Research-backed
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If you have a baby or have been around one, you would have noticed how you automatically start speaking to them in a certain way. Your voice becomes high-pitched, and you speak slowly with exaggerated sounds and expressions. You mostly face the baby directly and talk to them. But you don’t speak gibberish or just make sounds. You use actual words. They are slightly exaggerated or in musical prosody. Did you know that there is an actual term for this language? No, it’s not called baby talk. It’s called parentese.
While many people believe that it’s silly or even obnoxious, studies show that parentese helps babies understand you better, develop language skills faster, and even learn to communicate better (1). There are several advantages to parentese while raising your baby, especially in the first year. Here are some of them (2):
- It Encourages Motor Planning
Babies generally begin talking or goo-goo gaa-gaa-ing at around 7 months before they begin to speak properly. Studies show that when people use parentese, important language centers of the brain are activated in a baby. Some scans (non-invasive, of course) also showed that apart from the brain parts responsible for auditory and listening activities, other parts of the brain that light up during parentese were related to motor, i.e., movement and planning.
- It Helps Your Baby Develop Their Language Skills
Language is a big part of one’s life. It’s how people communicate, express, and maintain relationships. Babies might not be able to communicate with words, but they do with facial expressions. Parentese includes drawing out vowels and exaggerating sounds, phrases, and expressions to make the baby understand. Talking in a higher pitch also grabs the attention of babies. Another essential thing to remember is maintaining eye contact with your baby and talking to them face-to-face, which helps boost their social interaction skills.
- It Grabs Your Baby’s Attention
Have you tried talking to your baby the same way you speak to an adult? Most of the time, your baby does not pay attention to you. But if you talk to them in a high-pitched sound, they turn their gaze towards you because it grabs their attention. It only goes to show that babies love parentese and will listen to you while grasping various skills.
Image: Shuterstock
How To Speak In Parentese?
Many parents follow parentese but are not fully aware of what they can do to enhance their baby’s experience. If parentese can help your baby, wouldn’t you want to do it the right way so your baby can fully benefit from it? Here’s what you should and should not do (3):
What You Should Do
Speak to your baby in slow, exaggerated sounds and words, so they follow what you say. They might not fully understand you, but they pick up certain sounds, words, and visual cues. It might be boring because it is a one-sided conversation but speaking directly to the baby helps.
What You Should Not Do
- Do Not Simplify
Do not use non-existent words when you talk to your baby and pause when required. Avoid saying, “Would you like to play wid the widdle stuffed toy?”. Instead, make use of adult words but slow the pace. You could say, “Would you like to play with the little stuffed toy?”. Always emphasize and avoid simplifying. It might seem complex to you, but it helps babies pick up language patterns better when exposed to the right way of speaking.
- Do Not Baby Talk
“Baby talk” is often confused with parentese. But the two are very different. Baby talk is just a mix of random goofy sounds and nonsense words. It does not help your baby.
You might not be aware of parentese, or maybe you were, but do not mind the comments and opinions from everyone around you when you talk to your baby the right way. Share this article with fellow new parents to pass on the information!
