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Parenting

01st Feb 2015

Hey parents: Stop using baby talk to communicate with adults

Keep your baby-waby talk for the babies

Darren O'Connor

Darren O’Connor is a fresh-out-of-the-box dad to one screaming little boy. He’s on a mission to become the best dad he can be. His blogs and podcasts at askdad.ie are mostly about the positive things associated with becoming a Dad, while his hilarious 
tweets document his parent fails as a newbie. This guy is one for the bookmark (chuckle) list. It doesn’t get more real than this. Welcome to this week’s guest blog.

Baby Voice. It’s an interesting one. It happens to everybody and it happens naturally. A human will see your baby, their vocal cords go up an octave and the baby babble comes out: ‘HowsAPoodgyWhikkleBooboo’ for a start. Then there are thousands of other variations. Some of it’s funny, babies like it and for the most part I have no problem with the whole thing.

Until, of course, that communication is no longer directed at the baby but intended for another adult. Now I have an issue.

Example:

Mommy: “Did daddy forget to burp you and now you are getting sick all over mommy”

Mommy: “Maybe daddy will rub mommy’s feet because she would love that. Yes she would”

Granny: “Mommy won’t give you Gripe Water and you’re miserable. Aren’t you? Yes you are, you poor little thing”

PLEASE. If you have something to ask. Just ASK. If you’ve an opinion or something to say, just SAY IT, come what may. Stop using the baby as an excuse to talk about something that might be awkward.

Topics:

baby talk,Dad,dads