to not want my dd's nursery to teach her to say "ta"?!

[mummy2isla]

Not to be snobby or anything .... ... but I HATE babies being taught to say "ta" - my dd (11 months) has just started in nursery and all the nursery staff tell her to say "ta" all the time - I don't like it, but have the feeling I would be a bit awful to ask them not to?

I think what Aitch and Mummy2Isla say about the wobbles that come with other people influencing our babies, and the 'not sounding like my child moment' are perfectly reasonable.

My son (6) is currently in the process of adopting an Irish accent, and it is quite odd for me and DH to find him talking less like us.

I do think that it is quite a different thing though to quibble about the nursery staff using their own accents.

That is where the class thing becomes a problem iyswim

I don't care about the accent - I come from the wirral for chrissake - it's just the long drawn out "taaaaaar" that really grates!

I can't remember the specifics either but in all languages mothers (parents, carers) adapt their voices to make it more sing-song because babies can hear the rhythm of language before they can understand the words. Also higher pitch etc. There's quite a lot of science to back up all that natural cooing you do over a baby.

Yes, I'm with you Aitch - just talk as you would do to anyone else, make life as easy as possible.

Well I suppose you could say preferring 'loo' over 'toilet' is a class issue but I've no idea why my karate teacher feels the need to correct my ds and eradicate the word 'loo' from his vocab. [Trust me, karate teachers have that kind of power] Maybe he thinks it too effeminate a word? Maybe real men say 'toilet'?

Goldrock - but see above, you may make your life easier but not necessarilly the baby's. Just get over the class paranoia.

Whatever happened to childhood? Get her to recite 'Thank you mother' over and over if it will make you happy.lol

I told my mum not to teach the DC to say "ta" in a PFB moment.

Still don't like it, but she only sees them for a couple of weeks a year so I don't think that they would have used "ta" anyway.

I agree that it is more the fact that your DC come home from nursery and have learnt new things that you have not taught them. It is a part of letting them get more independant and accepting that they will pick up habits that you do not use at home.

I would not say anything to the nursery unless you are unhappy generally. If your DD is happy there, let it go.

Wait till they are teenagers and using the latest slang. That will teach us not to be so fussy about "ta".

cthea - whay are mentioning class, I certainly haven't, I just don't like the sound of certain words and want my children to talk in a certain way. I don't have any scientific research to back anything up - just my own experience and DCs who've had no trouble in learning to speak well without baby talk.

Tell you what grates me. Gee Gee for a horse. That is quite old fashioned but the older generation use it. Terrible. 'oh look at the Gee Gee galloping past little Johnny' YUK!!!

I mention class because the OPer mentioned chavs.

Oh Im with you I can't abide ta - fine if you are northern but it grates down here. Also draw the line at pardon. And "change yer bum" which I heard in the park last week .

I come from London originally and now Essex. People do say 'ta' from where i am from. I am no snob but I just dont like it. I think its lazy.

OOh, I used to love a good taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! when DD2 was little. Very cute. She changed it to thank you within a few months all by herself. Take a chill pill.

She also used to call her sister, whose name is Maddie, "Babboo." For no reason. Anyone got an explanation for that one?

sorry cthea I thought it was directed at me, its not a class thing for me just a personal preference but actually I think that possibly the worst offenders are those I would consider to be "typical middle class" (I know there's no such thing, its just shorthand to describe a type of person)

"change yer bum" - can't get over that one - will be looking out for it!!

I also have a friend who refers to her bfing as "give baby booboo" and repeatedly says "here's booboo, here's booboo, do you want booboo" which I find a bit OTT. Funnily enough her 12 month old is refusing to eat solids still.

Have no problem with adults saying 'Ta' It is just the baby words that annoy me. can't abide the word 'chav' either.

I don't like 'ta' either.

I think middle class are the worst types tbh. I surpose I would be considered middle class (professional jobs etc.), but i am down to earth and not a snob at all. Most 'middleclass' come from working class roots anyway (like myself). Some people seem to forget where they come from. Anyway I am getting away from the point here. Ta for listening!!!!

When I was a kid, "ta" was one of the words on the "banned list" that my mother would never ever ever allow us to say. I still flinch at the thought of being caught saying "ta" because she would go beserk over it if she heard - I'm 33 and live over 200 miles away. Don't wield that sort of power over your child, it's not fair.

Re baby talk - I have no specialist knowledge of this, but think that one syllable words are hard to hear - so although "car" is easy enough to say, "brum brum" is easier to hear so the child will pick it out of conversation more frequently when they are tiny and just learning the language. It isn't necessary to good language development to choose either route, though, since it doesn't matter that much.

good point mrsgboring -
I don't want to terrify her! I guess as long as she's saying something it's nice.

OMG 'change yer bum'. My mum used to say that as well. Must be a regional thing. Where are you from luv.

Lovelyboy - let's hope someone doesn't take issue with your use of "luv"

cthea was only being friendly. Lets not start . Promise never to say luv again.

Ta!