Posts made in June, 2009

Is Baby Talk Bad for Babies?

Posted by Lorelei on Jun 5, 2009 in Gilmore Girls | 7 comments

Babies have always slightly freaked me out.  They are so tiny & helpless & don’t understand sarcasm.  There’s just a lot of ways that I could unintentionally emotionally scar them.  So I was curious when I watched the episode after Davey was born.  Lorelai got in trouble from the Dula for talking baby talk to him.  This was especially confusing because Lorelai had said in another episode that kids can learn bathroom as easy as they can say the word potty so there is no use for the word potty.  I believe she said that a young Rory had referred to it as the room where legends go to die. This made me wonder is baby talk really bad for babies?

I was expecting to find a wealth of information on the subject.  Instead, I finally dug up an article from the New York Times….from 1914.  Apparently, in 1914 the general thinking of the day was that grown ups should lead by example so children can learn the proper way to speak.

Personally, I need the buffer with small children.  All I really have to talk to them about is how their cheeks are cute & I want to steal their noses. I just can’t imagine that this conversation will help with language acquisition.

Me:  So, you’re a baby huh.

Baby: stares

Me:  You going to crap your pants now or later?