7 Gibberish Your 10-Month-Old Baby Says That Could Have Deeper Meanings
MA MA MA MA MA... oh my baby's calling me mom! Or is he?
If you are a parent you should know how heartwarming it is to hear your child say their first "MaMa" and "PaPa". As they learn to form more and more "words", I bet you just can't wait when you are finally able to communicate with them. The thing is, they could be communicating — or trying their best to do so — with you long before you even notice. Here are a few gibberish I've picked up on when my baby's using his best efforts to speak to me.
Gibberish #1 - Dad dad dad dad daa...
When my baby first said "dad", I got excited for my husband thinking, oh man, that must have warmed his heart! Right away he told me while he was glad to hear it, he didn't think it was directed towards him. Our baby must have been about 7-month-old then, and "dad" was one of the first words he repeatedly said (he stills say it now at 10-month-old). We are still waiting on that actual "Dad" moment, which hopefully will come soon. As I get used to hearing that unintentional "dad", I've noticed it could mean "no", and that our baby is trying to get our attention on something happening around him at the time.
Gibberish #2 - A-da a-da a-da a-da...
"A-da" does not mean Ada here. We know because we don't know anyone with that name. Sometimes our baby says "a-da", he says it with such force that his facial muscles would get all jumbled up. After months of hearing it, I believe in his own baby dictionary, it means a stronger "NO" than when he says "dad". One time I was taking care of him by myself, I had a clumsy moment where his poopy butt touched the cold hard bathroom sink while I was holding and cleaning him at the same time. In that case he spoke so loudly, "A-DA! A-DA! A-DA!" At that instant I knew he meant to tell me, "this is not cool Mom, not cool at all!" He must have been uncomfortable (so sorry babe!).
Gibberish #3 - Na na na la la na la...
More and more often lately, I've noticed my son likes to have conversations with me. I mean not by any actual words that I can understand but in more of a code word style that my husband and I must learn to decode. He would be playing with a toy or something in his playroom, all of a sudden he could turn to us and say "na na na la la na na la...". Now, I wouldn't mind if he was actually singing, but I believe as he hears his parents talk to each other, he wants to take part in our conversation too, and that is his way of responding to us. He has also tried and interrupted us while we chatted. I mean he would "talk" in a way loud enough that I almost feel he felt left out. I think by his "na na la la" he's telling us, "don't forget that I'm here too!"
Gibberish #4 - ROOOOAOAAOAORRRR!
Babies get frustrated easily at this age, especially when they are just starting to learn to walk, talk, and play with exciting new things and toys. When my son goes "roooooooooaooaoooarrr!", most of the time I notice he could be frustrated with something at hand. It could also mean he's getting tired and is a little cranky. In either case, we would often tell him it's okay and then try to guide him to figure out what he feels stuck on, and if he's truly overtired, "it's nap time baby boy!"
"A-DA! A-DA! A-DA!" At that moment I knew he meant to tell me, "this is not cool Mom, not cool at all!"
Gibberish #5 - Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
Whenever I hear my baby stretch out his "ahhhhhhhhhhh", I often wonder how many seconds he could last without taking a breath. Babies must have huge lung power! I mean he could go on for a good 5 seconds, take a deep breath and then do it again. I believe when he does that he's unintentionally strengthening his vocal cords. As he explores a wide range of sounds he can make with his tiny little mouth, he's also practicing and having fun.
Gibberish #6 - Graf faba gag egjt egs...
When my baby moves his lips and "speaks" like he's making sense, even if what he said makes no sense to me whatsoever, I always make sure to react in a way like I understand him. He gets a good kick out of my response that way, and I think it secretly gives him a sense of accomplishment. So when your baby starts to talk like they are carrying an actual conversation with you, play along. In fact, my son has started doing this at 3-month-old, and I just talked to him like he was already 3 years old. I would ask him whether he enjoyed his bath, or if he liked his milk, he would then chat back. It's nice to know they want so bad to communicate back. It's up to us moms and pops to guess (at least for now that's all we can do before he actually says real words), judging by the specific situations, what he's actually trying to express.
Gibberish #7 - Gleba
This one never actually happened from our son (at least not yet). It's taken from Friends, the beloved TV sitcom from the 90s. Ross thinks his daughter, Emma, is going to be a scientist simply because she says a word that means the spore-bearing tissue of various funguses. While I really doubt if any baby says "gleba" that would really mean the actual definition of the word in the dictionary, but we as parents can all dream.
Final thoughts
As your baby grows to like using their voice to communicate with you, pay attention to them as they do, or better yet, record them. Because these precious moments will pass in the blink of an eye. Sometimes it's hard to imagine we all have gone though this stage in our lives.
What other gibberish have you heard from your babies? Share them in the comments.
Julie Y. Barris
Founder | Chief Editor | Advice Guru of Moody Melon Magazine
I am an author, artist, entrepreneur, and a graphic designer with a unique vision to contribute to the world one idea at a time. Besides creating and inventing things, I’m also fascinated by the human mind. I enjoy helping others help themselves by giving them advice on family and relationship matters.
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