LilSugar

Tell Mommy: When Did Your Child Start Chatting?

babysugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:00:31 PDT

It's only natural for parents to pay attention to their children's developmental milestones and how he or she measures up to playmates. That being said, each child has his or her own pace and in most cases, they catch up or eventually, level out their Olympic speed. A recent study on language emergence has shown that 80 percent of children with language delays at age two will catch up by age seven. Of course that also means one in five "late talkers," stay delayed for a while longer.

I always tell friends how important I think it is to not put your children on a timetable and just enjoy the proud growth and accomplishment moments when they happen. Of course, there are certain milestones - like your child becoming a chatty Cathy - a parent will never forget. When did your child begin completing full sentences and carrying a conversation?

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Trendtotting: Tees that Speak the Twooth

babysugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:00:44 PDT

Ever have a hard time deciphering what your lil one is trying to tell you? After a while, a mother can clarify to others that "waga" translates to "water" and "peas" does not connote the green veggies, but "please." Take one of your tot's most mangled vocabulary words and memorialize it with a Temporary Language tee.

Parents choose an image from a gallery of 100 plus pictures, enter their child's version of the word along with the legitimate translation. For $30, your babe will be a walking talking self–identifying dictionary for those surrounding him. And, you'll have a tangible memento of his "faborit whuurd."

Do You Sign With Your Babe?

babysugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:00:53 PDT

Most baby stores now carry sign language merchandise from books to DVDs and flashcards to placemats.

I only taught my lil one the sign for "more," but my friends have been more diligent in their efforts. Advocates say that children who sign are less likely to throw tantrums since they can communicate earlier. On the flip side, others argue that signing can delay speech development as tots learn to rely on their hands.

When it comes to sign, what's your stance?
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One Language or More?

babysugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:00:39 PST

In many bilingual families, parents make a conscience effort to teach their babes both languages. If one parent is proficient in one language and the other in another, it is normal for each one to talk to their tot solely in that tongue.

I try to chat in Spanish with my babe, but I'm not as diligent as I'd like to be. Luckily, her nanny is teaching it to her every day. And, at this age, she is soaking words up like a sponge.

Just the other day we were on a walk and she looked up at me and said, "Mano!" A little puzzled, I thought to myself, "Mano?" Then it hit me, "Hand! That means hand in Spanish!" So I reached down and her tiny palm met mine and off we went.

Will your child be bilingual?

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Tracking Baby's Words

babysugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:00:35 PST

In Sunday's New York Times Magazine, I came across an interesting piece on baby talk.

Most parents are curious about how their child measures up to the developmental milestones and physical growth charts.

While some parents brag about their tot's precocious behavior, others secretly worry about their lagging babe, especially if the lil one isn't talking much.

To learn what these parents can do about it,

read more. Terrance Paul from Infoture created LENA (language environment analysis) for $400. According to the article:

Terrance Paul's current venture (LENA) was inspired by a well–known study that found that professional parents uttered more than three times as many words to their children as did parents who were on welfare. The children in the less talkative homes turned out to be less verbal and to have smaller vocabularies. Other studies have suggested that these gaps affect later professional success.

LENA is a voice recorder that attaches to the kid's clothing and reportedly assesses children's verbal skills as well as their exposure to verbal stimulation. In the future, they hope the device will also be able to account for speech entropy, which is the adding of new words, phrases or sounds to their skill set. Critics of the LENA system have legitimate concerns about how words, syntax, and verbal growth can actually be charted using a recorder. Others argue that parents of LENA children will converse more than normal in efforts to better their child's LENA scores. And, some lil ones who may just be slower to mature in dialogue could be identified as "having a problem" when their timing is off in comparison to their peers. But many agree on one simple idea – the more you speak with your children, the more you provide them the tools and confidence from which their language can evolve. Tell us, would you buy a LENA if you were concerned with your babe's language development? Source

14 Geeky Languages to Learn With Your Love

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:15:00 PST

Love may be a universal language, but we're not sure that phrase includes the sci-fi alien races and fantastical creatures that rule the far depths of the galaxy, who express love in words beyond our human comprehension. When you're thinking of a unique way to woo your valentine this year, plan a tutorial to learn together one of these 14 geeky languages. While several of these Trekkie, Tolkien, or computer gaming-inspired languages have enough depth to warrant a university level class, many are not fully realized, so have fun discovering select words and phrases to bring to future geeky date outings.

Wookie - Made up of three dialects, the main Wookie language is Shyriiwook. As you'd expect it consists of lots of barks and grunts, but don't you dare say that to Chewbacca. The Star Wars Christmas Special has detailed examples of this mystifying tongue.
Klingon - The language of Klingons, the sometimes ally of the Federation, is arguably the best known of the imagined star languages. Described by its Hollywood creators as gutteral in tone, dedicated Trekkies maintain the Klingon Language Institue, preserving the galaxy's "fastest growing language."
Vulcan - Known as the language of Spock, one version of Vulcan looks like musical notes. Much of the language is available online today as Gene Roddenberry was insistent when making Star Trek: The Motion Picture that the Vulcans receive their own linguistic treatment.
Romulan - As biological cousins of the Vulcans, the Romulan language is difficult to differentiate from Vulcan to the untrained ear. The Central Institute of the Romulan Language ensures you get the right training to one day know the difference.
Cardassian - Residents of the Alpha Quadrant, Cardassians are a fearsome foe of the Federation. Little is known of their language, maybe because of its rectangular-shaped letters and script.
Andorian - The blue-skinned moon species from Andora appeared throughout the Star Trek series and would of course show up in the directory of a PADD.
Elvish - With a background in linguistics study from Oxford, Tolkien did not take the creation of the Lord of the Rings languages lightly. Based on Welsh and English, you can study Liv Tyler's Arwen in the film trilogy for pronunciation and read the many online Elvish resources, including an English to Elvish dictionary.
Dwarvish - Also called Khuzdul, Tolkien is said to have drawn inspiration for the secret language of the Dwarves from Hebrew, reflecting many of the same sounds and structure. As many Lord of the Rings languages, it's been almost fully realized and you can study up with the Dwarvish dictionary.

Check out even more languages to geek out over after the jump.

10 Ways to Encourage Babies to Develop Language Skills

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:16:33 PDT

Don't tell the producers of The King's Speech, but a few "ums" and "uhs" in mama's daily lexicon may actually be beneficial when talking to tots! According to a new study just released in Developmental Science, the little stumbles in adult language actually help tots learn language more effectively – signaling toddlers' minds that they are about to learn something new.

To ensure that your talking tyke is growing his language development skills as much as possible, parents and caregivers must incorporate speaking directly to their children as part of their daily activities. Check out our 10 tips for aiding the development of language in tots.

Can You Feel the Beat? Toys For Musically Inclined Tots

LilSugar — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:16:29 PST

Bono once said, "Music can change the world because it can change people," and the experts seem to agree. Numerous studies link tots' exposure to music - especially in infancy and toddlerhood - to everything from a child's language development to their motor skills and even how children adapt to the culture in which they live.

Check out the following selection of musical toys for tots to inspire and encourage a lifelong love of music.

Mommy Tummy Pregnancy Simulator: Ga Ga or Gag?

LilSugar — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:32:27 PST

"You have no idea what this feels like!" This phrase has likely been uttered in every different language since the beginning of time - wives angrily berating their husbands for not being appropriately empathetic to their big, achy, swollen pregnant selves. The Mommy Tummy hopes to enable men to give an authentic, "Yes, I do know how it feels!" in response. It's a Japanese project currently in the development stages with the stated goal:

With Mommy Tummy, we aim for a better world that treats maternity with the care it deserves.

The gadget is made up of a water bag, touch sensor, acceleration sensor, and fetal air actuator to simulate the growth, weight, and movement of a fetus. Little balloons inflate and deflate at random to simulate a kicking fetus, and balloons placed in front of the chest area simulate breast development. Water is pumped into a bag to mimic the pregnant belly and is even maintained at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and a vibrator inside the jacket simulates the fetal heartbeat. Sure, the men have the luxury of taking it off when they're over the hot, bloated fatness of it all, but it may just give them a lil glimpse into what women go through in the name of reproduction.

Photo courtesy of Kosaka Laboratory

No TV or Video For Two Years? Tube Dangerous For Kids Under 2, Say Pediatricians

Yahoo Shine — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:33:38 PDT

We're happy to present this article from one of our favorite sites, Yahoo! Shine:

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a stern warning to parents: TV is bad for kids under 2. And not just some TV shows, all moving screens with pictures.

That means "Yo Gabba Gabba", but also the football game playing in the living room or the Youtube clip buffering on your iPad.

A statement on the AAP website stops short of calling the glowing moving images on your iPhone that transfix your baby what it sometimes appears to be: kid-crack.

"The Academy is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for children younger than age two and how it could affect your child's development," says a statement on the AAP website. "Pediatricians strongly oppose targeted programming, especially when it's used to market toys, games, dolls, unhealthy food and other products to toddlers. Any positive effect of television on infants and toddlers is still open to question, but the benefits of parent-child interactions are proven." Keep reading for the rest of this story.