Parenting Comes with Sound Effects

Why talking and singing to your baby is easy

When Natasha was first born, I kept wondering how I was going to talk and sing to her enough. All the reading I had done said to talk, read and sing to your baby, that she needs to hear your voice and that the rhythm and sound of words help with language development.
 
Well, it did not take long before I became proficient at singing and talking to Natasha. Songs about her, about what we were doing, about what I was doing, all started to flow from me. Two years ago I never would have believed that I would be singing about changing a poopy diaper, but here I am, making up little ditties about changing diapers, about it being nap or bedtime, and about going to the park. And then there is the running narrative that follows us through the day. I explain to Natasha that we are putting clothes into the washing machine or that her dad is making a tuna melt.
 
To someone for whom everything is new, there is a whole lot to explain! Think about the tuna melt. She does not understand the concept of canning, so you explain what the thing is that dad is opening and what he is using to open it. Then there is what is in the can. How do they get a fish in there? There is the bread and the cheese, the oven. .  . I'm sure most people would not expect such an existential analysis and explanation of a tuna melt, but when this ends up being your day, day in and day out, and you are alone with an eight-month-old girl all day, you end up doing things you did not predict.
 
Natasha has many nicknames. The most commonly used one is Chubba, short for Chubba Lubster and bestowed upon her when the chub started to arrive and accumulate when Natasha was a couple of months old.
 
Now that the Chubba moniker (and its many variants including Chubbs, Chubbers, and The Chubster) is well established (we hardly ever call her Natasha), it has infiltrated other areas of our speech. We not only address her as Chubba and talk to each other about Chubbs, but we sing songs to and about Chubba. The words to our favourite songs, brand new songs, and songs that we have learned at baby group have suddenly had key words, entire phrases, and whole lyrics replaced with "Chubba, Chubba, Chubba." Sometimes it is not even the words but just the music that is replaced. This practice ends up being like a catchy jingle that you hear on the radio or see on TV. It's catchy, it sticks in your head, you sing it over and over again, and it drives you absolutely bonkers. It is also very contagious. When Steve starts singing about Chubba, I usually follow along (though on some days I have to ask him to stop!). Sometimes we do it when she is sleeping and is not even in the room.
 
Sometimes, as you can imagine, the singing can be a bit embarrassing. I remember being at the video store one time with Natasha in the carrier on my hip. She was getting a little bit fussy, so I started to bounce up and down and sing her name over and over. On about the six or seventh time, I realized that I was singing kind of loudly and that the person down the isle was looking in our direction. I decided to stop singing.
 
And then there are the sound effects. I have actually always been a fan and an initiator of sound effects, and they now accompany most actions and activities. I think the sound effects are often as much for my benefit as for hers. Any of you out there who have been home alone with a baby for months on end know how your need for entertainment grows and how you suddenly are entertained by almost anything. You probably never expected that a "shhhew" could be such a simple pleasure. But, sometimes it is baby who brings these things out.
 
You can also be rewarded with laughter at your sound effects, though you never know which ones will elicit the delighted laugh, and don't be surprised if something is the funniest thing they have ever heard one day but gets a blank stare the next.
 
Natasha's own words and sounds are inspiration for us. We end up repeating what she says. This is another thing that the books say to do, but they really don't need to. It is automatic. People who do not spend much time with Natasha end up repeating her words, too. When Steve's sister and her kids were visiting this summer, Natasha made a sound, and everyone, three teenaged relatives and three over-thirty-years-old parents, all started mimicking her. (Or trying to mimic her, anyway; we have teeth and speak English, wile Natasha is not limited by these factors yet.) It's funny to observe and to be a part of, and it seems to be a primal reaction. It is great for Natasha's self-esteem, and we all love seeing her reaction when she finds it funny to have someone repeating what she is doing.
 
I guess this is one of the first lessons that Natasha has taught us. Your creativity and inventiveness are suddenly needed and appreciated on a constant and daily basis that it was not before. Nobody can tell you how to talk and sing to your baby all day, just that you should. It turns out that none of that advice is necessary, as it starts to happen without any conscious attempt on your part. Just let your tongue go and follow your baby's lead!

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