Baby Care Tips: Learning Tips for 1 Year Olds and Younger
Learning to talk is a process that begins at birth. By the time a child is two years old, they will have put together a large vocabulary they will use to express their ideas and needs. For this to happen effectively, you will need to know how this process unfolds and gather some tips to ensure the baby’s ability to communicate is encouraged.
From birth to 3 months
At this stage, your baby will be listening to your voice. The gurgling and cooing sounds are an attempt of replicating the sounds the baby hears. A baby can be assisted during this stage by:
- Planning for quiet time – babies need time to play and babble quietly without interruption from eternal; noises such as a radio or television
- Talking to the baby – talk to other people when the baby is near. Even though they may not understand your words, the baby will like your smile and voice
- Sing – this can be done between birth and even when they are older. As babies will hear you singing even before they are born
3 – 6 months
This is the time when your baby will try to learn how people talk to each other. You can speed up the process by:
- Repeating a word when the baby tries to say it
- Imitate the sounds your baby does when babbling
- Hold the child close so that they may look into your eyes, smile and talk to them
6 – 9 months
During this age, the baby will play with sounds. They will also frown or cry on hearing an angry voice and smile when hearing a happy voice. You can assist your baby understand words even when they cannot pronounce them by:
- Ask your child a question such as ‘Where is doggie? If they do not answer, show them where the dog is
- Put the child in front of a mirror and ask them “Who they see?” if the child doesn’t respond, say their name
- Give the child a toy and say something like ‘See how smart dolly is?’
- Play games such as Pat-a-cake or Peek-a-Boo. Help the child move their hands with the rhyme
9 – 12 months
This is the time when the child will start understanding simple words. They will look for their mother when someone asks the ‘Where is mommy?’ And will look at you when you say ‘No.’ at this age, they will use their body and make sounds to try and communicate something. When the baby looks at you and lifts up their hands, they means they wants to be carried or there is something the child wants that is up. They may give you a toy indicating that they want to play. Further assistance can be accomplished by showing the child how to wave ‘bye-bye’.
Following some of these infant care tips can ensure your baby is able to talk quicker than other children of the same age. It will also help in proper development of the baby’s brain.