COMIC: To raise a confident little talker, learn to speak ‘parentese’

Looking to raise a confident little talker but not sure where to start?

You don’t have to overthink it. According to science, your baby’s brain is primed to join in on conversation from the moment they’re born.

And there’s plenty you can do to help boost that language development on a daily basis. Avoid the “goo goo ga ga” baby talk, for one – use real words to avoid confusion. And pause to wait for a response when you talk to them, even if it’s a coo.

Cartoonist Navied Mahdavian illustrates advice from Roger Harrison, a child psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Jessica Rolph, a mom of three and the CEO of the early childhood development toy company Lovevery; and Amelia Bachleda, director of outreach and education at the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences.

Communicating with the little humans in your life can be challenging.
IMAGE: Dad changing baby’s diaper. Baby toots. Arrow points to daughter: My daughter Elika.
NAVIED: Uh, read any good books recently?
Especially if your conversation partner is a baby.

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

But there’s a good reason to keep talking to them. The first year is a critical period for language learning, says Roger Harrison, a pediatric psychologist.
IMAGE: Mom and Navied sitting on the couch. Baby Elika sits on the floor with fancy listening devices (e.g. headphones, parabolic dish) like what spies use.
NAVIED: I think she understands more than we think.
Not sure how to converse with your baby? Here are a few suggestions from the experts.

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

Talk to them on a daily basis, Harrison says. It builds connection and teaches them the basics of language.
IMAGE: Baby Elika stretching like an athlete.
ELIKA: Let’s start with some phonemes and work our way up to syntax.

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

Not sure what to talk about? Narrate your day. Or take your baby on a house tour, suggests Jessica Rolph, mom of three and the CEO of the toy company Lovevery.
IMAGE: Elika in a front-facing carrier on Navied’s chest. A comically large pile of
laundry in front of them.
NAVIED: Can you say “laundry”?

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

Lean into“parentese.” That means talking with expressive, exaggerated speech or in a high-pitched voice, says Amelia Bachleda of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences.
IMAGE: Navied feeding Elika, who is sitting in a high chair.
NAVIED: Who’s a linguistic genius? You are. Yes you are!

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

It tells your baby, "Hey, this is important. Pay attention. Learn from this," says Bachleda.
IMAGE: More ways to speak parentese A speech bubble stretched outward. Arrows point to it: Slower; Variations in pitch and tone; Repetition. * body language counts too! … warm smile, big bright eyes … *

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

No googoo gaga. Use the right words for things, not nonsensical baby speak. That helps avoid confusion in the future and sets them up for more effective communication.
IMAGE: Baby Elika in suit, with steepled hands (like a powerful businessman) thinking deeply.
ELIKA: Tell it to me like I’m a 6-month-old.
If it doesn’t come natural to you, try singing to them, rhyming or using a sing-songy voice, says Harrison.

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

And there are long-term benefits too, says Bachleda. One study found that infants whose caretakers used more parentese had better communication skills at age five on average.
IMAGE: Clickbait headline that reads: Linguists hate this one simple language hack! Longer sentences at five! Bigger vocabularies! More complex conversations!

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

Don’t just talk to them – leave room for your baby to respond, Rolph says. This may be your classic baby coo, but be open to all the different ways they might respond to you.
IMAGE: Baby Elika doing different things to respond, each labeled with a different response. Waving their arms; facial expressions; eye contact; semaphores
This shows them what conversations look and sound like — and helps them to build that muscle.

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

And remember, one-on-one interaction is best. To raise future talkers, put the screens away, Bachleda says.
Elika and Navied playing with blocks. Elika has a cellphone.
ELIKA: Hold all my calls, please.
Babies need social input to learn language, Bachleda says. So don’t rely on TV shows, music or podcasts. They’re no replacement for your attention.

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

This means less screentime for parents, too. It’s easy to be distracted these days, says Rolph.
IMAGE: A phone lock screen. It reads: Phone unavailable. Try again later.
Lastly, don’t take things too seriously. Raising a baby is stressful enough! It may take time for your baby to say their first words. That’s OK!

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

Just keep conversing with your baby and those words will come.
Image: Navied laying with Elika.
ELIKA: Mama.
Navied: No, dadda.
ELIKA: Mama?
NAVIED: No, dadda.
ELIKA: Mama!

Navied Mahdavian for NPR

Navied Mahdavian is a New Yorker cartoonist and the author of the graphic memoir This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America.

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This comic was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We’d love to hear from you. Email us at LifeKit@npr.org. Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or sign up for our newsletter.

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