Some things I learned tonight
It is possible to talk down to a two-year-old. That’s when kids are starting to be aware of such things as “language” and other such things, and thus baby-talk is below them.
Also, they know this, and will treat all attempts at baby-talk with the contempt they deserve (if you’re lucky, they’ll ignore it).
And, best of all, they will be able to spot the adult who doesn’t talk down to them, and will reward them with extra attention. I used to think I was crappy with children just because I have no idea how to do the silly baby-talk thing. It turns out that even two-year-olds like being talked to as if they were a fellow adult.
People who don’t understand that kids are people, too, deserve a punch in the face.