How much time per full day do you talk to/sing/read to 6-12 month olds?

[Anonymous]

Just curious how much time different nannies (or moms) spend talking/singing/reading to the infants they watch (in the 6- to 12-month-old range)? I'm always on the floor with the babies (9 and 12 months old) and within arm's reach, watching what they're doing. But I find it exhausting to talk/babble/sing/read to them all day long (10 hour days minus about 2-2.5 hours for naps, so about 7.5-8 hours of awake time). We go for at least one walk a day and to the park once a day, too. Story times are difficult because the babies usually nap during them. So aside from walks, park time and eating, there isn't much to do but have them on the floor playing. If they were my own children, I imagine I would be doing housework, running errands, meeting friends, etc., but that's not part of the nanny gig. Any thoughts on what's the norm or what's enough interaction time for the babies vs. time where I'm sitting with them but not talking to them or looking at a newspaper or my email or something like that?

[Anonymous]

I tend to talk to them all day, you don't have to get all cutsie or sing the itsy bitsy spider. I'll tell them about my day, ask them their opinion, sing Aerosmith songs, if you let yourself it's a lot of fun. Obviously the kid won't understand, or talk back but commu I acting and verbalizing is great no matter what it's about.

[Anonymous]

I sing to them whenever I am trying to affect their mood (soothing songs when they are stressed, upbeat or silly songs when they are playful). I talk to them whenever they "talk" to me. So if they are crying, I might say, "Oh, I know! It's so hard to be little! You are tired! You just want me to stop changing your diaper and put you to bed! We'll be done soon, sweetie!" If they are playing and babbling, I might say, "I see you! Are you telling me about your mobile? You love that one! Do you like the lion on it? He has such a happy face! You love looking at faces!" About the only times when I don't really talk to them are when I am feeding them (because it can distract them) or when they are asleep.

[Anonymous]

I talk all day! Well I give them independent time (I work with triplets).
But we talk (I really because they just babble) all the time. What shows I watched last night. Those crazy people at the mall, the weather anything. My MB thinks it's funny when she heard me. I've told them there is one of me and 3 of them so they need to be patient. Mom has,told them the same thing.

[Anonymous]

OP, I can't do the talking/singing thing all day. I do it enough, don't get me wrong, but it's exhausting to try and do it all day. Don't beat yourself up.

[Anonymous]

I'm an MB of a 9 mo. I have gradually gotten less chatty over time because it can be exhausting. But I know that talking a lot is really valuable so I try. I find that it's easiest to talk through what I'm doing with them rather than be randomly chatty during floor play. So I talk to my 9 mo. a lot during diaper changes describing what I'm doing (and asking her to "help", though I usually help her "help"). We chat about the food she eats at meal times. I tell her how much I love her during nursing sessions because it seems appropriate during the cuddle times.

But yes, I find the chatting during floor play thing tough. You can only describe "oh, good job, you put the red stacking ring on the peg" so many times it seems like. When DD babbles at me I do respond and interpret, "Oh, yes, you said Dada. Dada's over there..." But sometimes I do just observe and let her play. I'm OK with our nanny doing that, too.

The PP's suggestion to talk about random things is a good one if you are concerned about talking. My H does that a lot. However from what I've read it is best to focus on talking about whatever the baby is focused on. That's why saying things like "yes, I see you there chewing on the hard, smooth, red, wooden block" at least some of the time is pretty valuable.