I often hear people talking in the third person to their kids, adding “ies” to the end of words, and raising their pitch. Surely this is detrimental to the kid learning to speak? Wouldn’t speaking normally be a better option?
Example: “Do you want mummy to take you to the fishies? Do you want mummy to do that?”
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Not that I’ve thought about it much before now, but from my perspective with my 9 month old, adding “ies” and speaking in “baby talk” seems to be an attempt to make things seem more fun for our kids. When they’re having fun there’s less whining and yapping and that in turn makes for a more peaceful day for us.
It may also be our attempt at connecting with them to make them feel safe, and when a human feels safe they learn better, as per Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
I think I remember reading in Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina that baby talk doesn’t actually hinder learning.
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