Talking with your baby
Sound is all around us, and plays a key role in a child’s language development; beginning even before birth, babies are able to hear and feel the vibrations of speech and auditory stimulation.
The development of language is supported by phenomena such as the music to which the baby is exposed, by the everyday sounds heard in daily life, by the words and phrases used by people in the home or wider environment (and the manner in which these words are expressed).
Surpassing these in terms of impact, however, is the way in which people actually speak to/with the baby, since babies and children learn best from what they see practiced around them.
As adults, we are able to learn new skills and can challenge ourselves to grow when we feel safe and accepted within our environments and communities. This is how we learn new social cues, cultural practices. We even continue to learn vocabulary and local idioms or expressions in this way! No matter our age, being accepted can be an enormous positive influence in a variety of settings.
Being included in activities, rather than simply brought along, has the potential to benefit your baby in a myriad of ways. This includes conversations with you and with other family members or people who feature prominently in their lives. As you go about your day with your little one, consider chatting with them about what is happening around them. Try to keep it to things that they are seeing, hearing, smelling, or will be a part of, rather than more abstract things like the news or current events.
For example, when they wake, meet them with a greeting the same way you might any other person in your circle. As you change their diaper let them know what is happening, identifying the different parts of their body. Continue during meal time with conversation about the foods on offer, or during time outside with mention of the sights and sounds around you.
If you feel a little self conscious beginning this, don’t worry! Try thinking of it as narrating the activities that you and your baby are doing. Over time, it will feel more comfortable, and as they develop your baby will be able to chime in more–first with gurgles, then babbling, and then over time–clear, spoken, words!
Time spent together like this will also support a healthy and supportive relationship for both yourself and your little one, as it will with other members of your community who spend time with them. More developed and meaningful relationships, will in turn support the wellbeing of the family unit on the whole, and the individuals within it.