In the first moments, your new little one seems more like an alien than a bundle of joy, but after a bath for baby and a few deep breaths for the new parents, your little angel looks their part. Their little red face is all scrunched up, and the sounds that voice from their puckered little mouth are the most precious notes you could ever hope for. You ache any time the nurses take them for tests, and you deny offers from well meaning friends and family who offer to hold them while you get some sleep. All you want to do is be with your new baby, and you'll forego food, water and sleep to do just that! Macho Men Turn to Mush
It’s subtle and irreversible and the inevitable does occur! That macho man with whom you have conceived a child with will turn to mush. Listen closely and you will hear the sweet sound!
To those expectant fathers, never say the word “never.” Once you hold your newborn baby in your arms, gaze at the face full of wonder and feel your heart overflow with love, you, too, will be one of the many men who speak the baby language.
The descent into the world of Babytalk will overcome you too!
Even the most dignified, professional human being or the most largest, burliest man is guilty of talking gibberish and cooing at their sweet baby.
“My little pookie needs a nappy nap?”
“Do you wanna babba?”
Or “How about some yum yums?”
Where do those words come from? Why is it that a new baby will turn your normal language into an English teacher’s worst nightmare?
Your newborn baby certainly cannot speak the language so we tend to go to their level. Your baby likes to be tickled. It is fun. Your baby likes to hear “How’s my little pooky?” That is fun. The newborn baby responds to this even though he/she may not understand it, however, it makes your baby happy. It’s a wonderful way to entertain your new baby.
Sure, it may not be intellectual and it may not make any sense at all. However, would your baby like to hear “The Federal Government is in a deficit and needs to raise federal taxes?” No, that is not fun and it certainly will not be understood by the little one who has just entered into this big world. There is much time in the future for this lesson in real life.
Adult men often have a voice that is often demanding, loud and can be scary to a baby. It is a natural instinct to soften your voice and speak the language of Babytalk. It is a way of bonding and creating a sense of security for your baby.
Yes, your language will change and no matter how resolved you are in saying that you will never stoop to that level, you will turn to mush. It’s amazing what a new baby, your new baby, will bring to your life. You may feel like your IQ level has gone downhill as you start singing nursery rhymes in the car to the little one and you become a bumbling baffoon.
However, the rewards are huge and there is nothing like the love received from a child. There is nothing like the smile your baby will give you while you are talking, playing or holding him/her. Fatherhood is a wonderful experience and the love in your heart will grow with each passing day, even if your once set of excellent language skills are tossed away the moment you see your newborn baby.
Embrace your sensitive side and embrace your new life as a father!
