Encouraging Baby To Talk

It’s been a pretty noisy weekend at our house.  I’m in full swing making all sorts of noise, desperate for someone to understand, and Mummy, bless her, really wants to comprehend my babbles.  I suppose it has all been a bit one-sided up until now, but that hasn’t discouraged Mummy, however unintelligible my mutterings sound to the untrained ear.

I understand a lot more than I can speak but I must admit that I don’t always have the faintest idea what she’s chuntering on about.  On and on, blah, blah, blah.  Chatter, chatter, chatter.

Mummy’s been very persistent with her questions.  She knows that one day I’ll answer in words and not just the gestures I go for now.  “Would you like to wear the blue trousers or the red trousers?”  “Would you like an apple or a banana?”  I’m able to point and grab now and it won’t be long till I can answer, “I’d like an apple please, Mummy.”  At least I’m gesturing now – she spent months talking to herself!

Communication is a big thing for Mummy. It’s what she does for a day job and it’s something she always enjoyed. We did baby signing classes for a while. Daddy thought is was all mumbo jumbo and wouldn’t make any difference, and if Mummy’s honest, it probably hasn’t.  It seems probable that I would have started pointing and waving anyway as part of normal development of communication.  I don’t think it’s helped me all that much that I know the sign for cat or Father Christmas but it’s been entertaining watching Mummy tell me with words and signs that she’s going to change my nappy (she looks like she’s doing the Macarena!) or run my bath (like the Wallace & Gromit energy ad.)  Still, we had a good time.

I can now accompany my wave with a jovial “Bah-bahy” and I can point and laugh at “Da-dee”.  Still no sign of the word “Mummy,” not even close, much to her annoyance and Daddy’s delight.  I’ll add more and more words to my repertoire as the weeks go by. It might be fun to keep Mummy waiting just a little bit longer though, chatting away to herself!

CB