Baby Talk

My littlest niece, Lizzie, is 23 months old and has become more vocal since I saw her in December. It is the most adorable baby talk. She has learned to say my name, or her version of my name. It took her only a few hours after I arrived to start calling me “Dooie”. Sometimes “An Dooie” but mostly it is just Dooie. And, if I don’t pay close enough attention to her, Dooie, Dooie, DOOIE! It is so adorable!

At Christmas, the only word I really could understand from Lizzie was “yes”. Actually, it was more along the lines of “yesh”. Coming from an adult, that pronunciation would make the person sound a little drunk. Coming from a little blond tot, it just sounds very cute and makes me smile each time.

Lizzie has also learned other names in the family. Mom, Dad, Josh, An (for Anna), and Lexa (for Alexa). She doesn’t really call her sister, Micah, anything yet but she does point to her as a way of identifying Micah. I’m not sure if that name is difficult for her or she is around her so much, she doesn’t need to call her anything.

Lizzie is great fans of her cousins, Remi and Josiah. She is always inquiring about them but I wasn’t aware of what she was saying because, and I’m not sure I can write this the way she says it, she says it like “Oisaremi”. All run together. Now that I know what she is saying, I know how to respond. What I find very odd is that she comes up to me and says “Dooie, Oisaremi!”. Which means, I believe, “Aunt Julie, where are Josiah and Remi? I would like to play with them!” So I say back to her, “Lizzie, honey, Josiah and Remi are at their house and I’m sure you can play with them soon.” She generally is satisfied with that answer, at least for 15 minutes or so.

It is such a fascinating thing to behold being able to see a child develop their speech patterns. It seems like Lizzie is growing and learning every minute of every day. Her little eyes lighting up when she learns something new. The happy look she gets when someone comprehends what she is saying and responds to her.

When I was in college, I took a class in child psychology. I was so taken with this area of study I almost minored in it (my dad said that I was not going to be in school another two years to pursue this part of my degree but instead was going to graduate in May as scheduled – what a spoil sport!). It was intriguing to me how a child’s brain develops over time. How they learn to speak, comprehend, move, and become their own person. Each child is different (as each person is different) but most follow the same time line. Through this study, it is possible to see whether a child is developing properly; lagging behind or farther advanced. It also enables experts to talk to an adult and see where their development became stunted – in people where that is a problem.

In thinking about child psychology and in interacting with the adorable Lizzie, I have been pondering why some people get along with children and others do not. My brother-in-law and I were discussing it last night and we agree that people who don’t get along with children tend to either scare them or ignore them. Children need to be approached gently, with kindness and respect. If possible, lean down to their level but without towering over them in a menacing manner. Don’t expect them to speak as adults, comprehend like adults or behave as adults. They are children. Their brains are barely developed enough for them to walk across the floor without falling over. We can’t expect them to behave in a manner beyond what they are capable of doing.

I love kids. And, from seeing how kids respond to me, they tend to love me also. God hasn’t blessed me with children of my own but I have plenty of children in my life. I treasure each moment I have with them and do my best to treat them with kindness, respect, love and care. Not because I want to make them love me but because that is what they deserve. I want to do everything in my power to give them happy memories and help them to develop into remarkable human beings.

I missed much of the childhoods of some of my nieces and my nephew due to financial difficulties and/or life events. I am hoping this won’t be the case with Lizzie and, for that matter, Micah – since she is only six. As much as I can, I want to be an active part of their lives so I am able to witness all the stages of their developments. Including all that adorable baby talk.