💩Have a baby, they said. It'll be great, they said.💩

[Cirrus]

Watching a baby learn their first language absolutely fascinates me. From a point of zero content they manage to put together a vocabulary based on nothing but contextual cues, and before you know it they have command of the most abstract words and concepts - to make no mention of all the complexities of grammar, etc. It's just mind-blowing.

It's such a small thing but today she used "too" for the first time, as in "this one too." A few weeks ago she went from calling our car "car" to "our car" and in our recent heatwave she took to declaring "car too hot" and insisting that we blow on it to cool it down before she got in her seat. She uses "is" a bit too loosely just now, like she'll point at something and just say "is" and she's trying to get at something but we don't know what.

The gap between what she speaks and what she understands is quite big, I can give her a full sentence like "go put that in the bin, find your shoes and bring them back to me" and she'll sometimes do all three steps.

I'm sure one day these little things won't be so exciting to me but it's just so interesting watching language develop like this. Wife took her to baby sign language classes from 3-12 months and she was signing "milk" at 7 months, which just in itself was such a help to us in understanding why she might be fussy and must have been really empowering for her, still months from being able to say the word.

 

[TSJMajesty]

It's such a small thing but today she used "too" for the first time, as in "this one too." A few weeks ago she went from calling our car "car" to "our car" and in our recent heatwave she took to declaring "car too hot" and insisting that we blow on it to cool it down before she got in her seat. She uses "is" a bit too loosely just now, like she'll point at something and just say "is" and she's trying to get at something but we don't know what.

The gap between what she speaks and what she understands is quite big, I can give her a full sentence like "go put that in the bin, find your shoes and bring them back to me" and she'll sometimes do all three steps.

I'm sure one day these little things won't be so exciting to me but it's just so interesting watching language develop like this. Wife took her to baby sign language classes from 3-12 months and she was signing "milk" at 7 months, which just in itself was such a help to us in understanding why she might be fussy and must have been really empowering for her, still months from being able to say the word.

Wow, that's awesome stuff man! I never thought much about the way little kids' brains developed until recently (You Tube documentary videos- I love that stuff!), so I never gave much thought to the fact that our brains are at their most "absorbent" at these really young ages.

If I had had kids, I would've really enjoyed the teaching aspect (closest I've been was training my own carpenter employees, and many of them have told me how appreciative they became of the things I taught them, and I always loved doing so), and I'm pretty sure I'd have wanted to get them interested not only in music at a very young age like I was, but also in learning to play an instrument. (Although I bet it would've been drums!)

 

[fretworn]

It’s always drums … (to be fair he tried cello for 6 months)

 

[BahamaDada]

Wife took her to baby sign language classes from 3-12 months and she was signing "milk" at 7 months, which just in itself was such a help to us in understanding why she might be fussy and must have been really empowering for her, still months from being able to say the word.

Whoa, does that REALLY work? My wife wants to donthis and showed me a phamplet of a near course. I was tellinf her this is a hoax from "Meet the Fockers".

 

[Cirrus]

Whoa, does that REALLY work? My wife wants to donthis and showed me a phamplet of a near course. I was tellinf her this is a hoax from "Meet the Fockers".

Yes, it really works. And I was EXACTLY as skeptical as you - I was like "Are you going to make her think she's deaf?" While my dad chortled in the background

They can understand the concept of communication months before they have the muscle/ breath control necessary to begin to speak beyond single syllables and gaga dada type noises. The two that she really cottoned on to were "Milk" and "Music". And even if she hadn't learned a single sign those classes were her first experience of other babies in a group setting, paying attention to a teacher, and she learned a bunch of songs that still entertain her a year on.

As it was, I reckon just being given the tools to ask for something after 6 months of being along for the ride must be pretty mind blowing.

 

[mbenigni]

If I had had kids, I would've really enjoyed the teaching aspect (closest I've been was training my own carpenter employees, and many of them have told me how appreciative they became of the things I taught them, and I always loved doing so), and I'm pretty sure I'd have wanted to get them interested not only in music at a very young age like I was, but also in learning to play an instrument. (Although I bet it would've been drums!)

I had the same notion early on... quickly disabused. My daughter was thrilled with the idea of my teaching her guitar, until I had to impress upon her that this would require her to sit and follow my directions for several minutes in a row. Guitar lessons didn't last long after that.

 

[Whizzinby]

I had the same notion early on... quickly disabused. My daughter was thrilled with the idea of my teaching her guitar, until I had to impress upon her that this would require her to sit and follow my directions for several minutes in a row. Guitar lessons didn't last long after that.

My problem is the fact that they see it as “dads” thing. My kids couldn’t be bothered with learning guitar or drums (I totally did not buy a 9yo a drum kit) but immediately took to piano lessons when my wife wisely took the approach of not making it seem like it was something I wanted them to do.

I think I’m going to have my wife give my son a bass and amp, and see if that passes his dad detector. “Oh wow, your mom is so cool for getting you that, want to jam son?”

 

[mbenigni]

...my wife wisely took the approach of not making it seem like it was something I wanted them to do.

The contrarian reflex is a big thing, yeah. Kids and cats have this in common.

 

[la szum]

Haha! I like those last couple of posts. My Son is 17 and in the throes of "differentiation from Dad" mode, so
I was critical of a few bands I actually like and he recently told me he was listening to them. Yup.

Gonna try to be more manipulative from now on. Why did it take me so long??

 

[Piing]

Reading this thread I could not avoid twisting the title of that Camel's album
I CAN SMELL YOUR HOUSE FROM HERE

 

[HotRats]

Really enjoying these Dad conversations.
I have 3 kids (2M, 6F, 10F) and yes it's hard work but I love it.

Having them around is my favourite thing.