The scientific reason why babies often say 'dada' first instead of 'mama'
A baby whose mom begged her to say “mama” turned her down in such a cute way.
“You are 1 now, you've said everybody’s name but mine,” TikTok user “iamprettiibrown” said to her baby in a video with more than 4 million views. “Can you please say ‘mama? Please!’”
The adorable child paused, then sweetly responded: “Dada?”
It can dash a mom’s hopes to hear their babies say “Dada” before “Mama,” but mothers shouldn't take it personally, experts say.
“The baby in the video has a rising intonation while saying ‘Dada,’” indicting that she's asking a question rather than repeating Mom's words, said, Diane Paul, director of Clinical Issues in Speech-Language Pathology at The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, tells TODAY.com. “She sees Mama — so why ask for her? This reflects the appropriate social use of language, known as pragmatics.”
Do babies say ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada’ first?
Babies do often say “Dada” before “Mama.”
“I hear a lot of complaints when babies say ’Dada’ first,” Stephanie Cohen, a speech-language pathologist and author of “The I Can Say Mama Book” and “The I Can Say Dada Book,’ tells TODAY.com.
It doesn’t mean that babies favor their dads.
“Babies often see themselves as really connected to their mothers when they are the primary caregivers,” says Cohen. “When these caregivers talk about ‘Dada,’ babies hear ‘Dada’ more frequently.”
“It’s often tied to what babies are hearing the most,” adds Cohen.
How babies learn to talk
Cohen points out that “M” and “D” sounds are in a group of consonants that babies usually say first and which are produced at the front of the mouth.
“Dada” might be a common word for babies, explains Cohen, because it’s natural for them to make “Da” sounds, especially when their mouths are at rest.
“Then, when a baby says ‘mama’ or ‘dada,’ that adult lights up and babies start tying meaning to that word ... even if the baby was just exploring how their mouths work,” says Cohen.
According to Cohen, babies usually start babbling between six and nine months using repeated syllables, like ‘mamamama,’ ‘dadadada’ or ‘babababa,’ not necessarily in that order.
“Gradually they begin to understand through repeated experiences that when they hear these words (mama or dada), it means their favorite person,” says Cohen. “Then, because they notice that Mama or Dada responds when they and others use those syllables ... many use those words with intention to refer to or gain the attention of their Mama or Dada.”
Kids go through predictable stages when babbling, says Elizabeth Norton, a developmental scientist and an associate professor at Northwestern University.
“Kids first use vowels and then put a consonant at the beginning of that vowel and say, ‘Coo’ for example, before moving into ‘duplicated babbling’ which is saying a consonant and vowel over and over again,” she says. “Even when kids speak a language that doesn’t include ‘Mama or ‘Dada,’ kids will still say, ‘mamamamama’ or ‘dadadadadada.’”
Other than “Mama” and “Dada,” says Norton, kids who speak a variety of languages most commonly express words related to their social routines that translate to “Bye,” “Thank you,” “No,” “Vroom” and “Ball.”
How to encourage your baby to say ‘mama’
Cohen has tips on Instagram for how to get your baby to say ‘mama.’
“While you’re drinking, take a sip (and say), ‘Mmmmm’ or ... blow kisses ... and make those silly raspberry noises,” Cohen said in an Instagram video. “Babies love the silliness of all this sound play. I also like to do this in front of a mirror because it helps baby or toddlers watch you and then look at their own lips and try to figure out how to do what you’re doing.”
And if your child isn’t saying “Mama,” don’t worry too much.
“There are lots of ways that kids show that caregivers are important to them,” says Norton, “such as hugs, shared cuddles and time together.”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
