Why do babies say Daddy before Mummy?

[Lilliput]

Daa-Deee is almost like a football chant in our house! Ds is 15 months and has been saying daddy for ages and even gives his big sisters name a go, but not mummy. I know it's the same with nearly all babies when learning to talk, BUT WHY?

because mummy says things like "daddys home" etc so they hear it more

I always blame it on the fact that Daddy is a word they hear more often than Mummy, because Mummy is around more and does more of the talking! I was always telling dd that "Daddy will be home soon", "Daddy will do such-and-such", "Here comes Daddy" ... but she didn't hear anyone say "Mummy" anywhere near as often.

That's infuriating isn't it ?! my 20m old dd can say about 5 words, has been saying daddy for ages, actually I think it was her very firt word, but never - ever - said mummy !! they were shocked at her nursery when I mentionned it !

Mine didn't. He said mama

Think of it as a bonus - for months I made dh get up to see to ds2 cos he was calling "Daaaadeeeeee" ... "you go darling, he doesn't want me ... he wants you - isn't that cute!"

I don't agree with you, I say mummy all the time to her, like mummy's going upstairs, mummy's doing this or that.

I thought it was just because dadada is easier to say than mummum.

I thought that it was something to do with the fact that the D sound is much easier for babies to say than the M saound.

Everyone try it and see how different it is the D is very simple but the M is a full mouth movement I think!!!

my babe said mummy before daddy!!

daddy is an easier sound to make.
'dah' is easier than 'muh'- thats all.

its the way normal language develops. they can make the "da da" sound before they are able to make "ma ma". really. why did you think it was personal?!

mine said mama and pointed at me at 7 months she even had the thoughtfulness to do it in front of SIL and MIL!

sorry, couldn't resist boasting... i'll go now

Wait till he gets older. My two always seem to be saying "muuuum".They never call on their dad, it's always
"mum can i have...?"
"
"mum, what's for tea" etc etc
"Mum, he did this that or the other"

My ds said daddy as one of his first words and never mummy. But now at 2.1 he says 'mummy' to dh as well as me so I don't know if he's just not got it yet!!!

My DS did mummummummum sounds and mumma for about a month then he finally did dadadada and dadda just a few weeks ago (he's 9.5 months BTW). The M sound is an angry or in pain sound for him, typically when he's teething. The D sound is more practised and I'm pretty sure he associates dadda with his dad whereas he hasn't a clue who I am!

The 'd' sound is one of the eastiest to make. As a mther to a child with special needs I have spent many a session with various speech and language therapists. My DD starts nearly all new words with a 'd'. So our cat Fletcher is called 'ded-de-errrrr'. penguin is 'den-din'.

However she still calls out mummy over daddy, unfortunatley!!!!!

dd is 16mths and says daddy, no sign of mummy. Can say cat, bowl, dodo(my sister), elli, good girl, cheese, yes, no. I know why..cos she's a little witch and does it to annoy me

Well both DH and I have been beaten by our dog. DS is 9 months and the first sounds are Ki (the dog's called Kip) - forget Mum or Dad, he just loves the dog!

just to make the mummys try harder

the explanation I heard was that "dada" is the easiest "word" to say in any language.
and that it is a confidence trick by mothers, who pretend that the baby is saying "daddy" to flatter the father's ego and keep them interested in the baby - which, when you come to think of it, sounds nothing like father does it?
in other words - daddy is the baby-word for a father because it is often the first word.

nice explanation from someone who's leathered HC!

that was yesterday AllieBongo
am sober today

i don't know what day it is you sound a hoot when you're tipsy

It's meant to be easier to say but ds said mummy first, I was smug until he called everyone it!

Because D is an easier sound to say them M is..