Does your baby communicate? The answer is yes, from the moment it is born! Although your baby may not be talking yet, he is communicating through crying. babbling, cooing and body movements.
During all of these interactions, your baby is communicating his needs, thoughts, and feelings. And as you build trust and strong bonds with your baby, be it a parent, caregiver, or grandparent, you can learn and better understand what your baby is trying to communicate to you.
We know that it is not always easy to guess what a baby is trying to say. That's why we've put together a list of 7 helpful tips for parents and caregivers to help you better tune in and understand and respond to your child's cues, as well as nurture your little one's communication skills while talking, reading, and singing. . Tips for communicating with your baby.
As you listen and respond to your baby, try using lots of facial expressions. When your baby is engaged, he is more interested in communicating with you!! An easy way to talk to your baby is to narrate your day using words to describe the things you see and do together. This helps your child connect objects with actions!
Even if you are not sure how much you understand, talk, read and sing together with your child anyway! Your baby is absorbing all the words, stories, and conversations that you share together.
Tips for communicating with your toddler
Gestures like pointing are an important part of language development. Participate in back-and-forth conversations with your little one about the gestures he / she is making so that he / she can connect the gestures with language. For example, when your little one points to his mug, you can say, "Looks like you want your blue mug," and wait for an answer. Then say something like "What would you like to drink? How about some water?
To help connect names and objects with gestures, play games like "Simon Says." You can say things like, "Simon says to touch your little nose," "Simon says to knock on the white door," or "Simon says to give Mom a big hug."
By the age of 2, most children will be able to say about 50 words, but remember, each child develops at his or her own rate. When you answer your little one, try to emphasize the correct pronunciation of words and phrases.
Between the ages of 18-24 months, young children begin to use action words and will communicate through a combination of short phrases and gestures. Try answering your little one in complete sentences, while still using gestures and facial expressions.