Baby talk and "mommy blogger"...*Shudder*

[helloemi]

Lisa Frank! zomg! I totally want to go buy something with a baby seal on it now.

I agree that the infantilizing of adult women is ridiculous. I did read something once that said that the reason couples use pet names and baby voices with one another has some biological bonding reason behind it... but that doesn't explain women who present themselves to the rest of the world that way.

I would be lying if I didn't admit this made me go check amazon! lol!

Now before I point fingers...I must confess that I adore anything "cute", my bathroom is cartoon owl themed (yes we are childfree) and I collect poodle things...Now that this has been cleared up...

Snark away! haha!

There is a difference in enjoying things that are whimsical or remind you of your childhood and refusing to accept that you are an adult, capable of birthing children.

[helloemi]

Also, Lainey: I adore your avatar! My toy poodle Pookie is the baby in my house and he knows who "daddy" and "mommy" are, and has about 20 nicknames. You better believe he gets the baby talk!

Husband and I rationalize this because he will always be "baby like". My mom has always believed that you never speak to children in baby talk because they need to learn how to communicate and if they hear baby talk, they will never learn to develop their vocabularies.

Although I'm pretty sure that Fundies would not aprove of my mom who teaches history at a public college, has worn a skirt 1x in the past year, and has encouraged me from a young age to not get married young and has always expected me to not stop at a bachelors degree. I heart my mom!

[Kitchen Princess]

"My mom has always believed that you never speak to children in baby talk because they need to learn how to communicate and if they hear baby talk, they will never learn to develop their vocabularies."

And it's total bullshit. Or, maybe it's true for LPL's aunt.

[Lainey]

Also, Lainey: I adore your avatar! My toy poodle Pookie is the baby in my house and he knows who "daddy" and "mommy" are, and has about 20 nicknames. You better believe he gets the baby talk!

Thanks! My cats also know who "mommy" and "daddy" are. They also have a pile of nicknames (I'm amazed that they seem to have some inkling of what their real names actually are).

Come to think of it, I don't really like "DH" etc. either. It's just convenient and everybody knows who you're talking about. I've also been known to refer to him as "my pet boy." From now on I shall refer to him as "Manservant." ;)

[JesusFightClub]

Cannot do the baby talk to save my life. The baby I spend most time with I talk to like she's an adult, apart from the topics. It actually makes me embarrassed when other people do it. Some people get into the habit and are still talking that way to the child when they are well beyond the age for it which makes me cringe for all concerned.

I don't do it with cats or dogs either. It is normally just a friendly conversational tone. Something like "hi, pal" and hold my hand out so they can smell me if they don't know me. Although I have absentmindedly addressed my mum's cat as "comrade" before, to my eternal shame.

The poster who said baby talk is sort of the way women are expected to behave is spot on. Another example is when a baby is brought into the workplace. Women are supposed to rush over, coo and gurgle at the baby etc, but the men get away with a comment like "A wee boy, aye, nice. Hope you'll not be bringing him up to support [team] ahahaha" and then watching the women with a kind of amused indulgence. You are seen as a bit unnatural as a woman if you just smile and pay a compliment, then carry on with what you were doing.

[Guest Anonymous]

I never really talked to my babies (or any babies or young kids, really) in babytalk, at least never with the made up gobbledygook words. I spoke to them softly, of course, as that's how you should speak to babies - gently. But saying stuff like "widdle" and "pooky" just seems so stupid that I just have never considered doing it. I just spoke to my babies like the little people they are. And now I have a 3 year old who speaks like "a little old man", as I'm told by people who meet him. He says things like, "Unfortunately, you are incorrect," and "Rather than reading this book, may I please resume building my tower?" and whom, when asked a question, often replies " Hmmm. Let's see here... May I think on it a while?" It really throws people off - I love it 8-)

[Guest Anonymous]

I don't do it with cats or dogs either. It is normally just a friendly conversational tone. Something like "hi, pal" and hold my hand out so they can smell me if they don't know me. Although I have absentmindedly addressed my mum's cat as "comrade" before, to my eternal shame.

Comrade! I love it, lol! I'm totally calling our dog that from now on. The cat prefers not to be adressed at all.

[Lainey]

And now I have a 3 year old who speaks like "a little old man", as I'm told by people who meet him. He says things like, "Unfortunately, you are incorrect," and "Rather than reading this book, may I please resume building my tower?" and whom, when asked a question, often replies " Hmmm. Let's see here... May I think on it a while?" It really throws people off - I love it 8-)

That. Is. Awesome. :shock: :mrgreen:

[ems]

My child is so wise. I do not speak to her in babytalk, however, I do, on occasion, indulge in this with my cats. Yesterday, my Ladybug says to me "Mommy, why do you sound like that when you talk to the kitties? You sound like you don't know how to make words properly."

I am a hypocrite. I hate babytalk, and it took a 4 year old to remind me how ridiculous I sound!

:dance:

[JesusFightClub]

And now I have a 3 year old who speaks like "a little old man", as I'm told by people who meet him. He says things like, "Unfortunately, you are incorrect," and "Rather than reading this book, may I please resume building my tower?" and whom, when asked a question, often replies " Hmmm. Let's see here... May I think on it a while?" It really throws people off - I love it 8-)

OMG, my favourite child ever. I would love this kid. :)

[Feberin]

Or "the wife" that some guys use. When my late husband was alive, I just called him "my husband" or by his first name. That reminds me, I can't stand when people call their husbands "Mr. (what-ever their last name is)" or "Father, Daddy, or Papa". My husband is not my father, he's my son's dad.

...just one of my many pet peeves. :P

I agree with this one! I mostly try to type out husband or son (especially son since there is only one extra letter there) but sometimes I decide to use DH if I'm being lazy. On message boards it seems to be the agreed upon shorthand for the terms. And my father does call me "darling daughter" all the time and soemtimes he'd actually called me DD from time to time. I'm not sure why people don't just do H, S or D but it for the most part they don't.

For my blog I use my husband's initials and a made up name for my son. I don't really have a problem if people want to use cutesy nicknames for their family members. If it's something too annoying I'd just stop reading.

[Beeks]

If baby talk means talking in a singsong voice, it is natural and developmentally appropriate to talk to babies that way. If it means using stupid words then....no. I don't do that. But talk in a high-pitch voice at my chubby little 4 month old? Hells yes I do. He loves it.

[demgirl]

Without any desire to offend those who use these, I hate "dd", "dh", "ds". I don't know why. I just do. I get it - it's easy to type, people know what you mean. It's just another form of netspeak. I don't know why it drives me crazy. It just does.

[Shirley MacLaine]

Without any desire to offend those who use these, I hate "dd", "dh", "ds". I don't know why. I just do. I get it - it's easy to type, people know what you mean. It's just another form of netspeak. I don't know why it drives me crazy. It just does.

Haha, basically! I don't hate people who use these terms but I fucking hate these terms. I mean, though, I'll freely admit that the amount of rage these inspire within me is totally out of proportion and inappropriate =P

I usually call my boyfriend Nerdo or Whatsit on the internet. But there's never really any call to say DB or whatever.

[Kitchen Princess]

If baby talk means talking in a singsong voice, it is natural and developmentally appropriate to talk to babies that way. If it means using stupid words then....no. I don't do that. But talk in a high-pitch voice at my chubby little 4 month old? Hells yes I do. He loves it.

QFT.

Mostly what I do with pre-verbal babies is mimic them. If they make a noise, I try to make it, too. It's interaction. It's all good. They pick up that I'm mimicking and they'll mimic me back. It's how they learn.

We use some words in the same vein as my first grandson did when he was first learning to talk. He doesn't use them anymore, but we do. He has a grandpa named Papa Chuck, and he always said it Papa Suck--so that's what I call that particular grandpa, too! He has an extremely large vocabulary now, at 6, and he's still working on some pronunciations. It's okay.

Hell, I still say "sof" for salt sometimes because that's how my 29-yo said it when he was 2. He knows how to say salt now, and he didn't go to school saying it wrong. It's just reminds me of an earlier time in a sentimental way.

I have two cats who meet me at the gate when I come home, and I talk baby talk to them, too.

[helloemi]

QFT.

Mostly what I do with pre-verbal babies is mimic them. If they make a noise, I try to make it, too. It's interaction. It's all good. They pick up that I'm mimicking and they'll mimic me back. It's how they learn.

We use some words in the same vein as my first grandson did when he was first learning to talk. He doesn't use them anymore, but we do. He has a grandpa named Papa Chuck, and he always said it Papa Suck--so that's what I call that particular grandpa, too! He has an extremely large vocabulary now, at 6, and he's still working on some pronunciations. It's okay.

Hell, I still say "sof" for salt sometimes because that's how my 29-yo said it when he was 2. He knows how to say salt now, and he didn't go to school saying it wrong. It's just reminds me of an earlier time in a sentimental way.

I have two cats who meet me at the gate when I come home, and I talk baby talk to them, too.

I didn't even stop to think of the varieties of "baby talk"! When it is directed at actual babies or mimicking baby noises, I know that was the only thing that would get my little brother to stop crying.

Telling a 3 year old "Sugar pumpkin want foodsy woodsies?!" is my idea of baby talk in the negative sense.

There are families I have known where the children get the baby treatment and act out in public from it. I'm talking 8-10 years old year olds having their food cut up and parents talking in cutesy language in public situations. Then there are the extended nursing moms.... Well... That's another topic!

But I doubt parents that block out time to train their children get routinely accused of coddling their grade school aged children!

[fundifugee]

. . .

doofenschmirtz

My new favourite word! :clap:

My previous favourite was bloviating.

Hey, put them together --- bloviating doofenshmirtz --- perfect description for many of the god-wanna-bes discussed on FG - Dougie, Bill, Steve M, Pissing Preacher....

[snarkykitty]

I hate baby talk and totally use DH because I am too lazy to type out husband most of the time. I HATE "hubs,hubby, hubster etc.." all those stupid words for husband bloggers use so figured DH is quickest and use that. I have used my kids nicknames on my blog, but those are what we really call them, so I mostly say "the big one, the girl,and the youngest or something equally vague.

In 19 years I have never called my husband "dear" anything, so the DH probably doesn't stand for dear husband " for me. :)

I do use the word "hubby" here and on my blog bc "my husband" sounds so formal and I actually use the word IRL. :|

But I agree with the "D" anything. It sounds so contrived!

[snarkykitty]

It's not just mommy bloggers that do this. My aunt refers to herself as a widdle baby gurl and says other such nonsense. The first time I heard her say it I was 6 months pregnant with my second son and I heard her say that this widdle baby gurl was hungy in a Michelle Duggar type voice. I told her that I maybe 19 but having my 2nd child cancelled out me being a little girl and of course I was hungry, I was pregnant. She made a catbutt face and said she was refering to herself. I laughed and said that she was in her late 40's and who the hell refers to herself in 3rd person? My mom said for me to go get myself and first born ready and she would tell me later. I still can't figure out why my aunt to this day talks baby talk when refering to herself when she is in her late 60's.

Sorry, I hate to use smilies instead of words, but where is that puking icon??

And lol at "cattbutt face".

[Mellon]

QFT.

Mostly what I do with pre-verbal babies is mimic them. If they make a noise, I try to make it, too. It's interaction. It's all good. They pick up that I'm mimicking and they'll mimic me back. It's how they learn.

We use some words in the same vein as my first grandson did when he was first learning to talk. He doesn't use them anymore, but we do. He has a grandpa named Papa Chuck, and he always said it Papa Suck--so that's what I call that particular grandpa, too! He has an extremely large vocabulary now, at 6, and he's still working on some pronunciations. It's okay.

Hell, I still say "sof" for salt sometimes because that's how my 29-yo said it when he was 2. He knows how to say salt now, and he didn't go to school saying it wrong. It's just reminds me of an earlier time in a sentimental way.

I have two cats who meet me at the gate when I come home, and I talk baby talk to them, too.

Word. At the hospital, when I work with the infants/babies, that's exactly what I do. They usually need to develop their "conversational" skills ;) so whenever they babble, I babble right back. And mimic them, too. Sometimes, with the older ones, I do change my voice a little, because they're still nonverbal and I think it helps them focus for a minute on what I want them to do. Do I make up stupid words and use incorrect grammar? Not a snowballs chance in hell. Nor do I use babytalk with my boyfriend, because we're big kids now.

[ladypuglover]

I always talked in a higher pitch when talking to my infants and used more facial expressions too. But not really baby words other than things like kitty, horsie, doggy kind of thing, but not past the ages when they started talking back.

My oldest due to a birth defect that was corrected before he was 2 said things like geeky when he wanted a cookie or Lulu for his baby brother's name. I would respond with, "you want a geekie, cookie? Here is your cookie." Immediately after the surgery to fix the fissures by his ears, he could say things perfectly. So I know he was able to understand what I meant before the surgery and after could say what he wanted after. But I still miss the tiny little boy who wanted catshit* for his french fries. :lol:

* My mother, sister and her 2 boys and I with my 2 boys had gone to McDonalds one day for lunch. We had taken 2 cars and drove through the drive thru with my mother and sister in the lead. After I had placed my order my oldest screamed out to order box, "Don't foget my catshit for my fries!!11!" Everyone in the drive thru and inside McD's could hear my 20 month. My mom almost drove into the building laughing so hard and when I got to the window everyone had tears streaming down their cheeks inside the store. My little fry eater was given extra fries with extra packets of catsup free of charge. We still tease him to this day if he wants catshit with his meal. :lol:

Careful what you teach your baby to say if he has a mild speech problem.

[thoughtful]

But I still miss the tiny little boy who wanted catshit* for his french fries. :lol:

* My mother, sister and her 2 boys and I with my 2 boys had gone to McDonalds one day for lunch. We had taken 2 cars and drove through the drive thru with my mother and sister in the lead. After I had placed my order my oldest screamed out to order box, "Don't foget my catshit for my fries!!11!" Everyone in the drive thru and inside McD's could hear my 20 month. My mom almost drove into the building laughing so hard and when I got to the window everyone had tears streaming down their cheeks inside the store. My little fry eater was given extra fries with extra packets of catsup free of charge. We still tease him to this day if he wants catshit with his meal. :lol:

Careful what you teach your baby to say if he has a mild speech problem.

As a small child, my mother couldn't understand why her more mischievous adult relatives cued her to request food between two pieces of bread, and why her mother got annoyed at them for doing so.

Later, she realized that it was because she pronounced "sandwich" as "damn bitch."

[thoughtful]

I never really talked to my babies (or any babies or young kids, really) in babytalk, at least never with the made up gobbledygook words. I spoke to them softly, of course, as that's how you should speak to babies - gently. But saying stuff like "widdle" and "pooky" just seems so stupid that I just have never considered doing it. I just spoke to my babies like the little people they are. And now I have a 3 year old who speaks like "a little old man", as I'm told by people who meet him. He says things like, "Unfortunately, you are incorrect," and "Rather than reading this book, may I please resume building my tower?" and whom, when asked a question, often replies " Hmmm. Let's see here... May I think on it a while?" It really throws people off - I love it 8-)

I know someone who is the oldest in his family, is very bright, and has a lawyer for a father and a writer for a mother. It came as no surprise that he was precocious verbally.

My favorite story is about his early potty training. Like any little kid in that stage, he was proud when he used the toilet instead of wetting a diaper, and wanted to tell his nearest and dearest.

One of the first times he reported his success, he added the detail "I had a plethora of pee!"

:D