Tori Spelling Hopes Son, Daughter Will Be Best Friends

While she’s open to the prospect of more children with husband Dean McDermott, Tori Spelling says that it isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. "We want to take a break right now," the 35-year-old actress tells lil Sugar, adding that her focus is on her son Liam Aaron, 17-months, daughter Stella Doreen, 9-weeks and Jack, 9, Dean’s son from a previous marriage. "We want to … let them all become friends and then think about that in the future," Tori says. Having two children "so close in age" is something that Tori hopes will ultimately strengthen the bond between Liam and Stella, whom she predicts "will be best friends."

Tori says she keeps baby talk to a minimum with Liam, an approach she credits for her son’s "happy" disposition and "amazing" vocabulary. "It’s important to communicate with your child," Tori says, and now that she and Dean have "seen that it works" they’re "doing the same thing with Stella, even though she’s just two months." That said, Tori says that the best piece of advice she’s received as a mom is "not to listen to anyone’s advice because it’s an individual experience and as a mom your instincts take over and that’s the best thing." As for her greatest hope for her kids? "Just love," Tori says, adding,

I can only hope that they find love [as I've found] with Dean and that they have an amazing family.

Tori and Dean were married in May 2006.

Source: lil Sugar; Photo by ATM/Flynet.

Comments

That’s great she isn’t baby talking her children.

I babysit for a couple who literally baby-talks to their children not pronouncing words and things and their 3 year old can’t talk properly let a lone talk in at least one sentence. It’s sad.

- Rayan on August 13th, 2008

Well, let’s hope they don’t find love *exactly* as she and Dean found it…by destroying a family.

- Kelly on August 13th, 2008

I am not here to pass any judgement, but I am allowed to express my personal opinion.

I hope that her kids do not find love the way that their parents did. Tori left her husband, and Dean left his wife whom he was in the middle of adopting a daughter with, so I seriously hope that she teaches them better morals.

- Nicole on August 13th, 2008

I never talked baby talk to my daughter either. She is now 3-1/2 years old and has an exceptional vocabulary and can really hold a very nice conversation with people. When people talk to her they are amazed that she is only 3 years old. With that being said, her vocabulary isnt perfect and, yes she does pronounce some words incorrectly, but you can definitely hold a conversation with her. She has a great imagination and can come up with some really indepth, imaginative stories of her own as well!

- Henrietta on August 13th, 2008

I was wondering where Tori got the cute hat Stella was wearing in last nights show, The blue and pink stripe with the bow on it.
It was so cute .

- tamara on August 13th, 2008

I loved last night’s show too, brought tears to my eyes to see them have baby Stella and bring her home. Watching Liam with Stella was awesome, ver cute family!!

- Sara on August 13th, 2008

My boys are grown now (17 & 19) but I have to tell you that not speaking “baby talk” is evident even today. I can’t tell you how many compliments I get on how well-spoken they are, how they are able to engage people in intelligent conversation and how large their vocabulary is. Someone pointed out to me that a lot of teen-agers (and even older) mutter and do not make eye contact. Mine were taught how to introduce themselves, give a firm handshake and how to engage in small talk. In fact, my oldest son, who is a sophomore in college, so impressed a principal he met at a friend’s house that he was offered a job when he graduates. I think it makes a huge difference!

- Shay on August 13th, 2008

I totally agree with the not talking baby talk to your baby. When my son was a baby, I talked to him all the time, and while I made my voice and face animated to keep his attention….I spoke clearly to him. By his first birthday he could repeat any word you said to him and by his 2nd birthday, he was speaking in full sentences. I did not have the terrible two tantrums, which I credit in large part to the fact that he was able to verbally let me know exactly what he wanted or needed.

- CTBmom on August 13th, 2008

i don’t have kids so i had no idea how you talk to your child was so important.good on tori & dean for this.i read recently liam has been telling off the paps, saying “get back” and stuff like dean does.too cute. last night’s episode was amazing.tori arranged for jack to show up as a surprise for dean at their party.jack was jumping up and down at the front door,trying to see through the glass panels at the top.dean opened the door and they just grabbed each other and hugged for a bit then jack hugged tori too.it was so cool to see jack playing in the pool with dean & liam and t&d both commented on how much it meant to them to have jack with them & they both cried a bit over it.next week there is a bonus episode. yay!

- ang on August 13th, 2008

Actually, a study done at Carnegie Mellon Unversity shows that baby talk helps children to verbalize sooner than those who do not hear baby talk. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050329143741.htm It’s called infant-directed speech. There have been many studies done on the subject. I just keep this one in mind because I went to CMU.
All children learn in their own way so adult speech may be best for Tori’s kids, but baby talk certainly isn’t detrimental. Babies are babies.
I speak a mixture of adult-type speech and baby talk to my son. We’ll see how talking goes with him. He’s only just turned 9-months.

- dstorm on August 13th, 2008

When I had my son, my husband and I didn’t talk baby talk to our son mostly because we just felt silly and uncomfortable doing it. We just started talking very plain and simply to him; you can’t totally talk to a child like an adult, but I don’t think you need to talk to them as if they have little to no comprehension, either.

I’ll admit, I don’t know if not talking baby talk to him is the reason why, but my son has an exceptional vocabulary. We can’t even count the amount of words that he knows, and he has been talking in three to four word sentances for several months now (he just turned two on July 22nd).

Anyhow, I might not agree with some of the things Tori and Dean have done in regard to their previous marriages, but I DO like them as a couple. They seem genuinely in love and like they are very good parents. I like last nights episode with Jack coming to visit. I hope that they continue to make an effort to have him visit and be a part of their lives.

- erica alayne on August 13th, 2008

I don’t know what my parents did with me, but I knew 17 words by the age of 1, and apparently, I spoke very clearly. When I told my mom that I intended to avoid all baby talk with my child, she actually suggested otherwise because simply put, a baby is not an adult.

I think the thing with baby talk is that it doesn’t just have to be excessive. Things like encouraging the mispronunciation of a word or sibling name should probably be avoided. But some form of language/tone change is a nice way for the baby to know you’re talking directly at them and no one else.

The timbre of the voice is what changes with me when I address a small child. I sort of coo and speak in a higher pitch. It’s inevitable, for me anyhow, and I think it just shows endearment and I doubt I’ve impaired any child’s verbal capacity:) Plus, baby talk from the part of adults takes on a repetitive nature, which is exactly how babies “practice” talking when they’re alone.

- Xan on August 13th, 2008

They call each other “Momma and Daddy or Baby” rather than “Tori” or “Dean”. They call their child nothing but “monkey”. Hello???????

- Laura Scott on August 13th, 2008

I totally agree!!! My daughter is 2 and speaks so well and clearly and we have always spoken to her this way so of course that is how she would talk. There is no reason to speak baby talk. I have a co-worker who’s kids are 5 and 8 and I swear to god, she still speaks baby talk to them! It kills me! I saw a lady in Target the other day too who was talking to her son in baby talk then started talking to the cashier exactly the same! You should have seen the look on his face. I tried so hard not to bust a gut there in the isle!

On that note….I LOVE Tori and Dean. I actually just watched last night’s episode on my DVR. I hope they keep doing the show for years to come. They are so real and down to earth! I cried when Jack came over. I know, I am a sap. And I loved the pink headband Stella wore at the party with the pink flower on it.

- Becky on August 13th, 2008

My name is Megan Steck and I am the owner of Kensie Claire Boutique. The flower crochet headband that was worn by Stella on Tori and Dean’s show was made by me. My company manufacture’s the most adorable flower hair accessories. I was able to put a few headbands in a gift for Tori from her aunt that shops at a boutiques that carries my products. My website is undergoing rennovations but will be up very soon. kensieclaireboutique.com

- Megan Steck on August 17th, 2008