Children learn to communicate by interacting with those around them. A significant step in language learning is to learn how sounds in a language go together to make meaning. For example, the sound "ma-ma" soon becomes attached to a significant person in their life. As children grow older, they learn how to put words together into phrases and sentences. However, because of their experiences, children may attach meaning to a phrase or sentence that is the opposite of what is intended. This story, which is based on a true-life experience, illustrates how that may happen.