Mastering the Art of Baby Talk

Welcome to the world of baby talk! As a new parent, you may find yourself navigating the uncharted territory of sing-song voices and one-sided conversations with your little bundle of joy. But fear not! Every interaction you have with your baby plays a vital role in their communication development, even if they don't respond or understand your words just yet.

Let’s explore the insights and techniques shared by Laura Black, a highly experienced Speech and Language Therapist, and the co-founder of April Cottage Therapies. Laura's expertise, combined with her personal experience as a new mom, has led her to share these valuable tips and strategies. So, let's dive in and discover how you can effectively communicate with your baby, setting the stage for their language and social interactions.

5 Tips for Talking To Your Baby:

1. Get face-to-face

Your baby’s eyesight is still developing in the early weeks. They can see you best when you are close like during feeding, nappy changing, or cuddles. Being close and face-to-face provides them opportunities to watch your mouth change shape while you talk, which they will find fascinating! Babies love watching faces- even more so than objects. 

2. Copy what they do

This can involve their expressions, movements, and noises like coos and gurgles. You can also respond to what they do by changing your expression, like opening your eyes wide and smiling. This tells them that you are listening to them and helps them understand more about taking turns. Although it might not feel like it, you are having a mini conversation!

3. Be expressive! 

Use facial expressions and gestures like clapping and waving to grab their interest. Babies will be able to copy these before real words and will gradually use your gestures to help them understand new words (like when you point to an object and say their name).

4. Narrate your day

Talk about what you’re doing, while you’re doing it! When babies hear you use the same words during familiar activities (like feeding, changing, or bath time) they will link the words to what is happening.

5. Use a ‘sing-song’ voice

This will grab your baby’s attention and encourage them to tune in to what you are saying. This one can take a bit of getting used to as a new parent, but don’t worry! You don’t have to use babyish-sounding words, just change your intonation or use a slightly higher pitch than normal to make what you say more animated.

When will my baby communicate with me?

Although you might not notice it, your baby will be developing speech abilities right from birth. Being able to communicate involves two major skills: understanding language (comprehension) and using language (expression). Below are some of the key milestones your baby will hit in their first 6 months.

Birth to 3 months:

• Turns their head towards a soothing tone of voice

• Is startled by loud noises

• Starts to watch your face and copies actions such as sticking out tongue or smile

3 to 6 months:

• Reacts and turns to loud sounds

• Watches you when you talk to them

• Recognises familiar voices

• When feeding, starts or stops sucking in response to sound

• Has a special way of crying for different needs (tired, hungry, etc.)

• Makes sounds to themselves like gurgling, cooing, and babbling

• Makes noises to get your attention

• Babbles in a sing-song way using vowels (‘ah-ah, ‘ooo’) single syllables (‘muh’), and double syllables (‘ma-ma, ‘ah-da’)

It’s important to remember that all children develop differently and may reach these milestones at different times. As a parent, you have the incredible opportunity to shape your baby's communication skills and lay a strong foundation for their future interactions. Remember that your efforts to engage, respond, and create language-rich environments will set your little one on a path of successful communication. So, embrace the magic of baby talk and watch as your baby blossoms into a confident communicator, one babble at a time!