Talking to your baby matters

I have a 11 months old baby "Yash" and now he has started talking to me, first words were ma-ma-ma & now he says mummy & sometimes baby, don’t know if it is really mummy or not but it always sounds like mummy. It is really very interesting to hear them talk with you, because they try their level best to communicate with you.
Here are some tips which I want to share with you all. I got these tips from my midwife and some are from my mom.

Talking and listening to your child will benefit you both. Your child will feel valued and loved, and the two of you will form a close bond with each other. Infact talking and listening to children from the moment they are born helps them develop good language and communication skills. This enables them to listen and express themselves well. The best way to stimulate babies’ brains is to talk to them more.
Babies can communicate before they start talking and want to interact with people, especially family, by moving their mouth or limbs, cooing, babbling or smiling, your baby is sharing experiences with you and looking for a response. Whenever possible, try to response by making eye contact, smiling and talking back.

Talking tips

1. Talk to your child when you’re playing together. Have fun with nursery rhymes & songs, especially those with actions.
2. Gain your child’s attention when you want to talk. Increase vocabulary by giving choices, e.g. “Do you want milk or juice?”
3. Talk about the things as they happen, e.g. when you’re both unpacking the shopping. Listen carefully and give your child time to finish talking. Take turns to speak.
4. Always respond in some way when your child says something. Help your child to use more words by adding to what they’ve said, e.g. “Goggy bited it.” “Yes, the dog bit it, didn’t he?”
5. Try and have special time with your child each day to play with toys and picture books.
6. Watch TV together so you can talk about the programme and watch shows designed for your child’s age.

Talking will help the two of you form a close bond, as communication is the basis of your relationship with each other.