In Focus - Communication

Bubs is bringing you an in-depth look at communicating with your child, whether they are newborn babies or pre-schoolers. With information on reading body language, how to encourage talk through play and how to ‘listen’ to your child this is a must see series of articles. Bubs About Town is proud to be bringing you these fantastic articles sourced from the Raising Children’s Network. This article is about Talking to and Listening to Your Newborn, following on will be Communicating with your Baby, Toddler and Pre--schooler.

Communicating with your Newborn

Reading baby body language
 

Babies use body language to tell you what they want. Watching what your baby does and how she responds to what you do will help you understand her body language.

They might not use words to say what they want, but babies certainly have their own way of telling you what’s going on.

As newborns, they cry – and cry and cry. You get to know the different kinds of crying. A couple of months in, there’s the adorable smiling. From about five months, babies might start to chatter and babble.

On top of all this, babies also speak with their bodies.
 

Learning your baby’s body language
 

Learning your baby’s body language is about getting to know your baby. Of course you’ll be spending lots of time holding your baby as you perform all the practical tasks of care. But the key to understanding is really watching everything your baby does.

Look at all the parts of your baby’s body. Look at the way her feet kick, hands clasp and expressions move across her face. Watch how your baby moves her limbs to see which things cause distress or startle her – sun in her eyes, the cat running past or a loud noise from the street. You will also see what calms and reassures her.

Babies as young as eight weeks old can tell the difference between people. They will have different physical responses to different people, depending on their relationship with the baby.

Watch how your baby responds to your communication and touch, and learn what comforts him. As your baby grows and begins to smile, return smiles as much as possible.

Learn to recognise your baby’s various states of consciousness – wide awake and alert, crying, fussy, different sleep stages. Eventually you will become familiar with these and able to predict your baby’s patterns.

You’ll also learn to understand what your baby is saying to you. The way you respond to your baby – whether you put her to sleep when she’s looking overtired or feed her when she’s hungry – can help settle her into a routine. It is easier to build a routine if you do things in the same way most days.

Alert babies are more interested in communicating. Talk to your baby quietly and rhythmically and use lots of facial expressions. After all, your baby is reading your face too. Your baby can watch what you’re doing and slowly get used to the idea that he can communicate with you, and you with him.

Learn to tell when your baby is tired. Watch for droopy eyelids and slow blinking, stiff and jerky movements, whining and irritability (younger babies) and being wound-up, crankiness or moodiness, eye rubbing and clinginess (older babies).

Before your baby learns to talk, she will start experimenting with sounds – anything that can get a response! This includes sneezing, coughing, gagging and squealing. Later, vowel sounds begin. These noises are attempts to engage your attention. The way you respond, however silly, will help your baby learn to communicate.
 

Talking to your baby
 

Talking, singing and reading aloud with your new baby can be great fun from birth onwards. Every word you speak, sing or read aloud also helps baby start to understand some amazing things, like that there are words and that conversations have funny things called ‘taking turns’

• For the first few weeks, crying is the main way your baby communicates. The first talking sounds won't appear for some months.

• If you respond to your baby's cries it helps her to feel secure.

• Every word that you say, sing or read aloud with your newborn will help her learn to talk one day.

The conversations and word games that you and baby share are part of how you build a relationship together. They will also lead to your baby's first attempts at talking.

Your newborn is a great little communicator from birth. She uses an extensive vocabulary to tell you what she's thinking and feeling. It's called crying, and it's how your baby lets you know she wants or needs something:more cuddles please, no more cuddles please, too hungry, not hungry enough, too tired, not tired enough, feeling too cold, feeling too warm. And sometimes she cries for no apparent reason.

Crying is the only way your new baby knows how to communicate with you. She doesn’t cry to annoy you – there’s no such thing as a naughty newborn.

Even though it might not seem like it the first few times you hear bub cry, you will soon recognise that she cries in different ways depending on what she wants and how quickly she needs you.

Your baby uses eye contact to talk to you, and she listens intently to every word and sound you make. She might gaze into your face and watch your mouth. Listening and watching you talk helps her understand the basics of communicating, and she absorbs a huge amount of information about words and talking from the day she's born.

The sing-song voice that many adults use around babies is called ‘parentese’. It sounds a bit like this: ‘Helloooo babbeeee, who’s a widdle baaabeeee?’ Experts say that babies prefer this to normal adult conversation. So go right ahead if you want to use the elongated vowels and exaggerated facial expressions of parentese to talk to your baby.

At about seven or eight weeks of age, your baby discovers something terrific: her own voice. She'll then start serenading you with coos and vowel sounds.

As she grows she will start to make more sounds and to smile and wave her arms and feet around. She’s getting the idea of conversation and wants to tell you all sorts of interesting stuff. If you listen and respond to her murmurs, she's likely to babble and gurgle with gusto before long.
 

Play ideas to help talking

• Try ‘parentese’, with its sing-song voice, elongated vowels and exaggerated facial expressions. Baby will love watching your eyes sparkle and your mouth stretching out around words.

• Give a running commentary about what you're doing. For example: ‘We’re going to give you a nice warm bath now. You like your bath, don’t you?’ Talk in any language, or switch between different languages. It all helps your baby learn about words and talking.

• Singing songs and rhymes is a fun way to help your baby's language skills develop. In the car, in the bath, at bedtime. Even if it's off-key. Your baby will love the rhythm of the words and will be soothed by your voice.

• You can read books to your baby from birth. After a few weeks, your baby will know that this is a time for you both to enjoy a quiet, special time together. She'll start to recognise words and learn to listen to what others say. Of course, your baby has yet to learn manners, so if she cries or wriggles through the whole thing you might want to try again later. Forcing the issue will defeat the purpose of creating a special time for both of you.

• Listen to your baby's first efforts at babbling and then respond, leaving a gap when it’s her turn to talk again. This teaches her about the pattern of conversation. If she doesn’t take a turn, or isn’t interested in chatting right now, try again another time. Let her interest guide you.

• Name the toys and objects around you. For example: ‘Look, these are your socks. We’re going to put them on your feet, aren’t we?’

All babies develop at different rates. Lots of babies make eye contact and sounds early, while others might not until month three. If your baby doesn’t do something at the same age as other babies, it doesn’t mean there is a need for concern. Speak to a health professional if you are not sure.

If you would like to see more articles like this then please log onto http://raisingchildren.net.au/. Don’t forget to stay tuned next week for Communicating with your Baby article.

“Sourced from the Raising Children Network's comprehensive and quality-assured Australian parenting website http://raisingchildren.net.au” 

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