Here is the scene:
Im out at the library with my 3 kids – checking out the books and reading.
It’s not too busy but there are a handful of kids and parents/caregivers there.
Off to the side I can hear one woman talking to her child/child she is caring for who is about 4-5 years old and my body cringes.
:: BABY TALK ::
A giant pet peeve of mine is when adults speak to children in baby talk. The talk-down, slow-talking, tone-changing speak. All “goo goo gaga-y” -made even more noticeable when the adult turns to you and speaks ‘normal’ .
Drives. Me. Crazy.
Drives me even more crazy if an adult speaks to my children “that way“. It is totally unacceptable to speak to adults that way, teenagers with that tone or anyone with a disability — so why do so many parents/caregivers/family members/adults speak to toddlers and children in “baby talk”?
Is it done on purpose? Is it some “parenting style”? I don’t get it.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I think some people think kids are like dogs. You talk down to them and try to train them to do what you want. My daughter uses baby talk (she’s 7) sometimes, and we don’t let that fly at all. I feel bad when I say mommy because that seems like baby talk to me.
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Twitter: AccustomedChaos
February 23, 2011 at 6:46 pm
that is just sad. it drives me crazy to hear it & it must be even worse when your kids get older but it still happens!
I totally agree with you. I haven’t talked to my kids in baby talk, but I know people that have
Twitter: AccustomedChaos
February 23, 2011 at 6:47 pm
im glad im not alone in this peeve!
I am right there with you. My kids always look at *these* people like they’re nutso when it happens to them. Sometimes they’re rude back. And I don’t correct them when that happens, I admitt. Because, really? You expect my almost 8 year old to politely answer, “And how was you day at school today did you have a good day? Did you have a really good day? I bet you had good day, didn’t you? I bet the little girl had such a good day!” Uhm, no.
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February 23, 2011 at 6:47 pm
sorry. i am dying laughing at your comment. dying.
Found you on MBC. My children suffer from multiple food allergies to milk. egg, peanuts, treenuts and my little one is possibly allergic to wheat and beef. I blog about food allergies at http://tooblessed-tobestressed.blogspot.com/
Twitter: AccustomedChaos
February 23, 2011 at 6:47 pm
thanks for stopping by.
I don’t like baby talk either. When I’m with a baby, I talk to them as if they’re a person. Sure, they probably don’t understand me (or at least not fully), but we learn language from hearing it.
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February 28, 2011 at 2:32 pm
That is exactly right – they learn by listening!
Twitter: audaciouslife
March 1, 2011 at 2:25 pm
I’m with you on this one but I have to say that there are plenty of people who think we’re nuts for talking to our baby/toddler/child like a person too. My MIL is one of them. I used to have to tell my husband that our daughter was “a person too”. His mother would make snide comments and faces when I explained things to my baby and then toddler. She’d flat out say to me, with a sneer like I was a loon, “She doesn’t understand you, you know. That’s ridiculous!” But, I believe she did. And today, now age 3, her language and understanding and perception are incredible, nothing is lost on her. As for my MIL, she’s still clueless, everything is lost on her.
Twitter: AccustomedChaos
March 1, 2011 at 6:12 pm
that would be very tough to deal with!