My mum and I were devastated. Last Saturday morning my mum randomly asked Sophia (in mandarin) whether she liked grandpa (nod), grandma (shake), grandaunt (nod), mummy (shake) and daddy (no reaction). I wasn’t present when this took place so I easily brushed it off as random reaction where she doesn’t know what the words really meant. But it affected me enough to try it again later in the day in English: Sophia, do you love mummy? (shake) Do you love gong gong? (nod) Do you love grand aunt? (nod) Do you love popo? (shake) Do you love daddy? (nod!!) Argh! The answers are the same!
After this though, she refused to answer these question anymore.
Even though her questions to the verbal questions are unequivocal, her actions are a bit ambiguous though. For instance this morning she insisted that I carry her rather than her grandpa and refused to let go of me even when we reached my workplace. In fact, when we were leaving home, she pointed stubbornly at my slippers and refused to leave the house with me wearing work shoes. At lunch when I returned she cried the moment she heard the sound of door opening indicating that I was about to leave home. Now if she doesn’t love me, she shouldn’t really care. I’m utterly confused.
My love for Sophia is unconditional of course. But I would strongly prefer it if she loves me back!