If mom is the primary caregiver and with the child more often than dad it may simply come first because the baby may hear “mama” a lot and we know that repetition is very important when it comes to saying new words. Both of my kids said “mama” first but I have also worked with families who have had the opposite happen!
A child may say “mama” when they want food or comfort. “Mama” starts with a labial consonant (m) — it requires both lips to make the sound. As one linguist discovered, babies are likely to make this sound when breast or bottle feeding. “Mama” may be a common first word because it is a familiar mouth construction.
“Some linguistic specialists theorize [that] babies say 'dada' before they say 'mama' because they don't identify mom as being separate from themselves initially,” she explains. “Instead, their identities are fused.”
Whether or not babies utter “Mama” or “Dada” first is highly individualized — both words are common because their repetition makes them easier to sound out and babies who hear them experience heightened activity in the portion of the brain that processes language, according to research published in the journal ...
Jacobson calls it an “anticipatory signal.” So the baby is calling its mama to be close to her and also out of hunger. A more recent study discovered that brain activity increases when a newborn hears a repetitive sound like mama and dada.
In these months, your baby might say "mama" or "dada" for the first time, and may communicate using body language, like waving bye-bye and shaking their head.
Your child may now have an average of three clear words; for example 'mama', 'dada' and usually some familiar object name – for example, 'car' or 'drink'. It will help if you repeat the words back to your child to provide a clear model and shape to these early words.
As long as the sound is used as a substitute for a label (meaning they see a cat in a book, point to it, and say “meow!”) and they use that sound consistently, independently, and in an appropriate context, it counts.
In American English, the 10 most frequent first words, in order, are mommy, daddy, ball, bye, hi, no, dog, baby, woof woof, and banana. In Hebrew, they are mommy, yum yum, grandma, vroom, grandpa, daddy, banana, this, bye, and car.
From a phonetics standpoint, it's much easier to say mama than dada, says Heather Goad, an associate professor in linguistics at Montreal's McGill University.
A baby may also begin what psychologists call 'jargon' or 'pseudo' conversations. She will babble just as if talking in sentences; imitating an adult's speech pattern, facial expression and tone of voice. This conversational babble is another sure sign that your baby is getting ready to talk.
Baby development at 9-10 months: what's happening
If your baby is an early talker, they might be using 1-2 words already. But your baby will still make noises to get your attention. They'll also use body language to communicate with you and let you know what they want.
Can a baby say mama at six months? Babbling evolves over time, and some babies can say mama and dada from six months – although seven to eight months is more common. And then around their first birthday, some babies can say “mama” and “dada” plus another word to construct a mini sentence.
Babies will start to babble around 6 months of age, and this includes repeating the syllable “ma.” A 6-month-old doesn't mean “mama” yet, they are simply practicing sounds. To tell if your baby actually means “mama,” here are some tips to tell if something is a true word or not: The child is old enough for true words.
When do babies recognize their father or mother? Babies can recognize their parents pretty early actually – as young as 4 days old. By making eye contact with your baby during feeding times, cuddle sessions and throughout the day, you're helping your child memorize your face and learn to trust you.
As early as 7 months, your child may begin to use sound-words like "mi" for "milk" or "dat" for "that" (as in, "I want that!"). Alternatively, your child may not begin to say words or sound out words until they're 18 months old. Every child develops at their own rate.
By 15 months, most toddlers: try to say 1 or 2 words other than “mama” or “dada” show affection with hugs, cuddles, and kisses. follow directions that you give using both gestures and words.
18 month olds should use least 20 words, including different types of words, such as nouns (“baby”, “cookie”), verbs (“eat”, “go”), prepositions (“up”, “down”), adjectives (“hot”, “sleepy”), and social words (“hi”, “bye”).
Background Noise Is Harmful to Learning
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 2 not watch any television.
Most babies, say “mama” or “dada” when they are about 8-12 months of age. Some babies may even say their first words when they are younger, around 6-8 months or when they are older than 12 months.
Teach them about words that go together – for example, you could show them a ball, teddy and a rattle and then say the word 'toy'. Start using sounds with meaning (symbolic sounds), like saying "whoops" or "uh-oh" when you drop something accidentally, or saying "meow" while showing them a picture of a cat.
Months Is not gazing at objects; does not tune out repetitive sounds; does not move eyes to follow sound Does not respond to loud sounds Does not coo or make sounds When lying on back: keeps hands fisted and lacks arm movements; is not bringing hands to mouth; lacks symmetrical arm movements; does not turn head to ...