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Where, just out of interest (I haven't achieved the gene pool improvement myself) do you stand on the question of "baby-talk" to babies or very young progeny?
1: "Googoo gaagaa baby talk is OK - you shouldn't "deprive children of their childhood".
or
2: Speak to children as if to an adult (within their bounds of understanding) from the getgo.
In either case, why not the opposite.
I haven't achieved the gene pool improvement myself
Some might say it wouldn't necessarily be an improvement... 😯
Whatever - The kids don't seem to care either way.
Babies are like dogs - it's more about the tone and the body language you use rather than the actual words.
Once they're able to process words - use the right words.
Having not added to the gene pool but having nieces/nephews and friends with Children I tend to talk to them like normal people, even if they don't understand. As they get older and can talk themselves I encourage them to ask me to explain if they don't understand then they reach the 'Why' stage and I regret it.
Talk to them normally, no baby-speak.
Talking to them normally IMPO advances there development and is way less annoying for other people around you to listen too.
A friend used to place, when she was old enough to sit in one, his first baby daughter in her "walk yourself about the lounge" wheeled chair, three different-coloured shapes on the white tray in front of her.
A square, a circle and a triangle. I think it was as an aid to instil basic shape recognition at an early age, or something.
Mind you, he's a psychologist, so perhaps not the best example of natural human interaction...
The first - they are people (albeit very small ones) - just talk to them.
Baby talk doesn't help with their learning, comprehension, vocabulary, etc.
The only downside is they can end up being able to debate and argue in a horrifically effective way far younger than you'd like as a parent 
I do/did both. They're not mutually exclusive - there's usually a time and a place for both.
If you talk normally as well as "goo-goo" etc I'd like to think it assists in building up a broad vocabulary more quickly (sometimes too well if you look at the swearing children thread 😳 )
Certainly you would struggle to get a word in edgeways with our 5y/o now...
Its a bit like having a dog.
As long as only close relations catch you having deep, philosophical conversations with your child/dog involving complex sentence structures and vocabulary and they are well-used to your eccentricities, then there's no harm, no foul.
Just not in front of the vicar.
We talk to ours more like grown ups. Mainly because I am not the kind of person that enjoys talking like that or hearing people talk like that
That said they were running around the house with cardboard boxes over their heads screaming when I got home last night so not sure we have added a huge amount to the gene pool.
TimP
Occasionally proud owner of a 2yo and a 6yo
Can I choose a 3rd way of normal talk in a baby pitch of tone - not my normal gruff grumpy one and without any effing/jeffing
[url=
the secret language[/url]
Either straight talk, or sing. No goo-goo.
If you take the singing route you must ensure that you consistently sing everything to them so they know no different when they get to school.
Normal for my kids the baby talk does my head in.
Angry shouting and the issuing of empty threats about early bedtimes and withheld pudding are the order of the day. 😉
Doesn't work though. They just laugh in your face. 😥
Well, according to [url= http://www.parentingscience.com/baby-talk.html ]Parenting Science[/url], "Infant-Directed Speech" (IDS) is good for a baby's development.
[i]Whether you think it's cute, or it makes you squirm, baby talk is a compelling scientific phenomenon. All around the world, people use a special register when they speak to the very young. This IDS is recognizable for its higher pitch and more melodic, emotionally-charged tone.[/i]
[i]These features capture a baby's attention, and make it easier for her to grasp the emotional intentions of speech. In fact, fascinating experiments show that adults listening to a foreign language are better able to pick up on a speaker's emotions when he uses infant-directed speech.[/i]
Still very annoying to listen to, though!
I reckon offering them a wide variety of stimuli is probably gonna be covering the most bases
Doesn't matter much with little babies.
More important to interact face-to-face. And when they are toddlers, pay them attention and try to figure out what they mean (takes patience). Always talk and interact when they want to - that way they will grow up thinking that what they want to say has value. Speed of language acquisition is just a side effect.
When warns jnr was born there were only 2 rules:
1) No baby talk
2) Never ever ever ever mention there is a place called Peppa Pig World
Four years on and all is well! 🙂
Well, according to Parenting Science, "Infant-Directed Speech" (IDS) is good for a baby's development.
That's just doing this:
a 3rd way of normal talk in a baby pitch of tone - not my normal gruff grumpy one and without any effing/jeffing
Not the same as actual googoo gaga nonsense baby talk.
2: Speak to children as if to an adult (within their bounds of understanding) from the getgo.
Pretty much this. Either that, sing or talk utter rubbish (which my daughter appears incredibly adept at spotting)
Try a diff language ? mate of mine started learning spanish when his wife got pregnant - him and his now 5yr old always talk spanish together - worked a treat in having someone to speak to in that language
Not sure it helps with your original question, but this is singletrack after all
Quote Shakespeare soliloquies only ya heathens 🙄
Read, read, read, every night before bed. In a normal voice or at least with some character voices for the characters in the stories; some parents read in a really drole, emotionless voice.
Our son had a story every night and at a very young age amazed the nursery nurses by reading out the numberplates of cars parked around the playground!
In part it's about how children learn to make sounds and then translate that into meaningful words.
Modelling 'goo goo' (well not that exactly but ess, buh etc) noises is a way of teaching them parts of speech so the child can learn how to do it.
Blowing raspberries, for instance, is part of a child learning to control their lips, breathing and a step towards speech.
We've always spoken to our children using real words but, at a young age when they were learning to control their mouths, there was a time when we just made sounds at them and mirrored them doing it to reinforce the right way to do it.
Swear words from a young age has really helped their vocabulary.. Start with the soft sounding ones or even use a Mr tumble like voice.
Really.. Just use you own normal voice unless in character mode for reading or playing.
Singing calmed our second when she got herself worked up at night. The only words I know by heart are by Metallica and Guns N' Roses. She seems ok so far.
I pretty much just make any kind of noise, and if it generates a smile then I use it over and over until it's time to find something else. Normal words, singing, dodgy accents, beeps, meeps, honks and hoots; just whatever comes out. I just go with the view that I'm teaching him different sounds that you can make and that will all help with language.
No baby talk, for the sake of your own sanity
Never used baby talk when they were little. Do it all the time now they are teenagers ...
Adult words in a tone designed to help them enjoy words. I read to mine from a very early age. It was soothing for me and they just sat and kicked their feet gurgling happily at the sound of my voice. Daughter said her first word at 9 months, in response to a pop up book about a baby playing peek a boo, so never underestimate the power of reading to them.
As they grew and started to use language themselves it was all adult speak.
I think I read somewhere that we have a natural instinct to respond and speak to them in baby talk (when they are babies of course) . It's the same the world over . Maybe
i see a lot of parents that appear to be communicating with babies via facebook or text message - get with it
Who cares if they develop words slightly slower, too much thought and planning going on!
Never ever ever ever mention there is a place called Peppa Pig World
Don't even mention anything that sounds like peppa pig world!
I asked mine if she fancied going to Papplewick pumping station to see the steam engine ( well more for my benefit than hers obviously, but had to get the little on one side so the wife couldn't argue with my idea).
Sadly she translated Papplewick pumping station into Peppa Pig pumpkin station and got so excited about Peppa Pig with pumpkins that I didn't have the heart to actually take her there for her to discover it was just a smelly steam engine 😀
the classic text on the topic
We did the whole range of language from googoo gaga to proper stuff and read every night, often 4 or 5 stories a night.
I was driving once with our little one in the back seat probably aged about 18 months. Someone cut me up and I said 'bugger' in a raised voice in reaction. For the next 10 mins all we could hear was bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger bugger from the little one. It was so funny and me and the Mrs were straining not to laugh out loud. Its just a good job I didn't say anything stronger......
Bit of everything here, he is only 8months, started with trying to get him to make simple sounds by repeating them over and over like "ma". He has been saying Mama for a good couple of months now and associates it with his mum. He did have dada as well for a while and said it when he heard me on the phone, but recently appears to have forgotten it again which is actually quite upsetting for me.... Today was lots of "gagas" with the occasionally mama when he wanted mum or food.
I talk to him as a normal adult too, but it seems natural to start with simple baby talk.
Wifey also signs, he has signed back rarely but not sure if he knows the meaning yet or just mimicking,
Funny thing today is he is starting to react to emotions. For whatever reason whilst playing I fake cried, he looked confused and then burst into tears too....
Now if someone could tell me how to get the the mite to let me clean his teeth that would be great....