Cave

How do babies learn to say Mama and Dada? Are parents supposed to refer to themselves in the third person? Or do they just refer to each other a lot when talking to the baby? "Lyla, just wait until your Dada gets home," and somehow she picks up on it?

Am I supposed to say to Lyla, "Dada is here, Lyla! Dada! Me Dada! DA DA DA DA." It seems awfully self-important.

I think I use too many pronouns. It's not like we can sit Lyla down and explain, "You are Lyla, Goo Baby, Peanut, and sometimes you are You or Her or She, depending on context. And I am Dada."

Plus, I have mixed feelings about whether I want Lyla to say Dada first, or Mama. Competitively, I'm all about Lyla singing a chorus of Dadas and following up with Mama a day or two later. Realistically, I am not a primary food source, I suck at the bedtime routine, and I'm not as good at reading Green Eggs and Ham. Plus, saying Mama before Dada seems more traditional and more fair. If Lyla learns my name first, then Julie might poison my oatmeal.

But regardless, it's time to start talking like cave people. "Dada here to tuck in Lyla," I'll say while pointing to myself and then her. And with mind-numbing repetition, I guess it'll just fall into place.