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 Baby, following on will be Communicating with your Newborn, Toddler and Pre--schooler.

Communicating with Your Baby

Talking: babies

From three to 18 months your baby’s speech develops dramatically. Simple, enjoyable play – such as reading and singing – will help improve your baby's language skills.
 

What to expect

Your baby is likely to:
 

• coo, gurgle and babble (from four months)
• put two vowel sounds together (from eight months)
• start to imitate your words (from about eight months)
• indicate 'no' with a shake of the head (from 10 months)
• attempt first words (from about 12 months)
• know and use about 10 words (at 15 months).
 

From newborn coos and gurgles, your baby will soon attempt vowel sounds such as ‘da-da’ or ‘ma-ma,’ progressing to saying his first word around his first birthday and speaking up to 10 words at 15 months of age.

Your bub will enjoy chatting, babbling happily when you talk to him, pointing out familiar objects and understanding when you name things. By birthday number two, your baby is starting to master language. However, there is a lot of variation between children, and some will still not say much even by the time they're two.

Research shows that encouraging these skills is as easy as just listening and talking to your baby. Sharing stories, songs, rhymes – even talking about your day – will all help your baby absorb language and build your relationship.

If by 18 months your baby is not babbling often or using meaningful words or doesn’t appear to listen when others are talking, there could be a problem and it would be a good idea to visit your health professional.

All children develop at their own pace. If your are concerned about any aspect of your child's development, it is a good idea to visit a health professional.
 

Play ideas to encourage talking
 

The more words children hear, the more words they learn. Here are some fun things to do together to encourage your baby's talking:

• reading aloud
• talking
• singing songs
• reciting nursery rhymes
• using story/song tapes or CDs in the car
• explaining what you’re doing, even if it’s mundane; for example, ‘Daddy’s vacuuming the carpet to get rid of the dust that makes you sneeze’
• repeating your baby’s attempts at words to encourage two-way conversation
• praising efforts to talk
• giving lots of smiles and eye contact to show you're listening
• expanding on basic words; for example, bub says, ‘train’ and you say, ‘yes, it’s a big red train’
• pointing to and naming body parts: ‘Where is your mouth?’
 

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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