Verbal communication: making sense of those adorable (and not so adorable) baby noises
Before babies are able to talk, they communicate their needs through sounds like crying and cooing. Encourage your infant’s coos! The more you enjoy those gurgles and giggles, the more your child will “talk” to you.
Respond to your baby’s little noises.
- When your baby is crying, say “I know. Your diaper is wet and it doesn’t feel good! I’ll change you.” If your baby is gurgling and shrieking, respond with smiles, kisses, and happy faces.
- Smile often at your baby when they are cooing and gurgling; this encourages “baby talk.”
Read, sing, or talk to your baby!
- Hearing words over and over will help your baby to learn what they mean. Your baby is absorbing SO MUCH about speaking and listening in the early months of life!
- As your baby approaches 12 months, encourage them to point to familiar objects in books. Reinforce your baby’s responses with excitement and pride (for example, “Yay! That is the puppy! Do you see a kitten in this picture?”)
Quality Time with Your Baby
It may feel like you spend every waking minute attending to your baby. You are. Though you might have a million other things to do, from cleaning to answering emails, it’s so important to give your baby some one-on-one time.
- Turn off the television, and put away phones and laptops when you are feeding your baby. Study your child’s features, the shape of their face, and the sounds they make when they’re eating.
- Speak to your baby as you feed, bathe, dress, and play with them. Describe your daily activities as you do them. Your infant may not understand what you’re talking about, but they’re slowly picking up on words and love to hear your voice.
Instead of multitasking, try to set aside some time to look at your baby when they make noises, keeping eye contact when you sing or talk to them.