes?
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| I think I'm going to throw up. | Can
I stay up all night?
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| I can't breathe! | I
am merely trying to divert your attention away
from this discussion of my misdeeds by the
most direct and immediate method available to
me.
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| Just one second. | Just
give me twenty minutes.
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| How come? | I'm
just stalling.
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| Do I have to? | Stalling
again.
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| Why right now? | Why
not later when you'll have forgotten all about
it and I won't have to do it?
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| I'll be good and clean up my room every single day! | Promises,
promises, promises. Once you do this for me, I
don't care what happens. My word isn't worth a
dime.
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| My teacher hates me. | Boy,
am I doing lousy in school!
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I'm always the one who has to do it! |
I'm
always the one who puts up the big fuss, which
is why I'm always the one who gets out of
having to do it.
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| I love you. | I
want something very badly.
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| I hate you. | I
hate you.
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