Baby Who Has Previously Never Spoken Reads Book All About Fathers And Finally Says ‘Mama’ As First Word

Dec 03, 2021

Babies grow up so fast. Before you know it, your little one will be sitting up, rolling over and crawling. It seems like they learn something new every day, and there's one milestone that new parents can't wait to celebrate: the baby's first word. The majority of babies say either "mama" or "dada" as their first word and, while they won't admit it, most parents try to convince the baby to say their name first. One dad thought he had a surefire way to coax his young son into saying "dada."

In the video below, you'll see a father reading "Your Baby's First Word Will Be DaDa" by Jimmy Fallon to his son. The book is known as a secret weapon amongst fathers. The book features a variety of animals who say "dada," hoping their offspring will repeat the word. Unfortunately for the animal dads, their babies are only interested in mooing, oinking and squeaking. The premise behind the book is that babies will associate the word "dada" with the fun animal sound effects, making them more likely to repeat it. The book is definitely aimed for children, but it also encourages fathers to read it to their kids simply so that they will learn to say "dada." With a book like this one, storytime will never be the same as fathers have to imitate all different kinds of animals.

In this video posted to YouTube back in 2018, one dad attempts to get his baby to say "dada" first instead of "mama." Read on to not only watch the heartwarming video, but see just how futile the father's efforts are. 

Whether babies say "mama" or "dada" first is a long-time contested debate. Even within professional circles, the opinion is split. According to Great Speech, linguists and speech therapists have different reasons as to why a baby would utter one word before another. According to the Russian-American linguist Roman Jakobson, "(T)he sound of 'm' (for 'mama') is easier for babies to make because they tend to do so when their mouths are fastened to a bottle or breast." However, Dr. Breyne Moskowitz has a contesting theory: babies are much more likely to say "dada" as their first word because the nasal sounds, such as the letter "m" are actually more difficult for babies to produce. 

Much like mothers and fathers, even the science behind a baby's first word is in disagreement. Nonetheless, parents will always wish that their baby utter their name first, and this father was no exception. This dad took to reading "Your Baby's First Word Will Be DaDa" by Jimmy Fallon in order to coax his baby to say "dada" first instead of "mama." Little did he know, his efforts would not bear the fruit he for which he hoped.

While Dad is reading, his son eagerly turns the pages of the book and squeals with delight at his dad's excellent animal imitations. Then it happens. The baby turns to the camera and says his very first word: "mama."

The boy's mom, who thought she was recording a beautiful bonding moment between father and son, is heard laughing in the background. She clearly knew all along that "dada" didn't stand a chance.  

Though the timeline differs from baby to baby, Jennifer L. Maietta, a speech pathologist, spoke to The Bump and said that on average, most babies start stringing together syllables that sounds like “mamamama” or “dadadadada” by 7 months of age. The sounds are known as babbles, and by the age of 9 months, babies get better at saying actual words. 

However, babies may still not have an understanding about what they are saying or who they are referring to even when they start speaking. "They might look at you or the dad and say it, or say it to the mailman," said Danelle Fisher, who is chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. "They’ll say it to anybody." As they reach the one-year mark though, babies will likely start to use the word correctly within context. Whenever it does happen, "it’s magical," Fisher added. "When they look at you and say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ and mean it, it’s the best thing in the world." 

The Bump also reported that while there is no way to rush a baby's natural development, parents can encourage their babies to speak. Fisher explained that sounding out the words "mama" and "dada" repeatedly can be very helpful. Moreover, "I encourage parents to identify each other as ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ when talking to the child," Fisher added. "For example, you can say, 'Look at Mama! Mama has food for you.' That way, baby starts associating a parent with a specific name." 

As for the baby in the video below, it seems like "mama" is his preferred word over "dada!"

Do you have a funny story about your baby's first word? Feel free to let us know your thoughts, and make sure you show this adorable video to your friends and family.