"Hey Ed, I Need Doggy Food"

You know what drives me crazy? What makes me want to pull out my hair?

When someone, while talking to a child, says something like “look at that doggy” or “see the horsey?”

Doggy? Horsey? Fishy? (ok, I know fishy is a word, when used in “that smells fishy” but not “look at the fishy”)

Are those even English words? When was the last time you were out buying dog food and said “Hey Ed, I need doggy food”? Or do you say “lets go ride the horsey” when you are with adults?

Baby talk. Drives. Me. CRAZY.

Do you know why this drives me crazy?

A child learns best by watching what goes on around them, and copying behavior. If I am going to teach a child to speak, I would like to teach them the correct words. I wonder how many kindergarten teachers have to correct this pattern. I cringe when I hear a 6 year old talking about doggies.

So next time you are talking to children, please watch your words, and don’t baby down the talk. Talk to children like you would an adult.