Thoughts on Communication

Sam is an exceptionally friendly, self-sufficient, and assertive sixteen-month old.  He is working hard to master the language skills he so wants to have.  Sometimes he can say short phrases that we understand and it is so exciting to see him succeeding in expressing his needs.

He has an ongoing interaction with other children and sometimes it blows my mind that they will use “baby talk” with him.  It is further concerning that this is occurring in our daycare, where we are totally committed to speaking grammatically correct will an emphasis on well enunciated English.

I am convinced and concerned by my many years of working with children, that the tendency for the general population and many parents to speak to children in a “made for baby” language is pervasive.

My experience has prompted some serious questions:

1.       Are we (Americans) the only culture that dumbs down our language with our young children?

2.       Why do we distort words like Doggie, Horsie ect or make up works like Boo-Boo and think that it is cute?

3.       Why do we repeat words the way a child initially enunciates and continue to say them incorrectly?

4.       This practice gives the impression that parents do not want their children to sound intelligent and educated, why is this?

We consider communication and extremely important area of development.  It builds confidence, reduces frustration, problem solves, advances children socially and academically.

I advise all parents to follow these simple guidelines:

-Speak to your child all the time.  Tell them what is happening and what you expect from them.
-Always use the correct terminology.
-Correct unclear enunciation, sentence structure and grammatical content by simply saying “(Child’s Name) this is how you say it” and have them repeat it.
-Do not make any negative statements about their speech, always keep it positive!
-Be 100% consistent.
-Applaud their unexpected or exceptional verbal skills.
-Share this strategy with anyone who is interacting with your child so there is no confusion regarding your expectations.

One of the joys of parenthood is having interesting and exciting conversations with your child. Do the work and enjoy the results!