Most parents would be surprised to learn this. They certainly don’t plan to talk more with one child than with another. They don’t even realize that this is happening. So why do they do it? Interestingly, it begins when the children are newborn babies. It is a known fact that at birth, males are a little less developed than females are. They don’t vocalize — make noises — as much as girls do, and they don’t have as much eye contact. Female babies vocalize, look at their parents, and remain alert longer. The result? Parents respond by talking more to the baby girls, who seem to be paying attention and “talking” back to them. Apparently, then, biology determines the amount of language that parents use.