How to Communicate With Your Baby

Communication with your baby starts very early on! As early as 16 weeks of pregnancy, your baby starts to hear your voice, which is when they begin picking up on cues of communication.

This is why working on your communication with newborns is important so your baby can learn and communicate to the best of their abilities later in life. Babies communicate by crying, smiling, and by those adorable little voices of ‘goo goo ga ga’.

Tips To Communicate With Your Baby

Here are some ways you can communicate with your baby from day one:

Imitate Them

When you imitate your baby, you’re trying to tell them that whatever they’re trying to say is important to you and that you hear it. Whatever sounds your baby is making, make the same sound to them in the same way. Let them answer you and then repeat what they say. This encourages two-way communication between parent and child.

Even if you don’t repeat what your baby is saying, respond to them in the normal adult language the best you can, but try not to ignore what they’re trying to say. If your baby isn’t saying anything, just imitate their gestures! This will encourage them to speak as well.

Read To Them

Reading early on encourages communication as well as language development in your baby. Reading together is a great way to bond with your baby and establish a parent-child tradition early on. This way they’ll have something to look forward to that you are a part of.

Sing To Them

Music is a great way to communicate with your baby. According to experts, singing lullabies or singing anything to your baby can make a real positive impact on them. Music releases endorphins in both you and your baby, so it emotionally settles you both and brings you and your baby in the same emotional space. It’s a phenomenon called synchronicity. 

Describe Objects To Them

Your baby is learning to interpret the world through you, so you need to guide them through it. You can do this by describing things to them like what you’re doing, what certain objects are for, and what you’re doing with them.

For example, describe to them how you’re changing their clothes and how the baby will be all clean and fresh afterward. This helps them understand different human actions and their importance.

Play With Them

Playing with your baby not only encourages baby-parent bonding but also has a lot of other benefits. It helps them learn new words, encourages movement of their hands and feet, and helps them feel happy and secure with you. Plus, babies need human touch and interaction to help with their growth of physical abilities, language, cognitive skills, and social-emotional competency. Try out some baby massage techniques to encourage this!

Ask Them Questions

Ask your baby small questions that we normally ask each other like ‘what do you want?’ or ‘how do you feel’ or ‘is the food yummy?’ All of this helps your baby communicate better without throwing a tantrum or crying. They’ll learn the importance of ‘using your words’ and how it’s a better, more effective way to communicate.

Hopefully, these tips help you build a strong and loving connection with your little one, and remember, there is no right or wrong way to parent as long as you and your baby are happy with it.