Have you ever used a "big" word, such as "apologize" instead of "sorry," when talking to a small child, only to have the parent say, "He's too little to understand such a big word!"?

I think it’s ridiculous. In my example, if they had used the word “apologize” instead of “sorry” from the beginning, then the word “sorry” could be considered a “big word” for the kid if he’s hearing it for the first time. ALL words are “big words” for a kid who’s just learning to talk.