Talking to my baby in public - surely i'm not the only one?

[matana]

Inspired by the 'how much time do you spend 1 to 1 with your child' thread.

Every visit to the supermarket, or other shops or anywhere else for that matter, i talk to my 5 month old DS. In fact, i talk to him pretty much all the time. But i am always very surprised how few of the other mothers do the same in public. When i started doing it i felt a bit, well, daft. But now i just don't care and it's become a bit of a habit.

Do you talk to your baby in public and, if so, why do i feel like i'm the only one?

tabitha on a work trip to view a conservation project in rural Dorset, with 2 senior member of staff in the car, I very nearly blurted out "Trac-tor" with sing song intonation...

TeddyMcardle please don't beat yourself up.

Lots of my friends yammered on like I did/do and their children also weren't early talkers.

one of the checkout staff at tesco's commented EVERY WEEK without fail on how i was the only mother she saw who spoke to her baby and how lovely it was and how more mothers should do it. so perhaps we are in the minority?

To TeddyMcardle - I want to give you a very big and tell you that in no way are you failing your little boy. My DD2 is 17months and has no proper words. Please don't feel bad xxx
You love your little boy and that is everything x

Talking, singing, blowing raspberries, yes, but doing anything at a volume that is clearly to draw attention to yourself and be admired is Not On. I swear you can hear some parents from the next aisle.

Teddy, DS2 is 19 months, and actual understandable words are few and far between. Being happy and loved is way more important. DS1 was just the same and now at 5 he's a massive chatterbox :)

teddy just read your post. You are not failing your DS. He's still very young to have developed any proper words yet. You obviously love him very much and that's all that matters. ((big hugs)) x

Teddy, agree with the others - you're not failing him!

I have been known to sing 'Consider Yourself' from Oliver! to DS while walking through the park...not sure if DS or the dog were more embarassed...

No Mutt i'm not one of those parents, they make my teeth itch. However, i do feel like i'm speaking more loudly than usual at the moment because i've gone deaf in one ear due to a cold!

And Teddy, your post made me very sad, you're doing a great job. The fact that you're so worried proves it.

I witter on to 14mo DD all day long when we're out and about. In fact, despite having a little Maclaren, I prefer taking her in the 'big pram' which is rear facing so we can have a lovely chat/sing song.

Her nursery is 5 mins walk from home, so I usually walk up with the empty pram to collect her. Have been known to sing to empty pram on the odd occasion

Teddy,

You post is nonsense.
My ds2 has speech delay and the other two are extremely articulate and always have been.

Don't be silly. I know that sounds harsh but feeling guilty about something totally outside of your control simply clouds the issue and stops you being able to peruse help and support.

And anyway one is far too young to be worrying about no words. Lots of little ones have no words at 18 months plus.

Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread, someone commented yesterday on ds and I've been thinking about it ever since. He didn't sit up until 10 months or crawl until 12 months, had a few comments about that as well. He can say mama and mum but he doesn't connect them to me or anything and is just babbling really. When I talk to him he doesn't pay any attention, in fact if he'll stare in the opposite direction to you and ignore you but I do try.
He's lovely and very alert though, loves fiddling with tiny things and buttons.
I think all you mum's talking to your babies wherever you go are wonderful and haven't heard of anyone who does have a problem with it :)

teddy talking nonstop doesnt work for some children. For some children it can be counter productive.

Some children need simple, clear speech not constant chatter.

Your little boy may be like this. He may have some delays but that doesnt mean he has any serious problems. If you are worried ask the HV to have a look and refer him on if necessary.

Dont fret, its not your fault.

Agree with everyone telling you not to beat yourself up, Teddy. I have wittered on at poor DD since the day she was born, including making up voices for the dogs and pretending to speak for them too, and at one she didn't have any words either.

Now, at 3.1, she starts talking the second she wakes up and just about stops when she falls asleep.

I do have to check myself sometimes, and make sure the volume is low enough. We were at the fish counter in Waitrose last week and I was pointing out different types of fish when she pointed excitedly, 'Ooh, Mummy, mussels. I love mussels.'
Even I wanted to slap myself with the nearest large salmon and call me a twat.

Yes, definitely talk to your baby - I spoke to DD1 all the time and she is now a very articulate five year old. I now do the same with 13mo DD2.

I bet you talk loudly too

people will inwardly snicker at you

but so what?

I have only just turned DC5's pram set away from me. He was one last week and was getting fed up of looking at me.

I chat away to my kids but some people find it very difficult. If you are shy its pretty hard to do it in public but I bet the majority do it at home.

It gets on my nerves to see Loud Parenting which is obviously for the benefit of fellow shoppers and not the child. It always has a slightly hysterical edge to it.

So I suppose you could put it down to lack of sleep.

I always spoke to DD, as a baby and toddler, wherever we were. Just felt natural to not ignore her.

We never had a rear facing pram either, so prbably louder than some mums do.

I think most parents do don't they?

I had real trouble finding a cheap parent facing pram. I ended up with a silver cross for £20 off ebay.

You have to buy a travel unit or mega bucks quinny type to get a parent facing.

When DD and DS1 were born most buggies had flippable seats.

It's a Silver Cross I've got too. Like pushing a horse and cart sometimes and I know they're not the height of fashion or anything - but love that it can face both ways and is very roomy yet snuggly.

Its very boingy too.

Mine is blue velvet

Lots of people coo over it but they are all of a certain 'type'

I will let you lot decide what that 'type' is

I have long conversations with my bump, but thankfully I've (so far) managed to restrict these to when we're in the house or the car.

I knew this conversation would end up with having comments such as 'I spoke non stop to my child and he spoke very early and is now non stop talking'. I knew it, even just by reading the headline of the thread.

Like other posts here, I spoke well and clearly and often with both my children, and one has a severe speech delay. I know that some people out there think that if you speak to your child constantly he/she will learn to speak well and early. It's true for most children, but for others it simply makes very little difference to how well and early they will speak. My first son spoke well within the normal range, and has an amazing vocabulary, whereas my second son had no words before he was 2.5, and two word sentences before he was 3. He still has a severe delay. Of course, there are children who would speak better and clearer if their parents would speak to them more.

And by the way, I was told off (by another mum!) at a cafe because I was talking non-stop to my boy and she got annoyed with me. She asked me (that's very very true) to be quiet as she was trying to get her baby to sleep!

I chatted all the time to mine and it wouldn't ever have occurred to me not to. I thought everybody did. Mind you, I also chat to my dog. He's a very good listener.