Talk to your child like a real person. Even babies don’t NEED baby talk.

Parenting is a serious subject. Although it's fun to play with your infant and baby talk with them, it is not a necessity in their upbringing.

Remember that your baby is learning from you right from the start. One of the first things they learn is speech and you want them to learn to speak correctly. After that first year of life, no more baby talk!

All your words should not end is “y”. For example, do not ask your four year old “Joshy, do you want to give Mommy a huggy?”

As a child reaches toddler age, it’s important to speak to them in a more mature matter. That doesn't mean to speak to them as if they are an adult, but they're not a baby anymore. If you speak to them like they’re a baby, they will act like a baby. If you speak to them like a toddler who is growing and learning and capable of making some decisions on their own, they will learn to do that.

Good communication skills are a key element for so many areas of your life. As a child, you want good communication with your parents. When you get into school, you want good communication between friends. As you enter the work force, you want good communication between co-workers and with the boss. In your personal relationship, you want good communication with the significant other. You can teach your child the basics of all those communication skills starting when they are an infant.

I believe that you get from your kids what you expect from them. My philosophy has always been that whenever you reach your goal with something you're trying to teach your child, then set a new goal. Challenge them more. It’ time to raise the bar. That’s how children learn and develop into independent teenagers and self-thinking adults. You have to make it age-appropriate, but it's always okay to set higher goals.