Ebony’s daughter recently spoke her first word; however, instead of the usual “mama,” “dada,” or “bye-bye,” her 9-month-old daughter looked up, reached for a cup, and said “agua.”
“I started noticing, around 9 months, she was saying ‘agua’ instead of water,” Ebony told People, still amazed at the memory. “And to this day she still calls water ‘agua.’”
That small moment marked the beginning of a journey into language and culture that would soon captivate hearts.
The discovery began at her daycare, where the teachers spoke multiple languages. “Then she moved to a different classroom, and the teacher only speaks Spanish, like very little English,” Ebony recalled.
Surrounded by Spanish throughout the day, the toddler began soaking up new words as if she’d been doing it her whole life. Before long, her vocabulary included playful blends of English and Spanish.
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“Now she says ‘manos’ for hands, she calls her shoes ‘patos,’ and she’ll say ‘uno, dos, cinco,’ ” Ebony joked.
Nevertheless, what started as curiosity soon became something extraordinary.
“She’s acknowledging what her teacher is saying and doing what she’s telling her to do in Spanish, which we thought was awesome,” Ebony explained. Watching the little girl respond naturally to Spanish commands amazed her parents, who realized they were witnessing early bilingual development unfold before their eyes.
At home, English remains the main language, but Spanish words have also become part of daily life. “Obviously, she’s getting English at home, so it’s not a concern that she’s not gonna speak English,” Ebony stated. “I just really appreciate that she can understand what someone’s saying in Spanish and follow the instructions.”
Sometimes, the child’s bilingual abilities even leave her parents speechless. “Sometimes she’ll say a sentence to us and we have no clue what she’s saying, and we’re like, she’s probably speaking Spanish and we just don’t know,” Ebony admitted.
To keep up, Ebony’s husband decided to dive into learning Spanish himself. “It’s kind of just because we’re like, she’s fully understanding Spanish, like we need to learn,” Ebony remarked.
His first step was downloading Duolingo to match their daughter’s growing vocabulary.
As the toddler’s language skills developed, her curiosity seemed to grow right alongside them. “I definitely feel like she’s more intelligent, definitely more curious,” the proud mom said. “The things that she picks up on at her age are so uncommon, and it’s probably due to the fact that she can understand so much more.”
Her pediatrician was equally impressed. “At that time, she was saying like 30 words, and some of them were in Spanish,” Ebony recalled from an early checkup. What the doctors expected to be a short vocabulary list turned out to be a delightful mix of two languages.
Then came the moment that captured the world’s attention. A TikTok video Ebony posted—one she describes as spontaneous and sweet—showed her daughter responding perfectly to her Spanish-speaking teacher.
“It was just kind of one of those sweet moments that I caught,” Ebony explained. “I like to do day-in-the-lifes of dropping her off or picking her up, and that moment happens so frequently.”
Fans were amazed by how effortlessly the toddler followed her teacher’s instructions. “I just happened to catch that moment on video, and the response was amazing,” Ebony said.
The post quickly went viral, garnering thousands of views and comments filled with admiration. “Everybody was so impressed,” Ebony shared. “They were so happy that she’s learning Spanish and were asking me if it was intentional, and it wasn’t intentional.”
What touched Ebony most wasn’t just the praise for her daughter, but the recognition of the teachers who made it possible. “Her teachers take such great care of her; they love her, and I love that they don’t exclude her,” she said. “Because they’re including her, she’s picking up on what they’re saying too, and she’s learning.”
The flood of positivity has motivated the whole family. “It’s been just positivity, like new followers are like, ‘She’s gonna be really smart and she’s gonna learn so many words,’ ” Ebony recalled. Inspired by the feedback, she’s incorporated Spanish practice into her home routine. “I’ll practice, I’ll say something in English and then say it in Spanish, or I’ll count in English and then say, okay, let’s count in Spanish,” she shared.
But for Ebony, the lesson goes beyond bilingualism. “I think the world we live in now is so diverse,” she noted. “No matter where you live, you’re gonna encounter somebody most likely that speaks a different language or is from another country.”
She’s grateful that her daughter is growing up surrounded by diversity from such a young age. “I love that her class is super diverse,” Ebony said. “She’s able to just learn something that she would not get if she was home with me,” she admitted. “So I really value that.”
Even more remarkable is how the online community embraced the moments.
“Luckily, everyone’s been really sweet and supportive, and they’re excited for how much she can learn,” Ebony said. That encouragement means the world to her as a mother sharing only glimpses of her child’s life online. “I try to be private to some degree, but I do hope that parents can see that even at such a young age, kids can be receptive to other languages,” she explained.
Now, Ebony hopes her daughter’s story inspires others to rethink what little ones are capable of.
“They really do understand so much more than we give them credit for,” she mentioned. “I hope she continues to be curious and wanna learn as she gets older.”
