Between the ages of 2 and 20 the only words you will hear out of their collective mouths are the emphatic, “No!” and “I want!”

Our ability to communicate with each of the different generations in our lives is something we learn almost instinctively. With each passing stage, we adjust, gracefully weaving between the languages of love, which include words, actions, and emojis.

From the first moment we hold our newborns, we peer into their faces, patiently cooing, purring, and smiling, as we hold our breath waiting for them to react. As soon as we detect just the slightest glimmer of recognition, our hearts begin to sing.

We tell them how cute they are, how smart they are, how adorable and intelligent they are — hoping to build their self-confidence as well as infuse them with our love, certain they’ll return that adoration in a meaningful manner.

And then those adorable little lovelies grow up.

Between the ages of 2 and 20 the only words you will hear out of their collective mouths are the emphatic, “No!” and “I want!” though not necessarily in that order. For all your anticipation for their first words, these are the only ones they will emit for the next two decades.