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My 2 year old seems to have forgotten his colors. He has been mixing up pink and purple and has completely forgotten red and orange. He has known his colors since well before 18 months. Sometimes I think he's messing with me. Saying the wrong color on purpose. He used to do this with animal sounds, but he always had a sly smile and thought it was funny. Now he just gets angry if I try to correct him. He's never had any trouble before. What is going on? Has anyone else experienced this with their little ones?

There has been one poster who's child contracted a rare disease called Pandas that caused loss of skills, in an eight year old I think. BUT USUALLY little kids grow in spurts and cycles. My grandmother said little kids don't forget the skills they've learned, and they're not pretending either. They tend to put something they've learned on the back burner for a while so they have space to work on learning the next new thing. I also remember reading that another mother noticed that you g children switch gears during a physical growth spurt that looks like they've focused energy on growing that the last week they had spent learning stuff. It sounded right. ETA: I have no way of really knowing for sure. These are just the answers that satisfied my curiosity when I noticed it happening. I like old wives' tales.

Yes... sounds familiar. DD would insist on her color "scheme". That said I always knew she was "messing with me" and she had the smile. I think she did it to see what I would do. If I would agree with her. I used to say affirming things like "oh...so that's blue?" and nod my head a lot. I didn't argue with her, once I realized what was up. I think it was a power play. Like she wanted to be in control. I know that sounds weird, but that's the vibe I got from it. YMMV.

Honestly, if his pediatrician is aware that your child knew his colors, or is willing to believe it, I'd ask for a referral for a complete eye exam to make sure there isn't something compromising his color vision, particularly since only the red part of the spectrum seems to be affected.

Did something change recently? Dd6 knew her alphabet and could count to 10 in english and spanish at 17 months. Her Daddy who www in the Marine Corps at the time left for a deployment and it took her till he came back to start counting and saying her alphabet again.

Thank you, everyone, for the replies.



He has become very interested in numbers recently. Constantly counting things. Perhaps his mind is too wrapped up in numbers to bother with colors right now.



He is due for a checkup soon, so if he still seems to be struggling I will definitely discuss it with his doctor.


No changes that I can think of.

Just an update.
My little one spontaneously started counting to 15 and speaking in much longer sentences all in one day. He regained his color knowledge right after. I believe his brain was making room for a large developmental leap.

I also realized that I stated he was 2 years old. He wasn't quite 2 at the time of the original post. Today is actually his second birthday.

I was wondering about this issue on our child seemingly forgetting things he has known for awhile. He is soon to be 3 and 1/2 and started a 2 with a passion for the alphabet. He had learned it in several languages, all the different phonetic sounds they made, wanted to collect all different kinds and make make them over and over again out of different materials. I could go on.

But now he acts as if he doesn't know it. Sometimes I think he is testing me. Sometimes I think he is just done with the games he used to play and doesn't want to repeat them or expand upon them at this time. Sometimes I think he simply doesn't wish to be quized. Lately he has been potty training, growing physically and wishing to be at the playground all the time. He also has been growing socially, asking if we can have playdates with people, talking with strangers who seem interesting to him, sharing better and taking turns etc. He has also been wanting us to read to him and point out words on the page to him.

The other day he read this sign "No on A, don't mess with..." Then asked what the final word was. I told him it was "success." This was spontanious on his part. On the few occassions we have tried playing reading games he was uninterested. And yet he knew the words don't, mess and with. All of which I would have not known he knew.

I sometimes wonder if all of it sits on the back burner of his brain simmering until it is done. Have others had this experience?