What do parents talk about to infants?

• Published in: Early development & parenting 1993-07, Vol.2 (2), p.89-97
• Main Authors: Pěcheux, Marie-Germaine, Labrell, Florence, Pistorio, Marc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Babies; Communication; infancy; parental beliefs; Parents; sex typing; Speech
• ISSN: 1057-3593; 1099-0917
• DOI: 10.1002/edp.2430020203

The content of parents' talk is studied here as expressing their conception of their developing infant, from the initial symbiotic fusion to an individual situtated in space, time and society. The topics parents introduce in their speech to their infant reflect the perception and expectations they have of their baby. The social and parental status of fathers and mothers, and the anticipated role and status of the child‐ and adult‐to‐be, and in particular the age and gender of the infant, mediate the choice of topics. Parents' spontaneous speech to 3‐month‐ and 9‐month‐old infants was studied during a diapering episode, before leaving the day‐care centre. Five minutes of such a speech was recorded, and each utterance was assigned to a semantic category (e. g. greetings, comments on diapering, on mood). Sex‐typing is already noticeable as early as 3 months of age: comments on the present situation and state are more frequent for girls, and comments about absent persons or events more frequent with boys. Both parents contribute to this effect, fathers more than mothers. With age parents become less concerned with immediate problems and more aware of the infant's own performances. First names are used more for boys than for gilrs. As a whole, boys are considered as individuals earlier than girls.