Whatever Happened To Goo Goo Ga Ga?
It’s no secret that parents are starting their kids on the path to learning earlier these days. Before my son was born, my husband and I made a decision to avoid the cutesy baby talk. Taking our cues from the latest research at the time, we decided the best way to develop his communication skills was to actually communicate with him.
We used to get some funny stares, when for example we were at the bank, and we would point at signs and read them to him. And this was only shortly after he had said his first word. I can remember my husband telling me once about reading a short sign to our son, and his friend who was nearby saying, ‘You know he can’t understand you, right?’
Unfortunately many people share this attitude. They somehow fail to realize the enormous potential of a young brain. The end result of our efforts is a child with a vocabulary far beyond his years. We don’t use what some people would call ‘big words’ when speaking to him. But he has developed an innate curiosity about words, and the way they are used. When he hears a new word he always asks what it means. And for the most part he remembers and uses them correctly. He even grasps contextual meanings pretty quickly.
I am not by any means saying he is a genius. But clearly, babies can reap enormous benefits from parents who speak to them instead of just making funny sounds. This is one case where child development experts are clearly right. Let’s face it, when you look into those precious eyes, it’s easy to just lose yourself, and start making any sound that will win a smile. Just also keep in mind that they need more from you.
So what’s your take on baby talk?
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Smart Baby Sign Language says...
I completely agree with you. Babies are so much smarter than most people give them credit for. I’ve been using baby sign language (ASL or American Sign Language) with my daughter since she was 5 months old. The things she could tell me in sign before she could speak amazed me. She actually tried making jokes at 15 months. It has been so much fun!
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artio.sd says...
My husband I rarely babytalk our 9 week old son. I didn’t really have anything to do with what the experts say but with common sense. Childern learn to talk from hearing adults speak so why would you just babytalk them, if you want them to learn to speak properly. And honestly even if it dosen’t make a difference what does it hurt speaking to your baby properly.
Heiddi says...
The thought that babies do not understand words is incorrect that they are not old enough to communicate what they do or don’t understand. I also don’t think it matters what you say to a child, but rather the tone that you use. So if you’re using real words or not, the tone is what makes a difference. Besides, children will learn what parents teach them. I applaud your decision to use real words with a child. I didn’t use baby talk with my child, but used a happier tone when communicating with him.
Heiddis last blog post..Question of the Day #4