I hear that the traditional baby-talks are no longer adoptable in most young families of today.?

Question

A mother communicates with her months old baby in this way:
drink nicely, girl, you are a little lady / No, you can't do that / Behave yourself; it's a shame / Time for bed/bath / I don't want to hear that again / You have done a good job....
It amazes me how things have changed as compared to our time when babies were brought up in another way. Does it sound logic there isn't any baby talk for a baby now ?

Answer 1

I do the "coochie, coochie, coo" type baby talk with my daughter to a degree. However, I want her to learn to speak properly, so I speak to her similar to what I would with my husband or another adult. The Discovery Health channel has a series, "The Human Baby" that I've stumbled upon (there is one on today at one Eastern on movement) that did one on speech and said that baby talk was good for development. I have a couple of books from the American Academy of Pediatrics (one covers the first year, the other the first five years) say that babies naturally prefer high pitched voices and that adults instinctively seem to know that.

However, in terms of what I expect from my daughter, who is only three months today, I don't expect much. I nurse her and while there are dribbles, she still has better table manners than some adults I know. I expect her to behave in a way that's appropriate for her. If she starts crying when we're in a restaurant, it's okay because she's three months and it's her way to communicate. (Not great when I have to get my dinner as take out and hadn't eaten as well as I should have that day anyway...) I do tell her that I liked the way she behaved when I liked the way she behaved. I have also gotten in the habit of telling her what I don't like and how it can be improved for the next time. I think that sounds better than telling her she was bad. I was told I was bad and that didn't inspire me to change. It just made me feel bad about myself and that I wasn't good enough.

Anyway, I'm digressing.

Answer 2

I actually read the other day that baby talk actually helps babies develop their language skills. I haven't heard that most young familes don't baby talk. Both my husband and I do. It just comes naturally... even when we aren't trying. Sometimes we even accidently do it to each other since we are used to it now. lol.