Yes, it can be intimidating to get a new pet especially if you have no idea what you can or can not to do with it. Birds are kind of special because they don't like to be touched too much, but they do a lot of gestures and different sound intonations. Kids only need to know to keep fingers away and not to tap on the cage or disturb a parrot, anything sound related is more than welcome - music, talking, shrieks, music instruments - I don't know about the words, but I think it takes a few months before it starts to imitate.